After Elvis and before the Beatles, what did people listen to. Well, clean pop and crooners!
Billy Eckstine-inspired baritone Johnny Hartman is best known for his collaboration with tenor saxist John Coltrane, but his own catalogue is quite impressive. His 1955 debut sets the mood for his career, teaming him with Osie Johnson/dr, Milt Hinton/ Lucky Thompson/ts and Ralph Sharon/p among others for relaxed reads of “What Is There To Say” and “I Fall In Love Too Easily”. Next year, he had two releases, the first again with Sharon’s trio, but also with bopping trumpeter Howard McGhee and some strings for lush takes of “Tenderly” and “The Lamp Is Low”. The same year has him in a quintessentially reflective mood on “Why Was I Born” and “I’ll Never Smile Again”, with 1958 teaming Hartman with Rudy Traylor’s orchestra for a luminous “I Should Care” and “But Beautiful”. A voice that women still swoon to.
Freddy Cannon was caught between the dangerous Elvis and the pretty boys like Fabian. What he had going for him was a fantastic amount of energy and a street swagger of a voice. His first album was focused on the blues, featuring upbeat takes of “Blue Skies” and “My Blue Heaven”. From there, he did a travelogue of an album that included “Kansas City” and “Sweet Georgia Brown” along with his big hit “Tallahassee Lassie”. His followup included the hilarious “Humdinger” and “Transistor Sister” with his biggest hit of all, “Palisades Park” featured on the last album here. Nostalgia for the toe tappers.