Today (Johnny Hartman Album)
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''Today'' is a studio album by American singer
Johnny Hartman John Maurice Hartman (July 3, 1923 – September 15, 1983) was an American jazz singer, known for his rich baritone voice and recordings of ballads. He sang and recorded with Earl Hines' and Dizzy Gillespie's big bands and with Erroll Garner. ...
, released in 1972 by Perception Records. It was Hartman's first recording since 1967 and marked a new phase in his career, with the inclusion of material by more contemporary songwriters such as
Jimmy Webb Jimmy Layne Webb (born August 15, 1946) is an American songwriter, composer, and singer. He achieved success at an early age, winning the Grammy Award for Song of the Year at the age of 21. During his career, he established himself as one of Am ...
,
Kris Kristofferson Kristoffer Kristofferson (June 22, 1936 – September 28, 2024) was an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He was a pioneering figure in the outlaw country movement of the 1970s, moving away from the polished Nashville sound and toward a m ...
, and
Paul Williams Paul Williams may refer to: Authors * Paul Williams (Crawdaddy) (1948–2013), American music and science fiction journalist; founder of ''Crawdaddy'' and the Philip K. Dick Society * Paul Williams (Irish journalist) (born 1964), Irish journalis ...
. Musicians on the album include well-known jazz instrumentalists such as
George Coleman George Edward Coleman (born March 8, 1935) is an American jazz saxophonist known for his work with Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock in the 1960s. In 2015, he was named an NEA Jazz Master. Early life Coleman was born in Memphis, Tennessee. He was ...
,
Earl May Earl Charles Barrington May (September 17, 1927 - January 4, 2008) was an American jazz bassist. Allmusic described him as "one of the most prodigious and prolific bassists of the postwar era". Early life May was born in New York City on September ...
, and
Billy Higgins Billy Higgins (October 11, 1936 – May 3, 2001) was an American jazz drummer. He played mainly free jazz and hard bop. Biography Higgins was born in Los Angeles, California, United States. Higgins played on Ornette Coleman's first records, be ...
. ''Today'' was the only album by Hartman to ever appear on the pop charts, spending three weeks on the Cash Box Album Charts, where it peaked at No. 160.


Reception

Initial reception to the album was consistently positive. ''
DownBeat ''DownBeat'' (styled in all caps) is an American music magazine devoted to "jazz, blues and beyond", the last word indicating its expansion beyond the jazz realm that it covered exclusively in previous years. The publication was established in 1 ...
'' awarded ''Today'' its highest five-star rating, and reviewer Robert Rusch hailed it as Hartman's "greatest recording to date. . . . Unconditionally recommended." Rusch praised Hartman as "an exceptional ballad singer with beautiful control, sensitivity, and range," and said, "he uses his exceptional shifts in tension and phrasing to completely immerse the listener in the lyrics, mood and coloring of the tunes." The review also applauded the backing musicians, calling them "an unusually inspired combo, which on its own plays five-star jazz." Phyl Garland, music critic for ''
Ebony Ebony is a dense black/brown hardwood, coming from several species in the genus '' Diospyros'', which also includes the persimmon tree. A few ''Diospyros'' species, such as macassar and mun ebony, are dense enough to sink in water. Ebony is fin ...
'' magazine, welcomed Hartman's return to the recording studio and said: "He sings with a rare ease and intimacy as apparent on the standouts ''
Betcha By Golly Wow "Betcha by Golly, Wow" is a song written by Thom Bell and Linda Creed, originally titled "Keep Growing Strong" and recorded by American actress and singer Connie Stevens under the Bell label in 1970. Stevens' recording runs two minutes and thirty ...
'' and a version of '' Didn't We'' that is a tour de force of vocal range." ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' chose ''Today'' as a four-star Special Merit Pick, and ''Cash Box'' selected it as a Pop Pick, saying that Hartman "soars above the background gentility and supercool ambience to project a style that is both original and totally involving." ''
Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture publication based in Greenwich Village, New York City, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Ma ...
'' reviewer Victor Stein wrote: "Hartman's voice, for me, is the finest of any male singer's. It's a rich baritone, to be compared to such things as port wine and the mists of a summer night. Yet, for all its richness, it is lean, objective, with no sentimentality clinging to its edges." He mentions "Betcha By Golly, Wow", saying: "This is a bubble-gum tune, and by treating it as such, Hartman raises it to the level of a tender jazz ballad." More recently, however,
Stephen Thomas Erlewine Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and former senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of multiple artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance ...
at
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
gave the album low marks, saying: "Today, Johnny Hartman's first record for Perception, was a new beginning of sorts. It just wasn't a very good beginning." Erlewine claims that the songs, though good, don't lend themselves to Hartman's vocal style, and he criticizes the production on the album. "There are moments on Today that work," he concludes, "but by and large this is a missed opportunity. Gregg Akkerman, in his 2012 biography of Hartman, expressed mixed views about ''Today'', saying: " en placed in the context of its time, some special music had been created. . . . Hartman recorded 'contemporary' hits in a manner that presented him as relevant without denying his past." Akkerman highlights "
By the Time I Get to Phoenix "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" is a song written by Jimmy Webb. Originally recorded by Johnny Rivers in 1965, it was reinterpreted by American country music singer Glen Campbell on his album of the same name. Released on Capitol Records in 1 ...
", with its "rock solid sense of time in the vocals and a devilishly technical Coleman sax solo," and "the light R&B groove of 'We've Only Just Begun'
hat A hat is a Headgear, head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorpor ...
provided Hartman with a comfortable backing over which to exploit the full dynamic range of his voice." On the other hand, Akkerman criticizes the album's "overall harshness of sound and the incessant vocalizing of the pianist." He concludes by saying that ''Today'' "offered an inspired collection of genres and tempos, utthere are times it played like a demo for the album Hartman should have made."


Reissues

''Today'' has been reissued on compact disc with Hartman's other album for Perception, ''I've Been There'' (1973), initially as ''Today/I've Been There – The Perception Years'' (Collectables, 1997), and then as ''Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head'' (Definitive, 2003).


Track listing


Side 1

# "
By the Time I Get to Phoenix "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" is a song written by Jimmy Webb. Originally recorded by Johnny Rivers in 1965, it was reinterpreted by American country music singer Glen Campbell on his album of the same name. Released on Capitol Records in 1 ...
" (
Jimmy Webb Jimmy Layne Webb (born August 15, 1946) is an American songwriter, composer, and singer. He achieved success at an early age, winning the Grammy Award for Song of the Year at the age of 21. During his career, he established himself as one of Am ...
) – 4:00 # " Didn't We" (Webb) – 4:25 # " Games People Play" (
Joe South Joe South (born Joseph Alfred Souter; February 28, 1940 – September 5, 2012) was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. Best known for his songwriting, South won the Grammy Award for Grammy Award for Song of the Year, ...
) – 4:27 # "
Betcha By Golly Wow "Betcha by Golly, Wow" is a song written by Thom Bell and Linda Creed, originally titled "Keep Growing Strong" and recorded by American actress and singer Connie Stevens under the Bell label in 1970. Stevens' recording runs two minutes and thirty ...
" (
Thom Bell Thomas Randolph Bell (January 26, 1943 – December 22, 2022) was an American record producer, arranger, and songwriter known as one of the creators of Philadelphia soul in the 1970s. Hailed as one of the most prolific R&B songwriters and prod ...
,
Linda Creed Linda Diane Creed (December 6, 1948 – April 10, 1986), also known by her married name Linda Epstein, was an American songwriter, lyricist, background singer and record producer who teamed up with Thom Bell to produce some of the most successfu ...
) – 4:10 # "
Summer Wind "Summer Wind" is a 1965 song, originally released in Germany as "Der Sommerwind" and written by Heinz Meier and German language lyrics by Hans Bradtke. Johnny Mercer re-wrote the song into English along the same themes as the original, which ta ...
" (
Johnny Mercer John Herndon Mercer (November 18, 1909 – June 25, 1976) was an American lyricist, songwriter, and singer, as well as a record label executive who co-founded Capitol Records with music industry businessmen Buddy DeSylva and Wallichs Music Cit ...
, Heinz Meier) – 3:20


Side 2

# "
Help Me Make It Through the Night "Help Me Make It Through the Night" is a country ballad written and composed by Kris Kristofferson and released on his 1970 album '' Kristofferson''. It was covered later in 1970 by Sammi Smith, on the album '' Help Me Make It Through the Nig ...
" (
Kris Kristofferson Kristoffer Kristofferson (June 22, 1936 – September 28, 2024) was an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He was a pioneering figure in the outlaw country movement of the 1970s, moving away from the polished Nashville sound and toward a m ...
) – 4:05 # " Folks Who Live on the Hill" (
Jerome Kern Jerome David Kern (January 27, 1885 – November 11, 1945) was an American composer of musical theatre and popular music. One of the most important American theatre composers of the early 20th century, he wrote more than 700 songs, used in over ...
,
Oscar Hammerstein II Oscar Greeley Clendenning Hammerstein II (; July 12, 1895 – August 23, 1960) was an American lyricist, librettist, theatrical producer, and director in musical theater for nearly 40 years. He won eight Tony Awards and two Academy Award ...
) – 5:45 # "
We've Only Just Begun "We've Only Just Begun" is a single by the Carpenters, written by Roger Nichols (music) and Paul Williams (lyrics). It was ranked at No. 414 on ''Rolling Stone'' magazine's list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time." It also became Carpenter ...
" (
Paul Williams Paul Williams may refer to: Authors * Paul Williams (Crawdaddy) (1948–2013), American music and science fiction journalist; founder of ''Crawdaddy'' and the Philip K. Dick Society * Paul Williams (Irish journalist) (born 1964), Irish journalis ...
, Roger Nichols) – 5:00 # " I've Got to Be Me ( Walter Marks) – 4:40 A tenth song, entitled "Impossible/
Something Something may refer to: Philosophy and language * Something (concept) * "Something", an English indefinite pronoun Music Albums * ''Something'' (Chairlift album), 2012 * ''Something'' (Shirley Bassey album), 1970 * ''Something'' (Shirley Scot ...
(Medley)," is listed on the front album cover but not included on the record. According to Akkerman, the track probably wasn't completed and it's doubtful an outtake exists.


Personnel

#
Johnny Hartman John Maurice Hartman (July 3, 1923 – September 15, 1983) was an American jazz singer, known for his rich baritone voice and recordings of ballads. He sang and recorded with Earl Hines' and Dizzy Gillespie's big bands and with Erroll Garner. ...
– vocals #
George Coleman George Edward Coleman (born March 8, 1935) is an American jazz saxophonist known for his work with Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock in the 1960s. In 2015, he was named an NEA Jazz Master. Early life Coleman was born in Memphis, Tennessee. He was ...
– saxophone #
Roland Prince Roland Prince was an Antiguan jazz guitarist. He was born in St. John's on August 27, 1946. He died on July 15, 2016, aged 69. Discography As leader *1976: ''Color Vision'' (with Virgil Jones, Frank Foster, Kenny Barron, Al Foster, Eddie Moore, ...
– guitar # Herman Foster – piano #
Earl May Earl Charles Barrington May (September 17, 1927 - January 4, 2008) was an American jazz bassist. Allmusic described him as "one of the most prodigious and prolific bassists of the postwar era". Early life May was born in New York City on September ...
bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Wood * Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in th ...
#
Billy Higgins Billy Higgins (October 11, 1936 – May 3, 2001) was an American jazz drummer. He played mainly free jazz and hard bop. Biography Higgins was born in Los Angeles, California, United States. Higgins played on Ornette Coleman's first records, be ...
– drums # Boo Frazier – producer # Eddie Korvin
engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who Invention, invent, design, build, maintain and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials. They aim to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while ...


References

{{Authority control Johnny Hartman albums 1972 albums