Johnny Hartman

Johnny Hartman was an American jazz baritone singer born in Chicago in 1923. He began his career in the 1940s singing with Earl Hines and Dizzy Gillespie’s big bands before establishing himself as a solo artist. Hartman became best known for his warm, intimate vocal style and his landmark 1963 collaboration with John Coltrane on the album John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman. He recorded for several labels including Impulse! and Savoy, releasing a series of ballad-focused LPs through the 1950s and 1960s. His smooth phrasing and rich tone placed him in the same lineage as Nat King Cole and Billy Eckstine. Hartman remained active until his death in 1983.