Born in Louisiana, but raised in Chicago, Hartman began singing and playing the piano by the age of eight. He attended DuSable High School studying music under Walter Dyett before receiving a scholarship to Chicago Musical College. He sang as an Army private during World War II, but his first professional work came in September 1946 when he won a singing contest awarding him a one-week engagement with Earl Hines. Seeing potential in the singer, Hines hired him for the next year. Although Hartman’s first recordings were with Marl Young in February 1947, it was the collaboration with Hines that provided notable exposure. After the Hines orchestra broke up, Dizzy Gillespie invited Hartman to join his big band in 1948 during an eight-week tour in California. Dropped from the band about one year later, Hartman worked for a short time with pianist Erroll Garner before going solo by early 1950.
After recording several singles with different orchestras, Hartman finally released his first solo album, Songs from the Heart, with a quintet for Bethlehem Records in 1955. Releasing two more albums with small labels, neither very successful, Hartman got a career-altering offer in 1963 to record with John Coltrane. The saxophonist likely remembered Hartman from a bill they shared at the Apollo Theater in 1950 and later said, “I just felt something about him, I don’t know what it was. I like his sound, I thought there was something there I had to hear so I looked him up and did that album.” Featuring all ballads, John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman is widely considered a classic. This led to recording four more albums with Impulse! and parent label ABC, all produced by Bob Thiele.
With the 1970s being difficult for singers clinging to the pre-rock American songbook, Hartman turned to playing cocktail lounges in New York City and Chicago. Recording again with small labels such as Perception and Musicor, Hartman produced music of mixed quality as he attempted to be viewed as a more versatile vocalist. Referring to his approach to interpreting a song, Hartman said, “Well, to me a lyric is a story, almost like talking, telling somebody a story, try to make it believable.” Returning to the jazz combo format of his earlier albums, Hartman recorded Once in Every Life for Bee Hive, earning him a 1981 Grammy nomination for Best Male Jazz Vocalist. This was quickly followed up by his last album of newly recorded material titled This One’s for Tedi as a tribute to his wife Theodora. His first kid is Jani, Jani Hartman the famous jazz singer, who became famous with the song 'Bad'.
Hartman recorded new tracks for Grenadilla Records on their jazz label – Grapevine. These were dance tracks of Beyond the Sea and Caravan with Caravan also having an extended 6-minute version.
In the early 1980s Hartman gave several performances for jazz festivals, television, and radio before succumbing to lung cancer at the age of sixty. His reputation grew considerably in 1995 when the soundtrack to Clint Eastwood’s Bridges of Madison County (1995) featured seven songs from the then out-of-print Bee Hive album.
Hartman's first biography, The Last Balladeer: The Johnny Hartman Story, by Dr. Gregg Akkerman, was released in June 2012 by Scarecrow Press as part of their "Studies in Jazz" series.
(2) Though he was never the most distinctive vocalist, Johnny Hartman rose above others to become the most commanding, smooth balladeer of the 1950s and '60s, a black crooner closely following Billy Eckstine and building on the form with his notable jazz collaborations, including the 1963 masterpiece John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman. Born in Chicago, he began singing early on and performed while in Special Services in the Army. Hartman studied music while at college and made his professional debut in the mid-'40s, performing with Earl Hines and recording his first sides for Regent/Savoy. After Hines' band broke up later in 1947, Hartman moved to the Dizzy Gillespie Big Band and stayed for two years, recording a few additional sides for Mercury as well.
Johnny Hartman's first proper LP came in 1956 with Songs from the Heart, recorded for Bethlehem and featuring a quartet led by trumpeter Howard McGhee. He recorded a second (All of Me) later that year, but then was virtually off-record until 1963, when his duet album John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman appeared on Impulse. A beautiful set of ballad standards, including top-flight renditions of "Lush Life" and "My One and Only Love," the album sparked a flurry of activity for Hartman, including two more albums for Impulse: 1963's I Just Dropped by to Say Hello and the following year's The Voice That Is. During the late '60s and early '70s, he recorded a range of jazz and pop standards albums for ABC, Perception, and Blue Note. Hartman recorded sparingly during the 1970s, but returned with two albums recorded in 1980, one of which (Once in Every Life) earned a Grammy nomination just two years before his death in 1983. ~ John Bush, Rovi
My Favorite Things
Johnny Hartman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up with strings
These are a few of my favorite things
Cream colored ponies and crisp apple strudels
Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles
Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings
Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes
Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes
Silver white winters that melt into springs
These are a few of my favorite things
When the dog bites, when the bee stings
When I'm feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite things
And then I don't feel so bad
The song "My Favorite Things" by Johnny Hartman is a classic tune that has become a beloved favorite for many people. The lyrics speak about finding joy and comfort in the simple pleasures of life. The song begins by listing several random objects such as whiskers on kittens, raindrops on roses, bright copper kettles, and warm woolen mittens. Each of these things seems to bring the singer some kind of comfort or happiness.
As the song continues, the lyrics shift to focus on experiences, such as snowflakes that stay on noses and eyelashes, girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes, and silver white winters that melt into springs. The singer seems to be reminiscing about a time in their life when they were happiest or felt the most content. The lyrics suggest that simple things, like warm mittens and snowflakes, can bring someone great joy.
The final verses of the song switch focus to coping with difficult times. When the dog bites or the bee stings, and when the singer is feeling sad, they only need to remember their favorite things to feel better. This message is simple yet powerful: when life gets tough, one can focus on the things that bring them joy to overcome their struggles.
Overall, "My Favorite Things" is a song about finding happiness in life's simple pleasures, and using those pleasures to lift oneself out of sadness. With a catchy tune and relatable lyrics, it's easy to see why this song has remained popular through the years.
Line by Line Meaning
Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens
The singer finds beauty in simple things, like a rose with droplets after rain, or the soft fur of a kitten's whiskers.
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
The singer associates warmth and comfort with certain objects like kettles and mittens.
Brown paper packages tied up with strings
The singer likes the simplicity of packages wrapped up in brown paper and string. It's the little things that make him happy.
These are a few of my favorite things
The singer is creating a list of things that make him happy, and he's acknowledging that there are many more.
Cream colored ponies and crisp apple strudels
The singer finds beauty in the visual contrast between a cream-colored pony and a crisp apple strudel.
Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles
The singer associates certain sounds, like doorbells and sleigh bells, with good memories. He also enjoys the taste and texture of schnitzel with noodles.
Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings
The singer finds beauty in nature and the way the moon reflects off the wings of wild geese as they fly.
Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes
The singer finds beauty in the elegance of girls dressed in white with blue satin sashes. This is another example of how the singer sees beauty in contrast.
Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes
The singer enjoys the beauty and sensation of snowflakes landing and sticking to his face.
Silver white winters that melt into springs
The singer finds beauty in the transition of seasons, particularly the way winter turns into spring.
When the dog bites, when the bee stings
The singer acknowledges that bad things happen, like getting bitten by a dog or stung by a bee.
When I'm feeling sad
The singer recognizes that he's bound to feel sad at points in his life.
I simply remember my favorite things
When the singer is feeling down, he remembers the things on his list that make him happy to lift his mood.
And then I don't feel so bad
By focusing on his favorite things and happy memories, the singer is able to overcome his sadness and feel better.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein Ii
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@e-cuauhtemoc
Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up with strings
These are a few of my favorite things
Cream colored ponies and crisp apple streudels
Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles
Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings
These are a few of my favorite things
Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes
Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes
Silver white winters that melt into springs
These are a few of my favorite things
When the dog bites
When the bee stings
When I'm feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite things
And then I don't feel so bad
@davidmaslow399
What a Great rendition of this Classic! Jonny Hartman was one of a kind!
@edge60able
I don't get how anyone could say this is unlistenable, it's so intense and unique
@basilshahid2905
Very smooth and beautiful rendition of My Favorite Things by the One and Only.
Master Vocalist Johnny Hartman!!!
@user-bw4rq3of3p
너무 좋다
@davidmaslow399
Top of the line!
@mcknih1020
The Satiny Voice of Johnny Hartman
@e-cuauhtemoc
Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up with strings
These are a few of my favorite things
Cream colored ponies and crisp apple streudels
Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles
Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings
These are a few of my favorite things
Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes
Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes
Silver white winters that melt into springs
These are a few of my favorite things
When the dog bites
When the bee stings
When I'm feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite things
And then I don't feel so bad
@TheGoldenWolvesHQ
Awesome
@filosofiacocomix
This album was recorded in two parts... I found this: "Personnel: Johnny Hartman (vocals); Terumasa Hino (trumpet); Masahiko Kikuchi, Masabumi Kikuchi, Mikio Masuda (piano); Hiroshi Murakami, Motohiko Hino (drums). Personnel: Johnny Hartman (vocals); Terumasa Hino (trumpet); Masahiko Kikuchi, Mikio Masuda (piano); Yoshio Suzuki, Yoshio Ikeda (bass); Hiroshi Murakami, Motohiko Hino (drums)."
@dominiczerafa8990
filosofiacocomix the japanese musicians on this album are amazing