Given
Johnny Hartman's deserved reputation as a romantic balladeer par excellence, his skill as an interpreter of more energetic and uptempo material often slips through the cracks -- the delightful
Unforgettable captures
Hartman at his most effervescent, teaming with arranger
Gerald Wilson to create a set of buoyant, swing-era standards crafted with impeccable style and sophistication. Regardless of the rhythm or mood,
Hartman never strays too far from love songs, and
Unforgettable spans some of the finest ever composed, from "Isn't It Romantic?" to "The Very Thought of You" to the title cut -- as always, he channels remarkable feeling and insight into each note, exhibiting a versatility absent from his more celebrated sessions. ~ Jason Ankeny