Search - John Gary :: Rca: The Essential

An incredible collection of ballads

Nancy A. Martin | Dallas, TX | 08/29/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have followed John's music for over 25 years. I am always amazed at both the depth of his range and his incredible breath control. Believe me when I tell you his strengths are abundant in this album. There are selections included here that have been unavailable since the original LPs were made back in the '60's. I concur with the other reviewer that his renditions of "I'll Be Seeing You" and "You've Never Kissed Her" are absolutely breathtaking. I was also thrilled to find that one of my very favorites "If You Love Me" was included. I always treasure an arrangement that features his voice with minimum accompaniment. This album brings back wonderful memories of a simpler time where music was still an art form. John has been gone for almost 4 years now, and I some how feel his spirit is somehow present in these recordings. If you want a recommendation of a first John Gary album to try, May I strongly recommend this one. It is sure to convince you of the rare gift with which John was blessed."

A BEAUTIFUL COLLECTION

Giovanni | Chicago, IL | 08/09/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have personally wanted to write this sooner, as I obtained a copy of this CD last month from Canada. In the last few years, RCA has opened the vaults and put out a handful of John Gary's magnificent works to a market otherwise devoid of them up until the mid to late 90's. I cannot thank the people at RCA or HOUSE OF HITS enough for the beautiful and fitting tribute presented here. The masses still clamor for the release of John's "SPANISH MOONLIGHT" LP on CD (none of the tracks from that LP are on this new collection, sadly) but will be glad to have this in the meantime. "YOU'VE NEVER KISSED HER" is a beautiful song, tailor made for John's soaring vocals throughout. I was floored by his version of the evergreen "I'LL BE SEEING YOU". Get a good listen to the chart written by Marty Paich (the West Coast master arranger/conductor/jazzman) how it frames John's every subtle nuance of one of the Great American standards, and the beautiful tag on the ending as well. A real tearjerker. Other good selections here are SMALL WORLD, A QUIET THING, and SHE WASN'T YOU. John Gary never reached the superstardom of a Frank Sinatra, but believe me when I tell you he had just as many fans as Frank did (and two more octaves to boot!) This collection will give even the inexperienced John Gary listener all he or she will need to start a love affair with the late John Gary's music. Hoping this will be the next step in the release of ALL of John's works sometime soon."

RCA finally recognizes one of their best

Giovanni | 03/24/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"With John Gary's albums long out of circulation, RCA/BMG chose only last year to include him in their "100 Years of Music" Series. For John Gary devotees that's the very least they could have done. And a handsomely packaged compilation this is - 14 selections with extensive biographical notes, documentation on each selection, and photos of handsome young John - with that disarming smile that has captured many a female heart.While it's true that John Gary possessed an astonishing range and not-to-be-believed breath control, I think that this collection showcases one of his most endearing qualities: an uncanny ability to get to the very heart of a song. For instance, just listen to such standards as "I'll Be Seeing You" and Cole Porter's "Night and Day" and I guarantee that you'll think that you're really hearing the lyrics for the first time. He turns Noel Coward's lovely "I'll Remember Her" into a delectable little soliloquy - expressing (dare I say it) a man's vulnerability at the hands of an irresistable coquette. The Ebb/Kander "A Quiet Thing" - another understated little gem - also benefits from John's sensitivity to a subtle lyric. On the other hand, if you're looking for outright passion and power "No Arms Can Ever Hold You" builds from a simple declarative statement to a heart-thumping climax. For the most part, though, John Gary's special brand of intimacy comes through in each these songs as he conveys the impression that he's singing for one person alone - you!"