CD Review by Maggie Woods | Johnny Mathis: A Night To Remember

Johnny Mathis : A Night To Remember [album]

“2008 marks the 52nd
Anniversary of Johnny
Mathis as a recording
artiste and his voice
sounds every bit as
remarkable now as it did
in 1956. His latest album,
A Night To Remember,
includes some of the
most well-known songs
of our time...”

YOU JUST CAN'T KNOCK THE EVERGREEN JOHNNY MATHIS. He's consistent, reliable — but never boring — and adorable. And his startlingly-attractive crooning sounds every bit as fresh on A Night To Remember, his 2008 album that was launched on 25 February (2008). It is difficult to believe he has been around for over half a century.

A Night To Remember is the follow-up to 2006's The Very Best Of Johnny Mathis, which sold over a quarter of a million copies in the UK. The new album features guest appearances from Dave Koz, Kenny G, Gladys Knight and Yolanda Adams — who add their own mark to the original Johnny Mathis.

Gently seductive and easy listening, A Night To Remember reintro-duces such favourite songs as the jazz-infused We're In This Love Together, Just The Two Of Us, Walk On By, You Make Me Feel Brand New and Johnny's latest hit, A Night To Remember — gorgeously presented with Gladys Knight harmonising beautifully with Johnny. There are also the attractively-swinging How About Us and the toe-curling Hey Girl — not to forget a little night music with Always.

Johnny Mathis

Johnny gave up competing in the 1956 Olympics in order to record his first album with Columbia Records and he has never looked back. His massive success included the hits: Wonderful Wonderful; It's Not For Me To Say; Chances Are and the legendary and unforgettable MISTY.

Born in Texas and raised in San Francisco, Johnny released his first Greatest Hits collection in 1958 and stayed on the Billboard Top Album Charts for almost ten years. This remains one of the most popular albums of all time and is noted in The Guinness Book of World Records. With over 100 records under his belt — selling almost 400 million copies — Johnny is one of only five recording artistes to have Top 40 Hits spanning each of the four decades since 1955.

He has been awarded a star on the famous Hollywood Walk Of Fame, performed for Presidents and Heads of State around the world and has been nominated for Grammys — the first in 1960 and the most recent in 2006. He has been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame twice so far. And there's more to come. Not only is he an accomplished entertainer, but Johnny can also play a mean round of golf and is actually a gourmet cook — luckily for Gordon Ramsey, it doesn't look as if Johnny is ready to disappoint his many fans by forsaking his music!

• The voice of romance, Johnny Mathis releases A Night To Remember on 25 February (2008) on Sony BMG, produced by Walter Afanasief (Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Barbara Streisand, Mariah Carey and recently Leona Lewis). Well, Johnny — You feel Brand New.

Tracklisting — We're In This Love Together (with Dave Kaz) | This
Love | Always (with Mone't) | Walk On By | Just The Two Of Us (with
Kenny G) | Hey Girl | Where Is The Love | Always & Forever | How About Us | The Closer I Get To You | You Make Me Feel Brand New (with Yolanda Adams) | A Night To Remember (with Gladys Knight).

Check out www.johnnymathis.com.

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