Open Fire, Two Guitars

Johnny Mathis

Oh, the Flickering Firelight

The back cover of Open Fire, Two Guitars shows Johnny Mathis standing in front of a microphone in the recording studio, a cardigan sweater hanging from his thin frame. A coffee cup sits on the floor in the corner. His eyes are closed. He's seeking that singer's brand of truth. Without hearing a note, you know what's inside: A warm and cozy program of familiar songs in an intimate setting.

Yet Open Fire was a bold move for Mathis in 1959. At the time, he was just a few years into his recording career, and he'd developed a reputation for carefully preened large orchestra productions. For this session, he seeks a polar opposite. The backing, provided by guitarists Al Caiola and Tony Mottola (bolstered occasionally by jazz bassist Milt Hinton), forces Mathis fully into the spotlight, where his famously gorgeous vocal instrument—and every decision he made about how to deploy it—is on display.

From the opening bars of "Bye Bye Blackbird," Mathis is careful in this threadbare setting not to step on the gas too quickly: He starts off sounding forlorn, and as "Blackbird" evolves, he fills in slightly different shades of blue, giving the song some portent jazz singers miss. On other pieces, like "When I Fall in Love" and "In the Still of the Night," Mathis methodically deepens the mood, one sparrowlike verse at a time. The tempos are mostly slow—another challenge for a pop singer—but Mathis luxuriates in them, savoring the liberties he can (but doesn't always) take. Anyone looking for a starter lesson on the fine art of phrasing could spend a few semesters with this and still not catch all the romance Mathis slips between two serene guitars.

Genre: Vocals
Released: 1959, Columbia
Key Tracks: "In the Still of the Night," "Bye Bye Blackbird," "I'll Be Seeing You"
Catalog Choice: Heavenly
Next Stop: Shirley Horn: I Thought About You
Book Page: 482

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Comments:

#1 from carneham, Spain - 11/10/2008 2:54

This is one of the great surprises for me. I like this underrated and unknown album and I believe that deserves more attention. Lush vocals and magical touch of Tony Mottola and Al Caiola on guitars.

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