Bobby Hackett performs a miracle

[Larry Kart]

The other day at a library sale I bought two Hackett with strings LPs on Enoch Light’s Project 3 label — “A Time for Love” and “The Midnight Touch.". The string writing by one Lew Davies is about what one would expect, but Hackett is handsomely recorded (Project 3 was a supposedly super hi-fi outfit), and he gets some nice support from Dave McKenna and Tony Mottola. Among the tunes Hackett plays on “The Midnight Touch" is one that I have long found uniquely nagging, Johnny Mandel’s “Emily,” perhaps even more nagging than “The Shadow of Your Smile.” Hackett plays it fairly straight, yet somehow — simply (or not so simply), through subtle rhythmic emphases, timbral nudges, and a few meditative, non-flourish-like flourishes — he transforms “Emily” into something quite lovely. I wouldn’t have believed until I heard it.

Here’s the whole album; “Emily” begins at the 9:25 mark:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cj3xQ2nZoKA
 

[gmonahan]

Hackett always had particularly lovely tone, whether he was playing on his easy listening strings albums or the jazz stuff like the classic 50s albums with Teagarden. My personal favorite is "Creole Cookin'" on Verve, but there are lots of choices.  Of course, unlike you, Larry, I always thought "Emily" was kind of a pretty tune!

 

gregmo

[jazztrain]

I played recordings earlier this week from a session he made for Melrose.  Only two of the four tunes were issued.  All are on the Capitol Mosaic box.  His playing on the ballads (Pennies From Heaven, which was issued, and on Body and Soul (two unissued versions)) is magnificent.

[Quasimado]

Very nice, of course ... but Why oh Why couldn't they have given him a chorus or two to play on?  What a wasted opportunity, like the much vaunted "Clifford with Strings". Q

[JSngry]

I think the melodies were his choruses.

The only complaint I have is that the "industry" seems to have concluded that that type of playing required that kind of backing, and wouldn't it have been nice to have heard that record without that type of string writing, or, for that matter, any type of string writing.