Average Rating: (4 out of 5 stars)
Great job!
I just love Johnny Mathis and I am thrilled to hear that his Christmas CD is doing well. There seems to be a bit of SSSSS during the songs and my friend stated that his dentures are also singing...wish they could have edited it a bit. Oh well a legend always.
Submitted by Kitty (Brownsville, Texas USA)
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Smooooth
This is very nice. Great for a romantic evening. A very nice addition to anyone's Mathis collection.
Submitted by Jean (New York City) 
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Two great new songs from a great singer, but a patchy CD
Johnny Mathis has been singing for fifty years. With its two previously unreleased songs, this CD reminds us of two things about those years.
The first is that he still sounds superb - if anything, his voice is more pleasant now than it was twenty years ago. The only criticism you can make of The Shadow Of Your Smile, the new duet with Dave Koz is that the need to let Mr Koz play limits the amount of singing time given to Mr Mathis.
The second is that over the years, Mr Mathis has recorded a lot of takes that have never been released. The lost 1989 Brazilian album with Sergio Mendes is a great example. Over the years, some songs have leaked out on other albums, and here we have So Many Stars. It's a beautiful performance of a beautiful song, and one wonders what else is locked away in the vaults.
Unfortunately, the CD is marred by poor song choice. Two schmaltzy numbers are included from Johnny's religious album, Good Night Dear Lord. The 2003 mismatch with Ray Charles - Over The Rainbow gets a look in. A fine performance by Johnny, but the two are not suited together.
And the CD also is hardly a fiftieth anniversary celebration. Entire decades of Johnny's career are missing, including his finest moments in the 1970s. His superb Ellington album from 1990 is represented, but not his 1993 album of Michel Legrand songs that must be regarded as the definitive songbook of Legrand material. The British CD The Very Best Of Johnny Mathis, released early this year, which went Top Ten in the United Kingdom is a better 50th anniversary celebration. This one is too short, and too esoteric.
However, it is a perfectly good listen, and saved from being "yet another compilation" by the two extra songs.
Submitted by Bryan (London, United Kingdom)
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