Search - John Gary :: Carnegie Hall Concert

John Gary conquers the Carnegie Hall crowd ...

07/03/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"John Gary never had a hit in the Top Ten. His life provided no fodder for the tabloids. He simply lived and loved to sing, and he wasn't all that interested in courting fame. But make no mistake; while his fan base is not Sinatra-sized, Gary's fans world-wide are no less fervent than Frank's when it comes to professing adulation for their hero. Numerous petitions were sent to RCA, begging for this particular album to be reissued on CD, and once again, the folks at Collectables came through.Almost from the start of his 1967 Carnegie Hall appearance, John Gary rather ruefully admits that even back then he wasn't a household name. ("People think that I've been singing for 4 years; the fact is, I've been singing for 29 ... I started when I was 5 ..."). Gary displays a delightfully soft-spoken, unassuming patter, and eventually launches into a series of impressions of singers who influenced him (Johnny Ray, Frankie Laine, Vaughn Monroe, and an especially "dead-on" Roger Miller). With a few exceptions (his often performed opener "More", for instance) Gary's live concert consists mainly of material which he only recorded here: "My Cup Runneth Over", "The Impossible Dream", "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World" and "Sunrise, Sunset". John Gary fans who are still waiting and hoping for "Spanish Moonlight" to arrive on CD can at least content themselves with that album's opening track "Malaguena", which appears here too. Gary-ites will know to expect a wide range of emotions - from the poignancy of the poem "Opportunity" to the playful "Sittin' on Top of the World". Throughout the evening, Gary remains completely "in the moment" (New Age cliche'; sorry, but it's apt) increasingly winning over the large Carnegie audience as if he was casually entertaining a few friends.Following a rousing reprise of "Georgia on My Mind", Gary attempts to wind things down with his signature closer "Softly, as I Leave You" to cries of protest. Perhaps not every audience member was a John Gary fan at the outset that night, but ultimately, there appeared to be plenty of converts who left the hall hungry for more.An absolute must-have for any John Gary fan!"

John Gary at Carnegie Hall

Valmai M. Luttrell | Huntington Beach, Ca United States | 07/22/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Bought the LP of this wonderful record years ago. Have searched for a Cd as my Stereo broke down - finally was so terribly fortunate to find this a few months ago. I have all of his Cd's. He is without a doubt to me one of the best recording artist there is. Just listen to The Impossible Dream No. 9 and his singing the song No.10. Val Luttrell"

That tornado--John Gary--hits Carnegie Hall full force !!!

Matthew G. Sherwin | last seen screaming at Amazon customer service | 10/24/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"John Gary sang his songs passionately with all his heart and soul. This CD of a concert he gave at Carnegie Hall demonstrates his exceptional talent.



Jim Ameche introduces John Gary to the crowd; and John starts in with a magnificent rendition of "More." John sings "More" with great sensitivity; and judging by the crowd's reaction his rapport with his audience is excellent! John's three octave voice bolsters his performance, too. "More" also has a great arrangement for the percussion and strings. "I'm Sitting On Top Of The World" gets a jazzy interpretation from John and the fine musicians; John delivers "I'm Sitting On Top Of The World" to perfection. Moreover, John performs "Sunrise, Sunset" very, very well. I predict that you will enjoy "Sunrise, Sunset" very much.



John also works in a routine of several impressions with his medley entitled "How I Learned To Sing." Listen for John to do great impressions of Frankie Laine, Vaughn Monroe, Johnnie Ray and Roger Miller. Great! John also does a wonderful job with "The Impossible Dream" from the show Man Of La Mancha. Listen for the fine percussion and strings on "The Impossible Dream," too.



"The Shadow Of Your Smile" offers a sublime arrangement for the guitar; and John Gary performs this classic love ballad so well you'd think you never heard this one before! "The Shadow Of Your Smile" is clearly a highlight of this album. Moreover, "Georgia On My Mind" gets the royal treatment from John as he sings this without a superfluous note; and the strings, percussion and brass enhance the natural beauty of "Georgia On My Mind."



John maintains his excellent rapport with his audience by talking to them now and then throughout the concert; and they love every minute of it! John sings "Softly, As I Leave You" for a rousing encore that the audience wouldn't soon forget.



The liner notes give us the original liner notes from the record album release of this concert; and the artwork impresses me. Hopefully the entire concert will be released in the near future.



John Gary performed with heart, soul and panache; and I am very impressed with this CD of his Carnegie Hall concert. I highly recommend this CD for people who enjoy classic pop vocals; and John Gary fans would never want to be caught without this in their collections.



Thank you, John! We miss you!

"