Taking It to Hart


Taking it to Hart is a 1996 studio album by Ian Shaw, focusing on the songs written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart.

Critical reception

Dave Burns of JazzTimes said that Shaw "is blessed with strong pipes and good intonation; unfortunately, he has also mastered every pop mannerism-bathos, exaggerated dynamics, melodramatic vibrato, fake-Southern diction, swoops of pointless-tasteless Mathis falsetto, the Tom Jones vocal wink, the ain't-we-hip scat", but added that the musicians and arrangements added a "tender counterpoint".

Track listing

  1. "I [Wish I Were in Love Again]" – 2:58
  2. "Where or When" – 3:24
  3. "Have You Met Miss Jones?" – 4:11
  4. "I Could Write a Book" – 4:00
  5. "My Romance"/"Any Old Place with You" – 3:10
  6. "Little [Girl Blue (song)|Little Girl Blue]" – 4:01
  7. "I [Didn't Know What Time It Was]" – 6:07
  8. "My Funny Valentine" – 5:12
  9. "Blue [Moon (1934 song)|Blue Moon]" – 1:55
  10. "This Can't [Be Love (song)|This Can't Be Love]" – 3:00
  11. "It Never Entered My Mind" – 5:12
  12. "This Funny World" – 3:51
  13. "With a Song in [My Heart (song)|With a Song in My Heart]" – 5:47
All music composed by Richard Rodgers, with all lyrics written by Lorenz Hart.

Personnel