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" – 4:01
 * 7) "I Didn't Know What Time It Was" – 6:07
 * 8) "My Funny Valentine" – 5:12
 * 9) "Blue Moon" – 1:55
 * 10) "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" – 5:47

All music composed by Richard Rodgers, with all lyrics written by Lorenz Hart.

Personnel

 * Ian Shaw - vocals, arranger
 * Carol Grimes - vocals
 * Mari Wilson - vocals
 * Iain Ballamy - tenor saxophone
 * Mornington Lockett - tenor saxophone
 * Guy Barker - trumpet
 * Tim Wells - double bass
 * Matthew Barley - cello
 * Mark Fletcher - drums
 * Adrian York - piano