by Gregg Akkerman (Author)
In The Last Balladeer, author Gregg Akkerman skillfully reveals the life-long achievements and occasional missteps of Johnny Hartman as an African-American artist dedicated to his craft. In the first full-length biography and discography to chronicle the rhapsodic life and music of Johnny Hartman, the author completes a previously missing dimension of vocal-jazz history by documenting Hartman as the balladeer who crooned his way into so many hearts. Backed by impeccable research but conveyed in a conversational style, this book will interest not only musicians and scholars but any fan of the Great American Songbook and the singers who brought it to life.
Author Biography
Gregg Akkerman is a performer, educator, and writer. Since 2004, Dr. Akkerman has held the position as Director of Jazz Studies and Commercial Music at the University of South Carolina Upstate in Spartanburg.