PRESENTS

Welcome to the Grapevine News. This section of the Mathis Chronicles contains my views about anything I find or am sent about Johnny Mathis on the Internet and elsewhere, that had been overlooked by the "official" sites. Occasionally, I report on things not directly related to Mathis but have a connection, may even make up a question to ask myself and try to answer. Readers are welcome to share their experiences here also. So enjoy and thanks for coming.

VOL. 2 NO. 15 - AUGUST 25, 2003

MATHIS IN MASS: From what my friend Jon-Daniel Durbin of the Boston area told me when I talked to him by phone the other day, Mathis came home to Beverly, Massachusetts to a room filled and overflowing with love and adoration as always. As is always the case when Mathis comes to town, Jon treated to the Friday show his good friend David Grayson, a developmentally-disabled man who has become quite the avid Johnny Mathis fan thanks to Jonıs influence.

Jon's a former professional actor and singer himself, so he has a perspective few of us can enjoy. For instance, from Jonıs point-of-view, the first 45 minutes of Fridayıs show was what he considered a marvelous lesson in watching someone warm up their voice slowly, then the second half of the show was pure technique. Jon says he can tell by watching him when Mathis feels like a note's not quite there, because of the miquing action. The microphone will be down by his hip when he starts out if he's feeling it out, and if he nails it, like he apparently did during the song, "Brazil" and he's, in Jon's words, "hitting those F's and G's", the mic comes back up to his chin! Now, I think thatıs a fascinating level of observation!

Jon felt that Mathis may have been reserving that most precious commodity of his, not giving it 100%, but delivering just enough of it so that those of us without musical training wouldnıt know the difference. He likened it to something he saw on a documentary about the late Dusty Springfield recently, whom some have said was so technically perfect that people didn't realize, when she wasnıt 100%, she was relying solely on vocal technique to get through a show. Of course, regarding Mathis I think you could also say, and I believe Jon would agree, that even if you do know it, who cares? After all, even Mathis at 70% to the common ear is as good or better than, say, Tony Bennett at 100%!

And Jon also felt that even if that were the case, there still were flashes of the old Mathis in Paris from back in the seventies. He seemed totally engaged, physically fit, and really into his performance, especially as he performed the popular, well choreographed, "Let Go". Clearly the Brazilian music is the high point of his concert these days. Jon-Daniel tells me it was basically the same concert he did last summer, with maybe a few differences. Something different Jon noticed and raved about was the song, "You'll Never Get To Heaven". I suggested maybe, being an old Burt Bacharach song made famous by both Dionne Warwick and Thom Bellıs star group The Stylistics, if it perhaps wasn't one of the songs from the I'm Coming Home sessions. I wondered because that particular song doesnıt show up on the Bacharach-Kampfert album, and besides there are usually extra songs during a recording session that don't make the final pick. Anyway, Jon says it was a beautiful rendition with J. Scott Lavender and Gil Reigers doing backup, and the song apparently got a great response from the audience, too. And before the night was out, David got to hear his favorite song, ³Gina², so he was in 7th heaven!

Jon also told me something else that was interesting. Usually, Johnny Mathis performs the concert staple, "The Twelfth of Never", very poignantly; it hasn't been done like the recording in ages, and probably never will be. But apparently the Friday he was in Massachusetts, Mathis' delivery was even more poignant than usual, especially the ending, which was about an octave higher than normal, an approach that had Jon in tears and the audience on their feet. Personally, Iıve never seen THAT reaction to that particular song in all the performances I've ever been to. I can only conclude that it has to be that special magic that occurs when Johnny Mathis is in Massachusetts.

And no matter how hard you try, regardless of your gender, you just canıt go to a Johnny Mathis show and not notice the man himself, never mind what his voice is like! As is always the case, Mathis is always just the vision of elegance and class whenever he goes on stage, even when heıs casual! Even though after the intermission he was stylishly attired in his black silk suit with a beautiful white silk shirt (the man can wear silk like nobody's business, this much I remember), when the show started he was dressed more appropriately for the summer, in a beautiful yellow shirt and off-white linen suit, such as the kind his buddy Henry Mancini used to wear onstage, and he stood there and just seemed to take in the adulation he so richly deserved. My buddy Jon-Daniel was apparently quite moved by the vision, and took the opportunity to offer Mr. Mathis some encouragement! During the pause before the first song, he calls out for all the world to hear, "Lookin' Good, John!" which fairly broke up the audience and even caused the singer to smirk a little, even as he tried to appear nonchalant! And I'm glad he did that, too, because one of the things that frustrates me about the audiences that attend his shows, especially if they're predominantly old people, is that they offer no encouragement to the performer. It's as if they're too much in a trance to recognize there's a human being on stage who might need some affirmation once in a while.

But the demographically-mixed Boston audience was cool, taking Jonıs lead and calling out to him how much he was loved. It has to be the truth. Johnny Mathis is in his element when he comes to Massachusetts. They've all heard the stories, theyıve heard the PR hype, they donıt care either way, and they show it in spades. They love him. They absolutely love him. And this could be why Massachusetts has always been a favorite venue of his. He visits the Bay State often, and, as he likes to tell that audience, "People find it strange when I say this, being from California, but Massachusetts is where my career began." And there's no reason not to believe this bit of truth straight from the horse's mouth. So there's no wonder there's a long-reaching fondness between Johnny Mathis and the people of Massachusetts. Like my friend Jon says, the Master doesn't have anything to prove when he comes to Massachusetts.

As an amusing final anecdote, Jon told me that some friends of his were enjoying themselves before the show at one of the tables in the courtyard of the venue, when they were startled at the sight of Johnny Mathis himself just strolling right through on his way inside! I can just see the double-takes when people realized who he was!

Jon-Daniel dreams of one day doing a cabaret show in tribute to Johnny Mathis as an appreciation. I think it's a great idea, if for no other reason that I don't think even the more famous professionals have even considered doing such a thing to honor Johnny Mathis. In fact, I've often wondered why his so-called "friends" in the business haven't made use of his talents more. I've wondered, for instance, why his ³friend² Barbra Streisand, who is a director and producer of movies and could certainly decide whom to use for her films, hasn't used suggested that Mathis sing a theme or two for her movies. I remember when I got the album, Different Kinda Different too many years ago now, listening to the song, "Temptation", and thinking, with its storyline, it was from one of the James Bond movies. I refuse to believe that there's not a romantic comedy somewhere that he couldn't lend a voice to if called upon to do so. Instead, he's doing fundraisers for Republicans and corporate birthday parties. What a waste.

UNTIL YOU COME BACK TO ME: Word on the street is Luther's up and walking! Praise God! Send him some love. NEVER underestimate the power of prayer!

TOUR BUS: The bus stops next in Westbury, Long Island, New York. Visit See Mathis Live! for details. New dates for 2004 added! Yay!

©2003 Iris Gross Georg. All rights reserved.

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