Johnny Mathis' debut album from 1956, often referred to as "the jazz album," features
Mathis backed by legends like
J.J. Johnson,
Buck Clayton,
John Lewis,
Art Farmer,
Milt Hinton, and
Ray Brown, with arrangements from
Gil Evans,
Teo Macero, and
Manny Albam. Although much extra material was recorded at these sessions, all of the unused masters were destroyed. Only "I'm Glad There Is You" survived, and is added here as a bonus track. Although
Mathis swings comfortably on these sides, the fit wasn't a good one, and the album wasn't a commercial success. Producer
Mitch Miller moved him over to the pop field with his next session, and the rest is history.