On the 50th anniversary of his first release,
Johnny Mathis
personally assembled and notated this collection of hits from throughout his career. Beginning, as it should, with a baker's dozen of recordings from his prime era of the '50s,
Gold: A 50th Anniversary Celebration
includes nearly all of his best work (although it skips his '60s and '70s material). Also, standing alongside his most popular songs --
"Chances Are,"
"Wonderful! Wonderful!,"
"It's Not for Me to Say,"
"When Sunny Gets Blue,"
and
"Misty"
-- the compilation includes a pair of previously unreleased items. The first,
"So Many Stars,"
was recorded in 1989 with
Sergio Mendes
behind the desk; it's a warm Brazilian ballad that betrays a few period touches. The second is a beautiful version of
"The Shadow of Your Smile,"
recorded in 2006 with
Chris Botti
Dave Koz
. ~ John Bush