THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM is a fine sampler of Jack Jones's earlier work. Although he's firmly based in the pop tradition, Jones nevertheless shows an affinity, with his sense of time and phrasing, for his jazz compatriots. His bell-toned vocals are effectively moving without excessive displays of emotion. Rather, Jones's command of meter and melody, as on the Beatles' "Michelle," invokes the proper feelings by letting the songs stand on their own.

These mid-'60s tracks differ from Jones's later style, where he adopted bluesier, jazzier treatments. Here, he sings the material without frills. Jones's clarity is more than sufficient to put over fine tunes such as "Wives and Lovers" and "Angel Eyes."