“My goodness, SHIRLEY HORN, that is some modulation.” So marvels MARIAN McPARTLAND at the conclusion of Horn's rendition of “Violets for Your Furs,” heard on The Jazz Alliance's newest Piano Jazz CD (street date 2/28).

Taped for McPartland's National Public Radio program in December 1984, three years before the release of I Thought About You, Horn's breakthrough album for Verve, the 55-minute session is a musical delight. The two women quickly establish a warm and mirthful rapport punctuated with more than a few contagious belly laughs.

Horn has three vocal features (”I Could Have Told You,” “Violets...,” “There's No You”), and finds common ground with McPartland as they duet on three “dirty old blues” (”Billie's Bounce,” “Cherry,” “Shirley's Blues”) and a slice of Ellingtonia (”Love You Madly”). The women's unabashed mutual admiration and sterling musicianship make this document all the more precious in light of Shirley Horn's passing just four months ago, at the age of 71.

Posted by at 10:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This is one of the best quotes that describe the magic of Shirley Horn's music. The past few weeks have definitely been an education for me in Shirley Horn's music. Thanks to everyone for their encouragement and support on this project. Preparing the final disc in My Shirley Horn Box Set was quite a challenge because her music pulls me in every direction. I thought about doing all ballads for the last disc but I like mixing her swinging tunes with her signature ballads. I originally wanted to put just 15 songs on each radio blog but as I would create the playlist, another song would pop in my head that I would just have to include. I created this playlist a few weeks ago so I would at least have a framework in place. I knew which songs I wanted to begin and end with but it was the selection of the songs in between start and finish that kept me scratching my head. Over the course of this adventure, I have managed to pull at least one song from almost every Shirley Horn CD I own. Hopefully, more of her music will be released from the vaults especially her first album, Embers and Ashes, which recently sold for $177.50 on eBay. I hope you have enjoyed this series as much as I have enjoy sharing it. If I have missed one of your favorites, don't worry for I will be sharing more of Shirley's music in future radio blogs. Now sit back in your home or cubicle, turn the lights down low and enjoy the "whispery voice that conjured cashmere and cognac", Ms. Shirley Valerie Horn.

My Shirley Horn Box Set - Disc 4 (listen here!)

01 - Shirley Horn - "The Music That Makes Me Dance" from You Won't Forget Me (1991) - There is a natural build to a Shirley Horn ballad that is demonstrated here. She introduces the verse and each time she repeats it, there is a little more intensity until it reaches the boiling point but she never breaks a sweat. Just as quickly she brings the fire back down to simmer without missing a beat.

02 - Shirley Horn - "Come Dance With Me" from You Won't Forget Me (1991) - This is the companion song to "The Music That Makes Me Dance." The pairing of the two songs is quite exquisite. Shirley originally recorded this song on her Shirley Horn with Horns album released in 1963.

03 - Shirley Horn - "Green(It's Not Easy Being Green)" from Light Out of Darkness: A Tribute to Ray Charles (1993) - We commonly know this as the "Kermit the Frog" song but Shirley was inspired to record it after hearing Ray Charles sing it. From the liner notes she says: "I didn't pay too much attention to it until I heard Kermit the Frog on Sesame Street do it then I heard Ray do it. It was then when I started to think about the lyric", recalls the singer. "Look at my house - it's green, but it's not just because I love the color green. The lyric goes: 'Green is the color of the leaves/Green can be cool and friendly-like/Green is big like a mountain, deep like the ocean and tall like a tree/Green is all there is to be.' Why not be green? I listen to the lyrics because they are so important to me - because I'm green."

04 - Shirley Horn - "That Old Black Magic" from Loads of Love + Shirley Horn with Horns (1963) - I love the way this song fades in with Shirley's sultry vocals over a very nice bossa nova groove.

05 - Shirley Horn - "How Long Has This Been Going On" from Softly (1988) - For this beautiful ballad, Shirley chose to sing an alternate lyric that was written for Audrey Hepburn to sing in the 1957 movie "Funny Face."

06 - Shirley Horn - "I'm Old Fashioned" from A Lazy Afternoon (1978) - This swinging tune comes from her first of four albums for SteepleChase. It features Buster Williams on bass and Billy Hart on drums.

07 - Shirley Horn - "So I Love You" from Close Enough for Love (1989) - This was the premiere of this song with music and lyrics by Carroll Coates, who wrote "London by Night" and the lyric for Peter Nero's "Sunday in New York" (which Shirley recorded on her Travelin' Light album.)

08 - Shirley Horn - "I Just Found Out About Love" from You Won't Forget Me (1991) - Another swinging tune from this great album. Shirley accompanies herself on piano incredibly well but that is a given (big grin!!)

09 - Shirley Horn - "A Taste of Honey" from Where Are You Going? (1972) - This song opens showcasing Shirley classical training then shifts to a rhythm that is reminiscent of Miles Davis' "All Blues" and closes with a quiet verse that is as sweet as honey.

10 - Shirley Horn - "You'd Be So Nice To Home To" from All Night Long (1981) - Shirley and her trio recorded this Cole Porter tune at the Northsea Jazz Festival in Holland.

11 - Shirley Horn - "In The Dark" from Loving You (1997) - The last time I saw Shirley in concert earlier this year, she paid tribute to Ray Charles with a spirited version of this song.

12 - Shirley Horn - "Just In Time" from I Love You, Paris (1994) - The piano intro on this jaunty tune is very similar to "Nice 'n' Easy." Shirley recorded this song during her 2 and 1/2 hour concert at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris, France on March 7, 1992.

13 - Shirley Horn - "I Wanna Be Loved" from Close Enough for Love (1989) - Shirley smolders on this Johnny Green-Billy Rose-Edward Heyman standard. She sings "I feel like acting my age. I'm past the stage of merely turtledoving."Now can someone tell what "turtledoving" means? I imagine it to be one of those polite words of the golden age to describe romance.

14 - Shirley Horn - "Our Love Is Here To Stay" from I Thought About You: Live at Vine St. (1987) - A Gershwin gem from her debut Verve album.

15 - Shirley Horn - "I Got Lost in His Arms" from Your My Thrill (2001) - Shirley orginally recorded this Irving Berlin tune on her Close Enough for Love album. For this rendition, Johnny Mandel clothes her vocals with beautiful orchestration.

16 - Shirley Horn - "Loads of Love" from But Beautiful - The Best of Shirley Horn (2005) - After listening to this song and hearing Shirley say "well, that's it", I imagine this to be the closing song for one of her nights of live recording at Au Bar in New York City in January 2005. You can tell she was having a fun time on this tune. She originally recorded this Richard Rodgers song on her Loads of Love album so it is great to hear her fresh take on this classic song.

17 - Shirley Horn - "Dindi" from All of Me (1987) - Shirley handles this Jobim classic with velvet gloves. She also has a beautiful piano solo. This album is a Japanese import and I was able to find it on eBay.

18 - Shirley Horn - "I've Got Plenty O' Nothin'" from I Remember Miles (1998) - Shirley received nine consecutive Grammy nominations for her Verve recordings and received a Grammy for this tribute album to her friend and mentor, Miles Davis. This album includes mostly ballads but Shirley swings here. Roy Hargrove is featured on trumpet.

19 - Shirley Horn - "Blue in Green" from I Remember Miles (1998) - There is poignant moment in this instrumental ballad when Shirley pauses and sings, " honey from a horn so sweet" which expresses her love for Miles Davis. You could easily imagine her voice as horn.

20 - Shirley Horn - "May The Music Never End" from May the Music Never End (2003) - A very reflective title song that conveys a powerful message, "may the music never end." It was composed by Artie Butler who also composed "Here's to Life" which has become Shirley's signature ballad.

Thank you Shirley!

Posted by at 11:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

From WGBO:

Many musicians have been influenced by the slow, delicate sounds of Shirley Horn. Before her recent passing, artists including Regina Carter, Stefon Harris and Lizz Wright came together to pay tribute to Horn in a special concert from the Kennedy Center. We bring you this concert TONIGHT in this evening’s broadcast of JazzSet with DeeDee Bridgewater, beginning at 6:30 p.m. EST. Click here for more.

Posted by at 6:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We will never forget her music.

Welcome back again for another amazing journey into the music of Shirley Horn. These past couple of weeks have been filled with adventure as I discover old and new songs that I am hearing again or for the first time. This week's radio blog features three songs that Shirley recorded on albums that were not her own.

I read a great quote from Shirley yesterday on the SF Chronicle Culture Blog that provides a little glimpse into this great woman:

"I've always been a night child, you know," Horn says. "I'm a romanticist, a very emotional person. The kind of stuff I do is more conducive to late night. We were in California recently, and we had to play at 8 p.m. People were just finishing dinner. And someone asked me for 'Love for Sale.' And I said, 'I can't do it. Child, I don't even start talking till 3 or 4, when my husband comes home.'"

My Shirley Horn Box Set - Disc 3 (listen here!)

01 - Shirley Horn - "Hit The Road Jack" from Light Out of Darkness: A Tribute to Ray Charles (1993) - Shirley and her sidemen (The Hornettes) swing on this Ray Charles classic gem.

02 - Shirley Horn - "You're My Thrill" - from Your My Thrill (2001) - This song came from the 1933 screen comedy "Jimmy and Sally" and was memorably recorded by Billie Holiday. Shirley also recorded this song on her Softly album. Johnny Mandel again provides the rich orchestrations for this album as he did on her Here's to Life album. This was also the last full length album on which Shirley played piano and recorded with her longtime bassist, Charles Ables, before he died in 2001.

03 - Shirley Horn - "Get Out of Town" from Close Enough for Love (1989) - Shirley swings hard on this Cole Porter song.

04 - Shirley Horn - "Once I Loved" - from Close Enough for Love (1989) - A double dose from this wonderful album. I love the way Shirley interprets a Jobim song. It is romantic and lush.

05 - Shirley Horn - "I Didn't Know What Time It Was" from But Beautiful - The Best of Shirley Horn (2005) - This was one of the live bonus track that Shirley recorded at Au Bar in January 2005 in New York City. You can hear her having a fun time on this Rodgers and Hart classic. I loved her playful laughter at the end of the song when says "I love you" to trumpeter Roy Hargrove who performs an excellent solo here.

06 - Shirley Horn - " Since I Fell for You" from Softly (1988) - This blues ballad was one of the most requested songs in Shirley's club appearances. She builds the song into an intense climax. You can hear some influences of Ray Charles here as well.

07 - Shirley Horn - "All or Nothing at All" from The Main Ingredient (1996) - She recorded this album in her Washington, D.C. home in 1995. It features Joe Henderson and Buck Hill on tenor sax, Steve Novosel on bass, and the drum machine, Elvin Jones on drums.

08 - Shirley Horn - "Where Do You Start?" from Shirley Horn with Strings: Here's to Life (1992) - This is a very beautiful ballad and one of the two songs on this magnificent album where Shirley did not accompany herself. After I did the first radio blog of Shirley's music, I got an IM one evening from someone asking, "Where is the break up song?" I guess I had always focused on the beauty of the song in spite of its unfortunate outcome.

09 - Shirley Horn - "Wouldn't It Be Loverly" from I Love You, Paris (1994) - Shirley originally recorded this song on her Shirley Horn with Horns album which was originally mis-titled Shirley Horn with Horn even though she is holding four horns on the album cover.

10 - Shirley Horn - "The Folks Who Live on the Hill" from Charlie Haden Quartet West: The Art of Song (1999) - This one of the four beautiful ballads that Shirley recorded on Charlie Haden's album. It is very warm and reflective. I also got my first exposure to vocal crooner Bill Henderson who also recorded several songs on this album.

11 - Shirley Horn - "The Boy From Ipanema" from Antonio Carlos Jobim & Friends (1996) - Shirley has recorded several Jobim song's throughout her musical career. His ballads lend perfectly to her amazing use of space and silence in her music. For this album, she sings a swinging rendition of the classic "The Girl from Ipanema" with a little twist on the words to fit her impeccable taste.

12 - Shirley Horn - "You'd Better Go Now" from Glengarry Glen Ross Original Movie Soundtrack (1992) - This is where my love affair with Shirley Horn began. I bought this soundtrack, I played this song over and over, and when she sang "There's a moon above and it gives my heart a lot of swing. In your eyes, there's love and the way I feel, it must be spring," my heart was hers for life. Johnny Mandel arranged and conducted this beautiful song. I was also introduced to the music of Jimmy Scott on this soundtrack.

13 - Shirley Horn - "Mack the Knife" from Loads of Love + Shirley Horn with Horns (1963) - I enjoyed what Shirley did with this Ella Fitzgerald classic.

14 - Shirley Horn - "Yesterday" from May the Music Never End (2003) - In recent years, when Shirley sang this Beatles song in concert, it would silence the room for her style was slow and reflective. She would sing "I'm not half the girl I used to be. There's a shadow hanging over me." and it would almost bring you to tears.

15 - Shirley Horn - "Old Country" from I Love You, Paris (1994) - This song was also a concert favorite especially when Shirley put that extra umph on "For don't nobody neeeeeed no oooold man." It would definitely make you smile.

16 - Shirley Horn - "Isn't It A Pity" from Shirley Horn with Strings: Here's to Life (1992) - Shirley enjoyed being able to tell a story with her music. In this Gershwin ballad, she sings of a romance that has finally comes together after years of these two people living their respective lives.

17 - Shirley Horn - "The Best is Yet to Come" from Your My Thrill (2001) - No one could accompany Shirley on piano better than she could. Nobody.

18 - Shirley Horn - "You Won't Forget Me" from You Won't Forget Me (1991) - After many years of mutual admiration, Shirley and Miles collaborated on this prophetic ballad and the result is magical. Their styles and phrasing compliment each other very well. In addition, drummer Steve Williams keeps a steady beat while Charles Ables produces a solid groove on the bass.

Thank you very much for listening and stay tune next week for Disc 4 of My Shirley Horn Box Set, which will complete this wonderful radio blog series.

Enjoy your music!

Posted by at 12:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

First, thanks to everyone who listened to My Shirley Horn Box Sex - Disc 1. I have basically selected the songs for the rest of this series but something always happens. You hear a song and say, "oh, I need to put this one in the mix too." Needless to say, I am shifting the songs around a bit for the next two weeks as well.

My Shirley Horn Box Set - Disc 2 (listen here!)

01 - Shirley Horn - "Something Happens to Me" from I Thought About You: Live at Vine St. (1987) - A great opening song for her debut Verve album. If you listen carefully to some of the songs, you can hear Carmen McRae's joyful laughter and applause at the end of a couple of songs.

02 - Shirley Horn - "Come A Little Closer/Wild is the Wind" from Shirley Horn with Strings: Here's to Life (1992) - These are two beautiful and dreamy songs that were wonderfully bridged together by Johnny Mandel, who produced and arranged this album. Shirley and her trio laid down the tracks in New York then turned them over to Johnny who added the orchestration to each song. Breaking her tradition of always playing piano for herself, she recorded "Here's to Life" and "Where Do You Start?" without her own accompaniment.

03 - Shirley Horn - "Come Fly with Me" - from Close Enough for Love (1989) - While this is known as one of Sinatra's signature songs, it is another fine example of Shirley swinging her heart out.

04 - Shirley Horn - "You Don't Know Me" - Light Out of Darkness: A Tribute to Ray Charles (1993) - "He's about love and soul....he's the most soulful man in the world. He gives it all to you and takes it all out of you. I've loved Ray Charles all my life." These were Shirley words about Ray Charles in the liner notes of this great album. I love this song because Shirley makes it even more soulful and bluesy with her playing of the Hammond B-3 organ.

05 - Shirley Horn - "Forget Me" - Softly (1988) - This song was given to Shirley by her friend, Valerie Parks Brown. Shirley sang it again on her May The Music Never End release.

06 - Shirley Horn - "If You Go" from You Won't Forget Me (1991) - Her tempo is slow and deliberate as she lets you know that "If You Go" her world would crumble. Shirley's use of space and silence intensify this ballad. If you listen carefully, you can hear her make a slight sigh after she sings "this cannot be" that underscores the mood of the song.

07 - Shirley Horn - "Peel Me A Grape" - from The Main Ingredient (1996) - I have heard this tune sung by a few singers over the years but my two favorite renditions are Shirley's and Nancy's.

08 - Shirley Horn - "Come On Home" from Where Are You Going? (1972) - Shirley swings hard and bluesy here. This was one of her few recording dates in the 70's. I found this album on 2-for-1 disc with Dizzy Gillespie's The Real Thing as the second half.

09 - Shirley Horn - "Jelly, Jelly (Live)" from But Beautiful - The Best of Shirley Horn (2005) - Shirley recorded this Billy Eckstine/Earl Hines tune live at Au Bar (New York City) in January 2005. Shirley is joined by Buck Hill on saxophone and Roy Hargrove on trumpet. I hope that more music from this recording date will be released.

10 - Shirley Horn - "Travelin' Light" from Travelin' Light (1965) - This title track is very slow and reflective yet she definitely lets you know that she will be travelin' light. While this album received critical acclaim, ABC promptly dropped it from its catalogue. Fortunately, it was reissued in 1994.

11 - Shirley Horn - "All My Tomorrows" from You Won't Forget Me - In a few of Shirley's ballads, there are great swells where she is rolling the piano keys and belting the verse without breaking a sweat then in the same breath, she brings the room back to complete silence. This is one of those songs and I love it.

12 - Shirley Horn - "Nice 'n' Easy" from I Thought About You: Live at Vine St. (1987) - Another great gem from her debut Verve album.

13 - Shirley Horn - "Confession" from Travelin' Light (1965) - This song will always be special because Shirley performed it as an encore during her San Francisco concert in April 2005.

14 - Shirley Horn - "A Song for You/Goodbye" from I Love You, Paris (1994) - This powerful medley was taken from a live album Shirley recorded in 1992 at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris, France.

15 - Shirley Horn - "Love for Sale" - from Loads of Love + Shirley Horn with Horns (1963) - This was a last minute addition to the list. Listen and you will hear why I could not resist adding it. The song just simmers with sultriness.

16 - Shirley Horn - "Summer (Estaté)" from Shirley Horn with Strings: Here's to Life (1992) - I would imagine this song being one of Shirley's favorites for she also recorded it on her I Thought About You: Live at Vine St. and Softly albums. I selected this version for its rich orchestration. It is an Italian song by Bruno Martino and Bruno Brighetti. Shirley did not feel the English translation of the lyric expressed the emotions she found in the melody. Joel Siegel wrote an essential new lyric, keeping a few phrases from original and retaining the Italian title.

Thanks for listening and please tune in next week for Disc 3 of My Shirley Horn Box Set.

Enjoy your music!

Posted by at 12:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I will be remembering jazz great Shirley Horn on the radio tonight between 7:00 pm and 8:00 pm PST on The New Jazz Thing with Vince Outlaw on Jazz 88, KSDS San Diego, 88.3 FM with World Wide Webcast at http://Jazz88Online.org! Please tune in!

Later in the evening...

It went very well and it was a great experience. Thanks Vince! Here is a copy of Remembering Shirley Horn for your listening pleasure. I hope you enjoy it.

Posted by at 12:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Maybe it was coincidence or fate that I started radio blogging the week that my favorite jazz singer, Shirley Horn died. I had planned to get a few radio blogs under my belt before did one that focused solely on my love for her music. Well, life happens and plans change so I have been listening to her music all weekend. Initially, I was going to do one radio blog with 20 or so of her songs but I decided on a different approach. My next four radio blogs (including this one) will be devoted to the music of Shirley Horn. It will be called My Shirley Horn Box Set. She has a wealth of wonderful music so I hope you will enjoy this journey into the music legacy of this great artist.

My Shirley Horn Box Set - Disc 1 (listen here!)

01 - Shirley Horn - " Blues for Sarge" from The Main Ingredient (1996) - This just felt like a good introduction for this radio blog especially since you rarely heard Shirley speak. This album was recorded in her Washington, D.C. home in 1995.

02 - Shirley Horn - "My, How The Time Does Fly" - from Softly (1988) - Shirley swings slow and bluesy on this tune which was originally recorded by Bill Henderson. This entire album was recorded in the dining room of an 18th century farm house in Maryland. Joel Siegel's liner notes give a wonderful insight into Shirley's life and music.

03 - Shirley Horn - "Return to Paradise" from - Shirley Horn with Strings: Here's to Life (1992) - For this album, Shirley and her trio laid down the original tracks then Johnny Mandel added the rich orchestration to each track. Shirley has a wonderful piano solo on this song. I always like to call this album the introductory album into the Shirley Horn discography as it was the first one I owned.

04 - Shirley Horn - "Georgia on My Mind" from Violets for My Furs (1981) - While she recorded this song on her tribute album to Ray Charles in 1993, I love this rendition because she belts toward the end but still keeps it cool.

05 - Shirley Horn - "The Eagle and Me" from I Thought About You: Live at Vine St. (1987) - When Shirley swings, she swings hard and that is demonstrated here.

06 - Shirley Horn - "Fever" - from The Main Ingredient (1996) - She sings this song in tribute to Peggy Lee but Shirley brings a coolness that is all her own.

07 - Shirley Horn - "Sunday in New York" from Travelin' Light (1965) - This song is only 1 minute and 44 seconds but she is grooving on every note. This album was part of a 3 album deal she had in the early 60's but this was the only album on which she played piano. Quincy Jones, who produced her first two albums, wanted hear her as just a singer. How unfortunate.

08 - Shirley Horn - "My Heart Stood Still" from Your My Thrill (2001) - I like to play this song in the quiet of the night. There is a swell and a silence that is breathtaking.

09 - Shirley Horn - "Isn't It Romantic [Instrumental]" from I Thought About You: Live at Vine St. (1987) - Another great instrumental from her debut Verve album.

10 - Shirley Horn - "Ten Cents A Dance" from Loads of Love + Shirley Horn with Horns (1963) - This song comes from the two albums which Quincy Jones produced. Shirley does not play piano on these albums but I love her interpretation of the lyrics on this tune. I remembered I was totally surprised me she sang it in her saconcert.

11 - Shirley Horn - "How Am I To Know" from Shirley Horn with Strings: Here's to Life (1992) - Another gem from this great album.

12 - Shirley Horn - "It Could Happen to You" from Close Enough for Love (1989) - A nice mid-tempo tune from this beautiful album that I found when I was on my quest to find every Shirley Horn album available.

13 - Shirley Horn - "I Got It Bad and That Ain't Good" from All of Me (1987) - If you listen carefully, you will notice that Shirley bring this melody to a feverish pitch twice before she brings it back down to a simmer.

14 - Shirley Horn - "My Future Just Passed" - from Loads of Love + Shirley Horn with Horns (1963) - This was another one of my favorites from the Loads of Love album. The band accompanies her well here but there were a couple of songs on these two album where the pianist played like they were fronting the band instead of Shirley. These two albums were her least favorite for she was not accompanying herself.

15 - Shirley Horn - "Here's to Life" from Shirley Horn with Strings: Here's to Life (1992) - Joe Williams also sung this song but this became and will always be Shirley's signature song. "May all your storms be weathered. May all that's good get better. Here's to life. Here's to love. Here's to you."

I hope you enjoyed this musical journey and hope that you will come back next week for disc 2 of My Shirley Horn Box Set.

Enjoy your music!

Posted by at 12:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)

Where do you start?

I have been loving the music of Shirley Horn for several years now. It began when a friend recommended the "Glengarry Glen Ross" movie soundtrack to me. Shirley sang "You'd Better Go Now" and I played it over and over again. Soon after, I heard "Here's to Life" one evening on Ramsey Lewis' syndicated radio show. I got her album and played it in heavy rotation. I was totally smitten. On June 15, 1993, 11 days before my 30th birthday, I saw her for my first time in concert at Murray Theatre @ Ravinia Park in Highland Park, Illinois. Ramsey Lewis escorted her onstage. I was seated on the left side of the theatre so I was able to see her hands on the keys as she played and sang that evening. I was mesmerized. There were three trademarks of a Shirley Horn concert that I learned that evening. She plays in gloves until she's comfortable enough to take them off, she does not interact much with the audience during her concerts, and she does not normally do encores. You understood that her focus was the music and she put every ounce of her heart into it. Her use of space and silence were breaktaking. Her interpretation of a lyric and phrasing were unmatched and she played piano like there were two people playing at once. She serenaded us for over two hours that evening and received a standing ovation at the end of the concert.

Is that Shirley Horn playing?

After seeing her in concert for the first time, I spent the next few years looking for every Shirley Horn album that I could find. It was in the spring of 1994 and I was in a favorite used record store in a Chicago suburb browsing through titles and heard some music that I just had to have. They were playing a reissue of her Travelin' Light album, which was originally released in 1965. I begged the store employee to sell me the album and I was really glad he did. Of course now I have over 20 of her albums.

Tickets for Shirley Horn are now on sale?

It was March 1, 1997 and I was enjoying Dianne Reeves in concert at the DuSable Museum in Chicago. At intermission, they announced "tickets for the April 26 Shirley Horn concert are now on sale." I think all the blood rushed out of my head and I was about to faint at that very moment. They also mentioned there would be a reception with her before the concert. I went to the box office to buy the $75 ticket so I could attend the reception and concert. The woman at box office argued with me because I only wanted to buy one ticket. In the end, only one ticket was purchased. A Shirley Horn concert was not something you could share with everyone and if I had taken someone that could not appreciate the magic of her music, I would have never forgiven myself or them. The photo above was taken at the reception before the concert. When I met her, I was like a little kid just rambling on to Shirley about how I was her biggest fan and that I had a lot of her music. Even though she was fixing her plate at the time, she was very gracious and kind. It was a wonderful concert and a great evening.

Here's to life and every joy it brings...

There have been many great moments with Shirley that I will always treasure. Her music and her spirit will always be with me. In recent years, she faced many life challenges but the music was still the center of her life. I saw her a total of nine times in concert. I considered every time that I got to see her a musical blessing. I remember during her season opening concert at the 1999 San Francisco Jazz Festival, she wowed me with a rendition of "Ten Cents A Dance" which I had only heard on one of her early albums. She shared the bill that evening with bassist Charlie Haden so she came back out during his set and sang a couple of the songs which she done on his album, The Art of Song. She seemed a little uncomfortable initially because she was not at the piano. She quipped, "I am not used to this" but she did a fine job. In later years, she was unable to play piano for herself but she still gave a great show but I could not help but wishing she would be able to play one or two songs. She performed at Yoshi's in June 2003 and I saw her twice during the run. Without being at the piano, you got to experience a little more of her sense of humor which, being the consumant performer, you did not normally get to see. She totally broke character when during a verse of "I Got Lost In His Arms", she said "child, please" and moved right on with the song. I think it was one of the few times I actually laughed during one of her concerts. After the concert, I got to go backstage and meet her once again. I did not ramble as much this time yet I was awestruck. She said, "Hi, I'm Shirley" and I kissed her on the cheek and thanked her for her wonderful concert and music. She was the essence of cool. She had a brandy snifter and her Pall Malls cigarettes at her side. We chatted a few minutes and she signed my promo copy of her upcoming album May The Music Never End. She asked me how did I get a copy of the album when she had not even seen it yet. Her manager mentioned that I was a music reviewer. I floated on a cloud all the way home.

May the music never end...

I saw her for the last time in concert on April 30, 2005, just two days before her 71st birthday. There was such anticipation in the air for me because I knew that Shirley would be back at the helm of her Steinway. They wheeled her out to the piano and her magic began. I will go into more detail of the concert in a separate review very soon but I will say that she treated us to a show that I will never forget. She played and sang superbly. You heard her opening notes of "Fever" and you knew you would be in for a treat. "Here's to Life" was even more special when she sang "may all your storms be weathered and all thats good get better." She also paid tribute to Ray Charles with a spirited version of "In The Dark." She totally surprised the audience when she came back out and sang an encore of "Confession" accompanying herself on solo piano. I smiled when she sang the playful lyrics, "I always go to bed at ten, oh isn't that a bore. I always got to bed at ten and I go home at four." I will always remember that moment.

My heart goes out to the Horn and Deering families and her manager, Sheila Mathis.

May the music truly never end.

The Complete Shirley Horn Discography

Posted by at 11:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Photo © Larry Busacca

http://www.billboard.com/bb/daily/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001349816

Jazz Veteran Shirley Horn Dies

By Bill Holland, Washington, D.C.

Shirley Horn, the Grammy-winning jazz vocalist and pianist known for her intimate, whispery vocals and top-drawer piano playing, died yesterday (Oct. 20) at Gladys Spellman Nursing Home in Cheverly, Md., following an extended battle with diabetes. She was 71.

Always respected critically, Horn became an unlikely star in her 60s with a series of luminous albums for Verve Records throughout the 1990s. Accompanying herself at the piano, Horn and her trademark vocal style also became a major influence on younger jazz singer/pianists such as Diana Krall and Norah Jones.

Horn was nominated for nine Grammys in the last decade. She won the best jazz vocal performance award in 1998 for her album "I Remember Miles," dedicated to her good friend and mentor Miles Davis.

On several of her Verve albums, she worked with top arranger Johnny Mandel. On others she augmented her trio with guest artists like Davis, Wynton and Bradford Marsalis, Gary Bartz and Toots Thielmanns.

Horn began playing piano at age 10. At 18, she was awarded a music scholarship to Juilliard, but financial difficulties kept her in D.C. After studying music at Howard University, she began her career in the late '50s as a pianist in local restaurants and nightclubs and eased into her role as a vocalist. She was a headliner at Washington's now-defunct One Step Down for more than 20 years.

In 1960, Davis coaxed Horn to open for him at New York's Village Vanguard after being captivated by her debut recording, "Embers and Ashes." That engagement led to a contract with Mercury Records, where she cut albums with Quincy Jones and other top arrangers. She also sang on the 1968 movie soundtracks of "For Love Of Ivy" and "A Dandy in Aspic."

Despite critical acclaim, Horn rarely toured, instead remaining in D.C. to raise her daughter. When Verve signed her in 1987, she was ready to expand her horizons. For her 1996 album "Main Ingredient" she convinced the brass at Verve to record her at her home in the nation's capitol. It was a casual affair.

As jazz royalty like drummer Elvin Jones and tenorman Joe Henderson and others arrived from New York at midday, Horn, brandy snifter in hand, invited them into her kitchen, which was packed with friends and food. As Jones said at the time, "When I wasn't playing, I was busy eating Shirley's beef and beer stew."

Horn previously told Billboard of the session, "I wanted it to be like the old days when folks would get off work at two or three, drop by my place, and play till dawn. Good company, good food, good music."

Horn cut back but did not stop touring in recent years due to her diabetic condition, which eventually resulted in the amputation of a foot. She is survived by her husband, a daughter and two grandsons.

Posted by at 3:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

WOW! It definitely took awhile to put this playlist together. I was initially going to focus on several songs from one artist but I decided to mix it up a bit. I am still fine tuning and learning how all this works so please be patient. I will come back later and put in links and tell stories about each tune.

Sunday Evening Mix (listen here!)

01 - Duke Ellington/Count Basie - "Battle Royal" from First Time! The Count Meets The Duke - I can remember many days as a child when my dad played this 1961 album so it was only appropriate to start off with this tune.

02 - Nancy Wilson - "When October Goes" from With My Lover Beside Me - Hey, it's October so why not? This song is very romantic and reflective.

03 - George Benson - "Dinorah, Dinorah" from Give Me The Night - This album, produced by Quincy Jones, has stood the test of time and has some great songs. It cemented my love of Patti Austin when she sang with George on "Moody's Mood for Love." I purchased this album when I was a senior in high school. Shhhhhh!

04 - Roberta Flack - "Cottage For Sale" from Roberta - I know it is a sad song but I love it. Roberta weaves her magic on some great standards and R&B classics.

05 - Gerald Wilson Orchestra - "So What" from In My Time - This fresh arrangement of the Miles Davis classic swings and definitely grabs your attention.

06 - Chaka Khan - "The End of a Love Affair" from C.K. - The jazzier side of Chaka with a nice guitar solo from George Benson. This album, produced by Prince, was a comeback for Chaka. There are rough edges but they add grit to the songs.

07 - Shirley Horn - "Quiet Nights [Instrumental]" from I Thought About You - Live at Vine St. - While Shirley is more known for her vocals, she also plays mean piano. This song comes from Shirley's first album for Verve Records in 1987.

08 - Andy Bey - "I'll Remember April" from Tuesdays in Chinatown - This dreamy ballad is one of my favorite Andy Bey songs. Paul Meyers does a fine job on guitar as well.

09 - Sarah Vaughan - "Why Can't I?" from In the Land of Hi-Fi - I love when Sarah sings, "Two feet are ever cold. Four feet are never cold. I only mean to imply." She got right to the point. Her turn of a phrase is sensational.

10 - Stuff Smith - "You Can't Take That Away From Me" from Cat on a Hot Fiddle - This was my introduction to the violin of the amazing Stuff Smith but what also caught my attention was the piano playing of Shirley Horn on several of the songs. She was only 25 when this album was recorded in 1959 and already a legend in the making. Her phrasing compliments Stuff's violin very well.

11 - Ledisi - "Feeling Orange but Sometimes Blue" from Feeling Orange but Sometimes Blue: The Jazz Singer Limited Edition - Every now and then I find myself singing this song because of its catchy lyrics. This limited release album is now out of print but if you find a copy of it, be sure to snatch it up.

12 - Carmen Lundy - "Old Friend" from Self Portrait - I got see Carmen perform at Yoshi's in 2002. She was wonderful and I want to have all of her music. Her special guests that evening were Regina Carter, Mayra Casales and her brother, bassist Curtis Lundy. She is also a gifted painter - www.carmenlundy.com.

13 - Bob James - "Under Me" from Restless - A jammin' unknown groove featuring Luther Vandross, Lisa Fischer, and Hilary James (Bob's daughter) on background vocals. Luther also provided the superb vocal arrangements.

14 - Aretha Franklin - "This Could Be The Start Of Something" from Yeah! Aretha Franklin in Person - I bought this album on a whim and can never take it off when I play it. This track is less than 2 minutes but Aretha is truly swingin' on this live album.

15 - Dianne Reeves - "I'm All Smile" from A Little Moonlight - A playful ballad from an exceptional album of great standards. When I saw her sing it live, I just wanted to melt in my seat.

16 - Carmen Lundy - "All Day, All Night" from This is Carmen Lundy - Double dose of musical goodness.

17 - Bob James - "Love Power" from Sign of the Times - This song was played in heavy rotation on the late night, quiet storm radio in the early 80's. The background vocalists include Patti Austin and Luther Vandross and Grover Washington, Jr. is featured on tenor sax.

18 - Mary Stallings - "There Is No Greater Love" from Remember Love - I first got to hear this song earlier this year when Mary was featured at an SFJAZZ Listening Party celebrating the Women of Jazz. Mary has sung with some of the greats including the Count Basie Orchestra and Harry "Sweets" Edison.

19 - Lalah Hathaway - "Heaven" from Me'Shell NdegéOcello Presents The Spirit Music Jamia: Dance of the Infidel - Lalah takes this smoldering classic and makes it her own.

Posted by at 11:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)

I just received this information this afternoon. We send our thoughts and prayers to Shirley and her family.

Dear Friends, Shirley Horn...

...is not doing well. received from one of Shirley's best friends, singer Gail Marten:

"I don't know if you know that Shirley Horn is quite ill. She has been moved from hospital critical care to Spellman Nursing Home in DC. She is conscious, but as yet unable to speak. She is on dialysis, breathing assistance and feeding tube. We are hoping for the best."

Shirley most definitely would appreciate flowers, cards, prayers, etc. Here is her contact information and where cards and flowers can be sent:

Shirley Horn Deering
Gladys Spellman Specialty Hospital and Nursing Center
2900 Mercy Lane
Cheverly, MD 20785

Posted by at 3:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Shirley Horn - vocals and piano
Joe Benjamin - bass
Lewis Powers - bass
Harry Saunders - drums
Herbie Lovelle - drums

The year would not be complete without one more Flashback Friday. This album is commonly known as Embers and Ashes but its actual title is Embers and Ashes - Songs of Lost Love Sung by Shirley Horn. I was finally able to get a copy of this album after about 5 years of casually searching and it was definitely worth the wait. I first saw it on eBay for $140 a couple of years ago and it would occasionally appear but never within my price range until earlier this year. To date, it is only available on vinyl but hopefully it will eventually be reissued on CD with alternate takes and extra tracks that were not included on the original pressing. Check either eBay or gemm.com for the album.

Ember and Ashes was Shirley Horn's first album recorded on Stere-o-craft Records in 1960 when she was 26 years old. As I listened, I was amazed by her vocal phrasing, use of space, and chord structure on the piano. She sang and played like a seasoned professional even at an early age. Much of the richness in her music today was in the making very early in her career.

Here are a couple of excerpts from the album's liner notes written by Jazz DJ Mort Fega:

As a disc jockey, I listen to just about every new release, and believe me, there seems to be a bottomless font from which the new releases spring. I've been searching, all through this incessant outpouring, for new singers, vocalists who sing well enough to challenge the hierarchy of those who have "arrived", and for the most part, my search has been completely unrewarding. It has gotten to the point where I'd be satisfied to find a new singer who stays in tune, and who doesn't feel the necessity to "gimmick" up his or her delivery, just for the sake of getting a different sound.

I can confess now that I approached this album, as I have all the others that preceded it, with that "here we go again" attitude, but after listening to only one or two tracks I thought I detected a sense of fulfillment; and after listening to the test pressing all the way through, I felt certain that Shirley Horn is going to make it, and make it for all who enjoy good singing, jazz and pop devotees, alike. You see, Shirley Horn can sing! She can sing in tune, with a straight-forward, "un-gimmicked" style that is completely musical, so she has to make it.

It is fascinating how the criticisms of music of the past still hold true today in current music and yet, Shirley's music shines ever more brightly with time.

Every track on this album is a precious gem. She opens Side A with the mid-tempo "Like Someone in Love", then shifts to her trademark slow tempo on "He Never Mentioned Love." Her words paint the listener a picture of a beautiful romance that reached a climatic peak then came crashing down, breaking with into tiny pieces. Her instrumental of "Softly As in a Morning Sunrise" showcases a bit of her early classical music training then opens into a swinging beat. If you listen closely, you can hear finger snaps toward the end of the track. On "I Thought About You", Shirley and the bass player are in step with each other as she precisely frames each of her notes while the drummer creates magical brush strokes which embellish this lush track. She picks up the pace on the whimsical "Mountain Greenery" and closes out the side with her reading of Billie Holiday's "God Bless The Child." She embraces this classic tune as her own without taking away any of its original integrity.

Shirley opens Side B with the poignant ballad "Blue City." She starts off on solo piano and does a echoing on the ending words of a couple of verses then her trio comes in adding color to this dreamy ballad. She swings sweetly on "Day by Day" and it is followed up by my personal favorite ballad on the album, "If I Should Lose You." I guess I am a sucker for a great, "hang-your-heart-out-to dry" lyric and with Shirley's gentle touch and caress, it can melt your heart.

If I should lose you
The stars would fall from the skies
If I should lose you
The leaves would wither and die

I gave you my love
But I was living a dream
And living would seem in vain
If I lost you

"Wild is the Wind" has a percussive rhythm as a backdrop for Shirley's breathy vocals. The drummer provides sounds of the wind with his malletts on the cymbals. "Come Rain or Shine" has a natural build as she effortlessly conveys this melody. She ends the album with the mid-tempo "Just in Time." The track opens with a nice bass solo which sets the mood for the rest of the song. The liner notes do not really tell which bass player or drummer played on each track but, in any case, the rhythm section was superb.

Shirley Horn has been making headlines recently with being honored at the Kennedy Center earlier in December and as an 2005 Fellowship Recipient of the National Endowments of the Art Jazz Masters Fellowships. She will be playing the Le Jazz Au Bar in New York City from January 6-9. These concerts will be used for her live album expected to be released in May 2005. Listening to her vast body of music, it is evident why she is a musical treasure. Enjoy your music.

Related Articles

NYTimes.com: A Veteran Song Stylist Swings to Her Own Beat
WashingtonPost.com: The Tender Notes of Shirley Horn
WashingtonPost.com: At Kennedy Center, a Heartfelt Tribute to Shirley Horn

Posted by at 11:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

A Tribute to Shirley Horn: "The Music Never Ends"

On December 11, 2004, some of today's brightest jazz talents come out to pay homage to Grammy? winner and Washington, D.C. native Shirley Horn?whose trademark velvet vocals and smooth piano stylings have been enchanting international audiences for more than 40 years. For one performance only, vocalists Dee Dee Bridgewater, Sheila Jordan, Kevin Mahogany, and Lizz Wright, trumpeter Jeremy Pelt, pianist Kenny Barron, vibist Stefon Harris, the Clayton Brothers Quintet, violinist Regina Carter, and other musical guests join this legendary queen of jazz piano and song to celebrate her amazing career.

Photo ? Larry Busacca

Posted by at 11:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'm trav'lin' light
Because my man has gone
So from now on
I'm trav'lin' light
He said goodbye
And took my heart away
So from today
I'm trav'lin' light

No one to see
I'm free as the breeze
No one but me
And my memories
Some lucky night
He may come back again
So until then
I'm trav'lin' light

It was a spring of 1994 when I first heard this album played in a used records store in Oak Park, Illinois where I lived at the time. I had just gotten to know Shirley's music in the last couple of years and I was buying every one of her records that I could find. "Some of My Best Friends Are the Blues" was playing and I turned to ask who was singing only to find out it was Shirley's 1965 ABC-Paramount recording, Travelin' Light. I continued to listen and was instantly in love but it was the store's only copy of the recently reissued album. After a little coercing (begging), I got the store to sell me the disc and I went home a very happy man. This was now my earliest record on which Shirley sang and played piano. On her previous albums, Loads of Love/Shirley Horn with Horns, she only provided vocals while piano was played by Hank Jones and Jimmy Jones.

On the opening title track, Shirley takes it slow, making a statement with each word, letting you know the romance has ended and she will be "Travelin' Light." You immediately hear how her voice and piano are so closely intertwined in her vocal phrasing and chord structure. She is intimate and personal. "New York on Sunday" picks up the pace a bit and inspired my desire to go to see the New York City she sang about. "I Could Have Told You" is a beautiful ballad with "I told you so" theme as she watches a former love have his heart broken by a new romance. She swings on "Big City" and brings it back mellow on "I Want to Be With You" punctuating her words with sweet melodies. "Some of My Best Friends Are the Blue" is bluesy but you will need a double scotch on the rocks when Shirley does a trembling piano swell followed by silence on the dirge "Someone You've Loved." There is a finger snapping coolness on "Don't Be on the Outside" and "You're Blasé is pretty much to the point but Shirley's reading of it takes it just a little further. "Yes, I Know When I've Had It" is a swinging tribute to the end of a romance. There is a sly playfulness on the ballad "Confession" and if you are not listening carefully you will miss the ending phrase "I always go to bed at 10, then go home at 4." Shirley closes the album with a bossa nova treatment on the Lennon-McCartney ballad "And I Love Him."

Shirley band's for this album included Marshall Hawkins on bass, Bernard Sweetney on drums, Joe Newman on trumpet, Frank Wess on flute & alto sax, Jerome Richardson on flute, and Kenny Burrell on guitar. Johnny Pate provided brass arrangements on several tracks. They compliment Shirley's style of singing and playing very well.

On May 1, Shirley celebrated her 70th birthday. She has been making beautiful music for over 40 years and I dedicate this flashback to her.

"Here's to life. Here's to love. Here's to you."

Enjoy your music and have a safe holiday weekend!

Additional Resources

Rebroadcast of a Shirley Horn interview on The Connection in 2002
Shirley Horn Discography

Posted by at 8:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Exactly three months ago to the date, I made my radio debut with Vince Outlaw and The New Jazz Thing on KSDS-FM 88 in San Diego. This very impromptu interview was a result of Vince reading my reviews on Shirley Horn and Roy Hargrove on Blogcritic.org. Without further ado, here is the interview. Thanks Vince!!

j-notes on Shirley Horn and Roy Hargrove

Posted by at 6:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

The Shirley Horn Quartet

Shirley Horn - vocals
George Mesterhazy - piano
Ed Howard - bass
Steve Williams - drums

It was few minutes before Shirley came onstage. The crowd was a bit more seasoned than usual. These were the true jazz lovers filled with many stories of years of great music. I often find I am one of the younger cats in the audience at her concerts. It makes me think that this was the kind of evening my dad would have enjoyed. I instantly noticed a microphone at the piano. Could it mean that our old friend will back at the helm of her Steinway? I sure hope so for I know that great piano has missed her magical touch.

Shortly after 8pm, her band came onstage and opened with "Bye Bye Blackbird" and once they were done, Shirley was brought centerstage and she opened with the bouncey "Forget Me" and a bossa nova rendition of "How Am I To Know." She was in great voice and filled with energy, undaunted by life's challenges of the past year. She slowed the room with "A Time For Love" and swung on "Take Love Easy" and then came her sultry, sexy version of "Fever" which has become a staple of her shows in the past few years. She lulled us with her poignant deliverance of "Yesterday" but it was interrupted momentarily by the crash of a tray of drinks during the first verse. She laughed and continued to lull us through the rest of the song. She looked regal and elegant as ever as she took us through "Old Country" and the velvety "I Got Lost In His Arms." She also featured "Just In Time", the sensual "Beautiful" and the playful "Something Happens To Me." She introduced the title track to her new album, May The Music Never End, which was written by Artie Bulter who also composed her closing song, "Here's To Life." Just a wonderful evening with a great lady.

I came back with a friend for second evening of Shirley's captivating music. This was her second show of the evening and while she sang several of the songs from the previous night, there were some delightful surprises. Her band opened with "What Is This Thing Called Love" and Shirley opened with "How Am I To Know." She also included in her set "Beautiful Friendship", "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered", and "Nice and Easy Does It." Tonight she sang "Yesterday" with the innocence of a young lover whose heart had been newly broken. She gave us a surprise rendition of "I'll Be Seeing You" and closed with "Here's To Life." It is always a pleasure to hear her music and a joy to see her live in concert.

She was accompanied lovingly by George Mesterhazy on piano, newcomer Ed Howard on bass who known her since he was 14, and her soulmate Steve Williams on drums.

We got to go backstage after the concert and I really tried my best not to be starstruck. She was very kind and gracious. I gave her a kiss on the cheek and thanked her for her wonderful music and great performances. That truly made my evening. May the music never end.

Posted by at 10:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Below are my very first music reviews written in 2001. I recently found them and wanted to share them because these are both great albums.

Shirley Horn - You?re My Thrill

It has been written ?songs are happy when Shirley sings them? and that is certainly true on You?re My Thrill. Over eight years ago, jazz pianist/vocalist Shirley Horn and producer/composer Johnny Mandel joined forces on the award-winning album, Here?s To Life, which has become a jazz standard. This wonderful tradition has continued in their pairing on this recording. Included on this set are ?The Best Is Yet to Come?, ?The Very Thought of You?, ?I Got Lost In His Arms? and "You?d Better Love Me (While You May)". The highlights of this album are the lush title track, ?You?re My Thrill? and the romantic ?My Heart Stood Still? which rises and swells into a wonderful climax where time literally stands still. In the tradition of Here?s To Life, Shirley and her trio laid down the tracks in advance on all but one of the songs. Johnny created lush orchestrations, which harmonically fill, embellish, and caress each of the songs. Shirley?s vocals are economical yet effective on the ballads and she really swings on the mid-tempos numbers. You?re My Thrill shall truly be a thrill to your heart.

Dianne Reeves ? The Calling Celebrating Sarah Vaughan

On the heels of her Grammy Award Winning Album, In The Moment/Live In Concert, jazz vocalist Dianne Reeves presents, The Calling Celebrating Sarah Vaughan, a musically moving tribute to her mentor, ?The Divine One?, Sarah Vaughan. Backed by a 42-piece orchestra, Dianne takes us on a musical journey than spans over the vast body of Sarah?s music. She has chosen songs that capture Sarah?s musical versatility and Dianne breathes her own unique African, Caribbean and Brazilian rhythms into every note. Included are beautiful renditions of Sarah standards, ?Send In The Clowns?, ?Embraceable You?, ?Fascinating Rhythm?, ?Speak Low? and a bluesy, playful ?I Hadn?t Anyone ?Til You? featuring Clark Terry on ad-lib vocals and trumpet solo. ?I Remember Sarah? pays tribute to Sassy?s bluesy scatting and ?A Chamada? (The Call) homage to the special voice inside of each of us. Pianist/Composer Billy Childs provided the orchestral arrangements and producer/arranger/musician George Duke presided over the production of these timeless treasures. Whether for a long drive or a quiet evening alone, you are sure to hear the calling inside your soul.

Posted by at 12:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

This could have easily been a Friday Flashback but it was just too good to wait for a Friday. A few months after Sarah Vaughan's death in 1990, Carmen McRae?s recorded Sarah?Dedicated to You. I had this album on cassette until I finally found it on CD last year. Bluebird First Editions recently reissued this classic album with four bonus tracks including "If You Could See Me Now", "Wave", "Embraceable You", and an alternate version of "Sarah." Carmen was lovingly and masterfully backed by the Shirley Horn Trio. Ironically, this wonderful tribute was Carmen's last album.

Bluebird's Release Notes for Sarah Dedicated to You

Posted by at 7:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

On this date in 1934 in our jazz history, vocalist/pianist extraordinaire Shirley Horn was born in Washington, D.C.

Here's her bio from Allmusic.com:

"A superior ballad singer and a talented pianist, Shirley Horn put off potential success until finally becoming a major attraction while in her 50s. She studied piano from the age of four. After attending Howard University, Horn put together her first trio in 1954, and was encouraged in the early '60s by Miles Davis and Quincy Jones. She recorded three albums during 1963-1965 for Mercury and ABC/Paramount, but chose to stick around Washington, D.C., and raise a family instead of pursuing her career. In the early '80s, she began recording for SteepleChase, but Shirley Horn really had her breakthrough in 1987 when she started making records for Verve, an association that continued on records like 1998's I Remember Miles. You're My Thrill followed in early 2001."

My personal love affair with Shirley began in 1993. Upon a friend's recommendation, I bought the Glengarry Glen Ross movie soundtrack which introduced me to Shirley singing "You'd Better Go Now" and also Jimmy Scott singing "Street of Dreams." About a month later, I was shopping for music and saw Shirley's "Here's To Life" CD and purchased it. I was in euphoria. Never had I heard such wonderful phrasing sang slowly coupled with such brilliant yet efficient piano playing. I saw her in concert for the first time at Ravinia just days before my 30th birthday. From beginning to end, it was sheer pleasure. I was seated so that I could see her fingers touch the keys while she played and sang her enchantingly beautiful melodies. She had the ability to make the most from silence. I have seen her several times since and each time has been amazing. I now own 19 of her CD's and every compilation I can find that she has sung on. I would recommend her 1992 album "Here's to Life" as the quintessential album for your collection. It was produced by Johnny Mandel and every song is a treasure. I once read that "songs are happy when Shirley sings them." I know this to be true.

Here's some additional titles that you will also definitely enjoy:

1963 - "Loads of Love/Shirley Horn with Horns"
1965 - "Travelin' Light"
1987 - "I Thought About You - Live At Vine St."
1988 - "Softly"
1988 - "Close Enough For You"
1991 - "You Won't Forget Me" (featuring Miles Davis)
1993 - "Light Out of the Darkness - A Tribute to Ray Charles"
1994 - "I Love You, Paris"
1995 - "The Main Ingredient" (recorded in her home)
1998 - "I Remember Miles"
2001 - "You're My Thrill" (her most recent CD)

Her new Verve album "May The Music Never End" will be released on 6/24.

Notable albums where Shirley is featured on vocals and/or piano:

1990 - Carmen McRae "Sarah - Dedicated To You" (Shirley on piano with her trio)
1991 - Toot Thielemans - "For My Lady" (Shirley on piano and vocals with her trio)
1995 - Jeffrey Smith - "Ramona" (Shirley on piano with her trio)
1996 - "Antonio Carlo Jobim and Friends" (vocals and piano)
1997 - "A Tribute to Oscar Peterson - Live at The Town Hall" (vocals)
1999 - Charlie Haden Quartet West - "The Art of the Song" (vocals)
2001 - Bill Charlap - "Stardust" (vocals)

Sound Clips

Here's to Life
How Am I To Know
Estate'
Something Happens to Me
I Wanna Be Loved
Get Out Of Town
Come A Little Closer/Wild Is The Wind
Only The Lonely
Do It Again

For a real treat, check out the Shirley Horn Discography. It is definitely an impressive body of work.

Posted by at 6:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Friday evening at the 20th Annual San Francisco Jazz Festival, after a trek up Powell Street because the streetcar was out of service, we went to Grace Cathedral to see saxophonist James Carter and the Tuvan throat-singing group, Huun-Huur-Tu. Grace Cathedral is a great edifice in San Francisco and I was excited about hearing music in this space.

Huun-Huur-Tu originates from the mountainous Russian Republic of Tuva, just north of Mongolia. Each is a master of multiphonics, the ability to produce two distinct pitches. Their sound and their music were definitely unique and filled the cathedral. They were very entertaining but their set ran a little long.

James Carter roared through his set with great tenacity. He made his horn speak, squawk, and growl and filled the room with a melodious but sometimes ear-piercing sound. The highlight of his performance was a powerful rendition of the "Star Spangled Banner" intertwined with "Lift Every Voice and Sing." Later in his set, he was joined by Huun-Huur-Tu and they performed a couple of numbers together. Carter was challenged but blended brilliantly with Huun-Huur-Tu's vocal sounds.

Saturday evening was the crowning night of the SF Jazz Festival for me for two great jazz legends of our time were performing at the Masonic Auditorium, Shirley Horn and Ahmad Jamal. Shirley's set opened differently than it had in the past. George Mesterhazy replaced Shirley on the piano, Eddie Howard replaced the late Charles Ables on "the baas" (as Shirley would say) and her old faithful, Steve Williams was on the drums. They warmed up the crowd with an instrumental. Shirley was then wheeled on stage and greeted with a loud applause. Always graceful and glamorous, she looked wonderful as she opened with "All Or Nothing At All." Despite not being at the piano (due to a foot amputation earlier this year), Shirley was still very much in charge and kept her trio under her spell. She flowed through such gems as "How Am I To Know", "A Time For Love", and "Come In From The Rain." She gave a very playful and sensual rendition of "Fever." The highlight of the evening was her poignant rendition of The Beatles' classic, "Yesterday." There was such a silence that fell over the room, you could hear her every breath. It was very moving. She closed with her signature song, "Here's To Life" and as wonderful as she was, I look forward to the day when she is back at the helm of her Steinway piano.

Continue reading "Groovin ' at the San Francisco Jazz Festival" »

Posted by at 7:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I am a one-man fan club for vocalist/pianist Shirley Horn. I have been enjoying her music for the past 10 years and was probably one of the youngest people in the audience when I saw her perform in 1993. I first heard Shirley when I bought the movie soundtrack, "Glengarry Glen Ross" and on which she sang, "You'd Better Go Now." I also first heard Jimmy Scott on this same soundtrack. Soon after I purchased her critically acclaimed 1992 album, "Shirley Horn With Strings Here's To Life" and my love affair with Shirley began. I will be doing future blogs on her so you will definitely get to know her music.

Continue reading "Shirley Horn is still singin' and swingin'...." »

Posted by at 6:34 PM | Permalink |