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.
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Article comments
1 - ClubhouseCancer
Mmmm...Shirley Horn. Folks who like sophisticated, understated elegance and wit will love Ms. Horn. If she is unable to accompany herself on piano these days, this is a tremendous loss, as she is one of those musicians (Willie Nelson, BB King, Louis Armstrong, Blossom Dearie and Ray Charles are a few others) who really sings with one voice whether she's vocalising or playing her instrument.
She's a treasure. Check out her '87 Verve live set, I Thought About You or her one from last year, I think, called You're My Thrill.
2 - Vince Outlaw
James (and his reviews) will be on The New Jazz Thing on Jazz 88 tonight at 7:15 pm PT. Check it out at 88.3 FM San Diego and world wide webcast at http://KSDS-FM.org.
3 - Eric Olsen
Cool, thanks Vince!
4 - David
The new album also has a couple of very very heavy tracks with the great Ahmad Jamal on piano.