LENA HORNE — The Young Star (2002) RM | MONO | Serie Bluebird's Best | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Lena Horne became an international celebrity as a teenager -- making her first record at 18 with Noble Sissle and his orchestra -- and in many ways her star never faded. Because her success as a singer and actress paved the way for so many African-American divas in later decades, it's easy to overlook the simple vocal magic that got the legend rolling. This is one of the new Bluebird series' best compilations, a compendium of early-'40s classics that define the era. Sometimes her approach was ironic. Even if the mood of "Stormy Weather" is dark, the innocence of her voice conveys a rich optimism and whimsy. On these selections, which include "What Is This Thing Called Love?" and a hypnotic take on the Rodgers & Hart gem "Where or When?," her tone is light and flowing, with a gentle, sexy lisp in certain spots. The last three tracks, from January 1944, are so rare and obscure that the location of the recording and the backing orchestra are unknown. A must for the Horne fan or for folks who think Judy Garland and Billie Holiday were the only vocal standard setters of the time. Jonathan Widran   Tracklist & Credits :

LENA HORNE + GABOR SZABO - Watch What Happens! (1970-1990) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

The pairing of chanteuse Lena Horne and guitarist Gabor Szabo may seem incongruous on paper, but Watch What Happens! is an unexpected delight, capturing a soulfulness and sass largely absent from the singer's previous efforts. Producer and arranger Gary McFarland's candy-coated orchestral settings afford Horne the opportunity to step out of the elegant but often stuffy refinement of her classic LPs and let down her hair. Her vocals pirouette around Szabo's hypnotically funky guitar leads with the focused abandon of a child playing hopscotch. Keyboardist Richard Tee, bassist Chuck Rainey, and drummer Grady Tate contribute the supple grooves that highlight so many McFarland sessions, and the material is top-notch, including no fewer than three Beatles covers: "In My Life," "Fool on the Hill," and "Rocky Raccoon," the latter featuring the most purely joyful performance of Horne's career. [Watch What Happens! was originally released on Szabo's Skye Records label as Lena & Gabor in 1970.]  by Jason Ankeny
Tracklist :
1 Watch What Happens 4:00
Jacques Demy / Norman Gimbel / Michel Legrand  
2 Something 3:08
George Harrison
3 Everybody's Talkin' 2:52
Fred Neil
4 The Fool on the Hill 3:35
John Lennon / Paul McCartney
5 Yesterday, When I Was Young 4:00
Charles Aznavour / Herbert Kretzmer
6 Rocky Raccoon 3:27
John Lennon / Paul McCartney
7 My Mood Is You 4:45
Carl Sigman
8 A Message to Michael 3:14
Burt Bacharach / Hal David
9 Night Wind 3:35   
Erroll Garner / Bobby Scott
10 In My Life 2:52
John Lennon / Paul McCartney
Credits :
Bass – Chuck Rainey
Guitar – Cornell Dupree, Eric Gale, Gabor Szabo
Orchestrated By, Arranged By, Conductor – Gary McFarland
Organ – Richard Tee
Vocals – Howard Roberts Singers, Lena Horne

LENA HORNE - An Evening with Lena Horne (1995) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

It is difficult not to love Lena Horne. Recorded when she was 77, this live CD finds the ageless singer sounding as if she were 57 at the most (and the photo of her on the cover makes her look 47). Horne talks the lyrics a little more than in the past but she cuts loose in spots with power, performs superior standards, takes part of a Duke Ellington/Billy Strayhorn medley as a duet with bassist Ben Brown and is not shy to hold long notes. on six of the songs 11 horns from the Count Basie Orchestra riff and play harmonies behind her; otherwise Horne is joined by her usual quartet with pianist Mike Renzi and guitarist Rodney Jones. The well-rounded set is Lena Horne's most rewarding recording in years. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist:
1 I Come Runnin' 3:08
2 Maybe 2:47
Billy Strayhorn
3 I've Got the World on a String 4:56
Harold Arlen / Ted Koehler
4 Old Friend 3:13
Stephen Sondheim
5 Something to Live For 5:12
Duke Ellington / Billy Strayhorn
6 Mood Indigo 1:11
Barney Bigard / Duke Ellington / Irving Mills
7 Squeeze Me 1:20
Fats Waller / Clarence Williams
8 Do Nothin' Till You Hear from Me 4:21
Duke Ellington / Bob Russell
9 Yesterday, When I Was Young 5:45
Charles Aznavour / Herbert Kretzmer
10 How's Your Romance? 1:50
Cole Porter
11 Why Shouldn't I? 2:56
Cole Porter
12 Ours 2:50
Cole Porter
13 Just One of Those Things 3:27
Cole Porter
14 We'll Be Together Again 1:24
Carl Fischer / Frankie Laine
15 Watch What Happens 3:36
Norman Gimbel / Michel Legrand
16 The Lady Is a Tramp 3:04
Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers
17 [Untitled Track] 3:05
Credits:
Alto Saxophone, Flute – Danny Turner (tracks: 1, 8, 9, 14, 16)
Baritone Saxophone – John Williams (tracks: 1, 8, 9, 14, 16)
Bass – Ben Brown
Drums – Akira Tana
Guitar – Rodney Jones
Orchestra – Count Basie Orchestra (tracks: 1, 8, 9, 14, 16)
Piano, Synthesizer – Mike Renzi
Tenor Saxophone, Flute – Doug Miller (tracks: 1, 8, 9, 14, 16), Kenny King (tracks: 1, 8, 9, 14, 16)
Trombone – Bill Hughes (tracks: 1, 8, 9, 14, 16), Clarence Banks (tracks: 1, 8, 9, 14, 16), Melvin Wanzo (tracks: 1, 8, 9, 14, 16)
Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Bob Ojeda (tracks: 1, 8, 9, 14, 16), Michael Williams (tracks: 1, 8, 9, 14, 16), Derrick Gardener (tracks: 1, 8, 9, 14, 16), Scotty Barhart (tracks: 1, 8, 9, 14, 16)
Vocals – Lena Horne