SHIRLEY HORN - But Beautiful (The Best Of Shirley Horn) (2005) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

When vocalist/pianist Shirley Horn resurfaced after a long spell away from the recording studio and signed with Verve Records in 1987, the jazz world at large discovered what many of Horn's devoted followers already knew: that she is a huge talent and one of the great jazz singers to follow in the footsteps of legends like Sarah Vaughan and Billie Holiday. On her records for Verve, Horn never dazzles with flawless technique or stunning vocal tricks. Instead, she enthralls the listener with her intimate delivery and her understated yet almost visceral emotional power. Since that first record in 1987, she has released a string of good-to-excellent records, and But Beautiful: The Best of Shirley Horn on Verve compiles some of the finest moments from them, including the lovely "You Won't Forget About Me," which features Miles Davis on trumpet, maybe the best take on "Fever" since Peggy Lee's, the achingly slow and torchy "But Beautiful," and the lightly swinging "Come and Dance with Me," a track that shows that while Horn's main strength is ballads she also can swing like nobody's biz. The disc also gives a tiny taste of Horn's '60s sound with the inclusion of "The Great City" from 1963's Shirley Horn with Horns and has three bonus tracks recorded live in 2005 with a tight combo that show Horn has a surplus of style and class. by Tim Sendra  
Tracklist :
1     I Just Found Out About Love 2:37
Harold Adamson / Jimmy McHugh
2     You Won't Forget Me 7:10
Kermit Goell / Fred Spielman
3     You Don't Know Me 2:58
Eddy Arnold / Cindy Walker
4     The Great City 2:05
Curtis Lewis
5     Fever 4:45
Eddie Cooley / John Davenport
6     If You Love Me 6:04
Marguerite Monnot / Geoffrey Parsons
7     A Time for Love 6:45
Johnny Mandel / Paul Francis Webster
8     Come Dance with Me 2:51
Sammy Cahn / James Van Heusen
9     Nice 'N' Easy 4:53
Alan Bergman / Michael Keith / Lew Spence
10     But Beautiful 4:42
Johnny Burke / James Van Heusen
11     Here's to Life 5:37
Artie Butler / Phyllis Molinary
12     Jelly, Jelly 4:54
Billy Eckstine / Duke Henderson / Earl Hines
13     Loads of Love 3:07
Richard Rodgers
14     I Didn't Know What Time It Was 4:43
Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers

SHIRLEY HORN - Travelin' Light (1965-1994) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This CD reissue brings back a historic session, vocalist/pianist Shirley Horn's last before she drifted into semi-retirement so she could raise her daughter. Her sidemen on this date include trumpeter Joe Newman, flutists Frank Wess and Jerome Richardson, and guitarist Kenny Burrell, but the main star throughout is Horn. Not all of the material is equally strong and none of the very concise dozen performances clocks in at even three minutes, so this is not an essential session. But Shirley Horn fans and completists will want the generally enjoyable vocal date. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     Trav'lin' Light 2:47
Johnny Mercer / Jimmy Mundy / Trummy Young
2     Sunday in New York 1:40
Carroll Coates / Peter Nero
3     I Could Have Told You 2:58
James Van Heusen / Carl Sigman
4     Big City 2:00
Marvin Jenkins
5     I Want to Be with You 2:49
Lee Adams / Charles Strouse
6     Some of My Best Friends Are the Blues 2:22
Al Byron / Woody Harris
7     Someone You've Loved 2:56
Johnny Pate
8     Don't Be on the Outside 2:48
George Kelly / Mayme Watts / Sidney Wyche
9     You're Blasé 2:22
Ord Hamilton / Bruce Sievier
10     Yes, I Know When I've Had It 2:17
Johnny Pate
11     Confession 2:26
Howard Dietz / Arthur Schwartz
12     And I Love Him 2:29
John Lennon / Paul McCartney
Credits :
Arranged By – Johnny Pate (faixas: 2,4,8,10)
Bass – Marshall Hawkins
Drums – Bernard Sweetney
Flute – Jerome Richardson
Flute, Alto Saxophone – Frank Wess
Guitar – Kenny Burrell
Producer – Johnny Pate
Trumpet – Joe Newman
Vocals, Piano – Shirley Horn

SHIRLEY HORN - The Garden of the Blues (1984) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Shirley Horn covers several works by composer Curtis Lewis (who passed away prematurely at the age of 51 in 1969) in this 1984 trio concert at Florida Memorial College. Horn, who was introduced to Lewis by her manager, John Levy, during her debut recording session in 1960, recorded several of his works over her career, including "All Night Long," but the bittersweet nature of many of the songs heard in this performance is carried off beautifully by the singing pianist, particularly "He's Gone Again." The last four tracks comprising Lewis' "The Garden of the Blues Suite" are part narrative and part song, including the well-known composition "The Great City." Horn is in top form throughout the concert, with her soft, thoughtful vocals accompanied by her sensitive and sometimes swinging piano. Bassist Charles Ables and drummer Steve Williams provide terrific support as needed, though they sometimes lay out for a significant spell. by Ken Dryden
Tracklist :
1     Introduction 0:24
Curtis Lewis
2     He's Gone Again 6:10
Curtis Lewis
3     Old Country 4:59
Curtis Lewis
4     Roaming Lover 5:19
Curtis Lewis
5     The Garden of the Blues Suite: Blue City 5:48
Curtis Lewis
6     The Garden of the Blues Suite: What Would a Woman Do? 5:48
Curtis Lewis
7     The Garden of the Blues Suite: He Never Mentioned Love 6:57
Curtis Lewis
8     The Garden of the Blues Suite: The Great City 3:56
Curtis Lewis
Credits :
Bass – Charles Ables
Percussion – Steve Williams
Piano – Shirley Horn

SHIRLEY HORN - Softly (1988) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist :
1     Since I Fell for You 7:19
Buddy Johnson
2     You're My Thrill 4:26
Sidney Clare / Jay Gorney
3     How Long Has This Been Going On? 7:09
George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin
4     My, How the Time Goes By 5:15
Cy Coleman / Carolyn Leigh
5     Summer (Estate) 8:44
Bruno Brighetti / Bruno Martino / Joel E. Siegel
6     Forget Me 3:43
Valerie Brown
7     I Watch You Sleep 6:39
Richard Rodney Bennett / Joel E. Siegel
8     Softly, as I Leave You 3:03
Giorgio Calabrese / Hal Shaper / Antonio de Vita
9     Dindi 6:13
Ray Gilbert / Antônio Carlos Jobim / Aloysio de Oliveira
Credits :
Bass – Charles Ables
Drums – Steve Williams
Piano, Vocals – Shirley Horn

SHIRLEY HORN - Close Enough for Love (1989) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Shirley Horn's second Verve recording consolidated the success that she had had with her previous release, I Thought About You, and resulted in her gaining a large audience for her ballad vocals and solid jazz piano playing. Performing with her usual trio (which includes bassist Charles Ables and drummer Steve Williams) and guest tenor Buck Hill on five of the 13 tracks, Horn is heard in definitive form throughout these studio sessions. Highlights include "Beautiful Friendship," "Baby, Baby All the Time," "This Can't Be Love," "I Wanna Be Loved," "But Beautiful," "Get out of Town," and "It Could Happen to You." by Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     A Beautiful Friendship 3:42
Donald Kahn / Stanley Styne
2     I Got Lost in His Arms 4:15
Irving Berlin
3     Baby, Baby All the Time 2:40
Bobby Troup
4     Close Enough for Love 4:44
Johnny Mandel / Paul Williams
5     This Can't Be Love 2:45
Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers
6     I Wanna Be Loved 4:29
Johnny Green / Edward Heyman / Billy Rose
7     Come Fly With Me 4:00
Sammy Cahn / James Van Heusen
8     Once I Loved (O Amor en Paz) 6:50
Ray Gilbert / Antônio Carlos Jobim / Vinícius de Moraes
9     But Beautiful 4:32
Johnny Burke / James Van Heusen
10     Get Out of Town 2:42
Cole Porter
11     Memories of You 7:23
Eubie Blake / Andy Razaf
12     It Could Happen to You 2:48
Johnny Burke / James Van Heusen
13     So I Love You 3:15
Carroll Coates
Credits :
Bass – Charles Ables
Drums – Steve Williams
Tenor Saxophone – Buck Hill
Vocals, Piano – Shirley Horn

SHIRLEY HORN - You Won't Forget Me (1991) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

With 1991's You Won't Forget Me, Shirley Horn's star continued to rise. While mostly ballads, this recording also includes swinging takes on "I Just Found Out About Love" and "Foolin' Myself." Toots Thielemans stars with his distinctive harmonica sound on "Beautiful Love" and "Soothe Me," and the unmistakable trumpet of Miles Davis weaves around Horn's vocal on the title track. The opening medley moves from the almost-whispered ballad "The Music That Makes Me Dance," to a funkily midtempo "Come Dance with Me." "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying" is absolutely gorgeous, with Wynton Marsalis stepping in to trade phrases with Horn's voice. The music here is mostly taken at a very leisurely tempo, and the spare arrangements allow plenty of room for the music to breathe, proving that less is often more. The only complaint is that such spaciousness generates is a certain sameness to the material, but this is leavened by the guest appearances of Thielemans, Davis, the brothers Marsalis, and tenorman Buck Hill. by Jim Newsom
Tracklist :
1     The Music That Makes Me Dance 6:32
Bob Merrill / Jule Styne
2     Come Dance with Me 2:47
Sammy Cahn / James Van Heusen
3     Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying 5:58
Joe Greene
Trumpet – Wynton Marsalis
4     Beautiful Love 3:38
Haven Gillespie / Wayne King / Egbert VanAlstyne / Victor Young
Harmonica, Guitar – Toots Thielemans
5     Come Back to Me 3:43
Burton Lane / Alan Jay Lerner
6     Too Late Now 6:00
Burton Lane / Alan Jay Lerner
7     I Just Found Out About Love 2:24
Harold Adamson / Jimmy McHugh
8     It Had to Be You 6:49
Isham Jones / Gus Kahn
Saxophone [Tenor] – Branford Marsalis
9     Soothe Me 3:31
Joe Greene
Harmonica, Guitar – Toots Thielemans
10     Foolin' Myself 2:46
Jack Lawrence / Peter Tinturin
11     If You Go 8:57
Michel Emer / Geoffrey Parsons
12     You Stepped Out of a Dream 3:44
Nacio Herb Brown / Gus Kahn
Guitar – Charles Ables
13     You Won't Forget Me 7:12
Kermit Goell / Fred Spielman
Trumpet – Miles Davis
14     All My Tomorrows 6:22
Sammy Cahn / James Van Heusen
Credits :
Bass – Buster Williams (faixas: 5, 10, 12), Charles Ables (faixas: 1 to 3, 6 to 8, 11, 13, 14)
Drums – Billy Hart (faixas: 5, 10, 12), Steve Williams (faixas: 1 to 3, 6 to 8, 11, 13, 14)
Piano, Vocals, Arranged By – Shirley Horn 

SHIRLEY HORN - I Love You, Paris (1992) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The highlights of a 2½-hour concert recorded in Paris, this CD has even more ballads than a typical Shirley Horn set because, due to the monitor malfunctioning during the second half of the performance, Horn chose to stick exclusively to ballads during that portion of the show. Accompanied by bassist Charles Ables and drummer Steve Williams, Horn is in peak form throughout this program, often sounding exquisite and using silence and pauses quite expertly. Among the highlights are "Wouldn't It Be Loverly," "Do It Again," a medley of "I Loves You Porgy" and "Here Comes De Honey Man," and a lengthy version of "A Song for You" that eventually becomes "Goodbye." Highly recommended. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     Wouldn't It Be Loverly? 6:23
Alan Jay Lerner / Frederick Loewe
2     Just in Time 3:13
Betty Comden / Adolph Green / Jule Styne
3     He Was Too Good to Me 4:51
Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers
4     Do It Again 8:17
Buddy DeSylva / George Gershwin
5     Old Country 5:37
Curtis Lewis
6     It's Easy to Remember 6:39
Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers
7     All Through the Night 2:32
Cole Porter
8     L.A. Breakdown 6:47
Larry Marks
9     I Loves You, Porgy/Here Comes de Honey Man 9:45
George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin / DuBose Heyward
10     A Song for You/Goodbye 12:54
Gordon Jenkins / Leon Russell
11     That Old Devil Called Love 7:33
Doris Fisher / Allan Roberts
Credits :   
Bass – Charles Ables
Drums – Steve Williams
Piano, Vocals – Shirley Horn

SHIRLEY HORN - Here's to Life (1992-2005) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Shirley Horn's meeting with a string section and an orchestra arranged by Johnny Mandel has some exquisite moments although sometimes it is just overly sweet. Horn recorded with her trio (which includes bassist Charles Ables and drummer Steve Williams) first, emphasizing slow ballads. Mandel used the pianist-vocalist's improvisations and chord voicings as the basis for his charts and trumpeter Wynton Marsalis took guest solos on "A Time for Love" and "Quietly There." Shirley Horn fans will love this CD (which includes such numbers as "Here's To Life," "How Am I To Know" and "If You Love Me") but no real surprises or contrast occurs. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     Here's to Life 5:37
Artie Butler / Phyllis Molinary
2     Come a Little Closer/Wild Is the Wind 7:27
Dimitri Tiomkin / John Wallowitch / Ned Washington
3     How Am I to Know? 3:23
Jack King / Dorothy Parker
4     A Time for Love 6:45
Johnny Mandel / Paul Francis Webster
5     Where Do You Start? 4:36
Alan Bergman / Marilyn Bergman / Johnny Mandel
6     You're Nearer 3:32
Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers
7     Return to Paradise 5:09
Dimitri Tiomkin / Ned Washington
8     Isn't It a Pity? 5:47
George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin
9     Quietly There 6:09
Morgan Ames / Johnny Mandel
10     If You Love Me 6:02
Marguerite Monnot / Geoffrey Parsons
11     Summer (Estaté) 7:38
Bruno Brighetti / Bruno Martino / Joel E. Siegel
Credits :
Acoustic Bass – Chuck Domanico (faixas: 1, 5, 7)
Arranged By, Conductor, Producer – Johnny Mandel
Bass – Charles Ables
Contractor – Jules Chaikin
Drums – Harvey Mason (faixas: 5), Steve Williams
Flute – James Walker (faixas: 3, 7), Steve Kujala (faixas: 5, 7)
French Horn – Richard Todd (faixas: 1)
Guitar – John Chiodini (faixas: 5)
Percussion – Harvey Mason (faixas: 1), Luis Conte (faixas: 7)
Piano – Alan Broadbent (faixas: 1, 5)
Synthesizer – Ian Underwood (faixas: 5)
Trumpet – Wynton Marsalis (faixas: 4, 9)
Vocals, Piano – Shirley Horn 

SHIRLEY HORN - Light out of Darkness (A Tribute to Ray Charles) (1993) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

For this change of pace, singer/pianist Shirley Horn performs 15 songs associated with Ray Charles. Of course, Horn sounds nothing like Charles, but she sometimes captures his spirit on such songs as "Hit the Road, Jack," "You Don't Know Me" (which finds her switching to organ), "Makin' Whoopee" and "How Long Has This Been Going On." Joined by her regular trio (with bassist Charles Ables and drummer Steve Willliams), some of the songs have Ables switching effectively to guitar, while Tyler Mitchell fills in on bass. Altoist Gary Bartz guests on five of the dozen selections. While emphasizing ballads, as one always expects, this is a fun set that includes more medium-tempo tunes than usual for a Shirley Horn set. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     Hit the Road Jack 3:11
Percy Mayfield
2     Just a Little Lovin' 4:07
Eddy Arnold / Zeke Clements
3     You Don't Know Me 2:58
Eddy Arnold / Cindy Walker
4     Drown in My Own Tears 5:04
Henry Glover
5     Hard Hearted Hannah 3:36
Milton Ager / Charles Bates / Bob Bigelow / Jack Yellen
6     Georgia on My Mind 5:20
Hoagy Carmichael / Stuart Gorrell
7     Makin' Whoopee 3:54
Walter Donaldson / Gus Kahn
8     Green (It's Not Easy Being Green) 3:16
Joe Raposo
9     Bye Bye Love 5:26
Boudleaux Bryant / Felice Bryant
10     The Sun Died 5:39
Ray Charles / Pierre Delanoë / Hubert Giraud / André Gregory
11     How Long Has This Been Going On? 4:01
George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin
12     If You Were Mine 3:25
Jimmy Lewis
13     I Got a Man 3:25
Ray Charles / Renald Richard
14     Just for a Thrill 4:25
Lil Armstrong / Don Raye
15     Light Out of Darkness 5:25
Ray Charles / Rick Ward
Credits :
Bass – Steve Novosel
Drums – Steve Williams
Keyboards, Piano, Guitar – George Mesterhazy
Percussion – Alex Acuña
Vocals, Piano – Shirley Horn

SHIRLEY HORN - Loving You (1997) APE (image+.cue), lossless

Shirley Horn continues in a formula that has become very popular for her. De-emphasizing her piano, Horn sings one very slow ballad after another. The intimate music, which features her trio members, percussionist Alex Acuna and most prominently the keyboards and orchestrations of George Mesterhazy, has very little variety and should be listened to in small doses. Horn's singing is full of subtle emotion and sensuality, particularly on such numbers as Jobim's "Someone To Light Up My Life," Lil Green's "In The Dark," "Kiss And Run" and "The Island," but no real surprises occur and the consistently dreamy mood has the potential to become quite sleepy. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     Loving You 4:21
Artie Butler / Norman Martin
2     The Man You Were 4:11
Van Dam / Martin Hall    
3     Dreamy 4:03
Garner / Sydney Shaw
4     Someone to Light up My Life 4:36
Antônio Carlos Jobim / Gene Lees / Vinícius de Moraes
5     In the Dark 5:17    
Lillian Green   
6     Should I Surrender 4:06
Ross / Landau   
7     Love Dance 5:36
Lins / Martin / Williams   
8     Kiss and Run 4:48
Ledru / Donongin / Engvick   
9     The Island 7:55
Lins / Martins / Bergman   
10     It Amazes Me 2:36
Cy Coleman / Carolyn Leigh
11     All of a Suden My Heart Sings 5:58
Herpin / Jamblan / Rome
Credits :
Arranged By – George Mesterhazy (faixas: 2, 3, 7, 8, 11), Shirley Horn
Drums – Steve Williams
Keyboards, Piano, Guitar – George Mesterhazy
Percussion – Alex Acuña
Piano, Vocals – Shirley Horn

SHIRLEY HORN - I Remember Miles (1998) APE (image+.cue), lossless

No thanks to the paucity of musical genius in the latter half of the 1990s, tribute albums to the departed just kept pouring forth, although in Shirley Horn's case, she was repaying an old personal debt to her subject. After all, it was Miles Davis who originally got Horn out of D.C. in 1960 as his opening act at the Village Vanguard and contributed his trumpet to one of her comeback albums (1990's You Won't Forget Me). Not only that, Horn's understated, laconic, deceptively casual ballad manner is a natural fit for the brooding Miles persona, and she doesn't have to change a thing in this relaxed, wistfully sung, solidly played collection. She doesn't actually perform any Davis compositions; everything here consists of standards that Miles covered or transformed in the 1950s, including three numbers from Porgy and Bess. Roy Hargrove adds his effective muted Miles imitations on "I Fall In Love Too Fast" and open flurries on "I Got Plenty O' Nuttin'"; and Toots Thielemans makes like a long, lonesome train whistle on "Summertime." Former Davis cohorts Ron Carter and Al Foster join the rhythm section in a remarkably searching, extended "My Man's Gone Now," the only track which takes note of the electric music that consumed so much of Miles' output (in this case, inspired by the We Want Miles version, not the more familiar Gil Evans interpretation). In a sad way, the very idea of a Miles tribute is an oxymoronic denial of the ever-restless spirit of this genius who didn't believe in looking backwards. But Shirley Horn certainly serves the man's sensitive side well. by Richard S. Ginell  
Tracklist :
1     My Funny Valentine 5:33
Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers
2     I Fall in Love Too Easily 5:39
Sammy Cahn / Jule Styne
3     Summertime 4:59
George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin / DuBose Heyward
Harmonica – Toots Thielemans
4     Baby Won't You Please Come Home 7:21
Charles Warfield / Clarence Williams
Saxophone [Tenor] – Buck Hill
5     This Hotel 3:37
Johnny Keating / Richard Quine
6     I Got Plenty O' Nuttin' 3:39
George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin / DuBose Heyward
7     Basin Street Blues 5:28
Spencer Williams
8     My Man's Gone Now 10:39
George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin / DuBose Heyward
9     Blue in Green 5:59
Miles Davis / Bill Evans / Al Jarreau
Credits :
Bass – Charles Ables (faixas: 1, 6, 8, 9), Ron Carter (faixas: 2 to 4, 7, 8)
Drums – Al Foster (faixas: 2 to 4, 7, 8), Steve Williams (5) (faixas: 1, 6, 8, 9)
Illustration [Cover] – Miles Davis
Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Roy Hargrove (faixas: 2, 6 to 8)
Vocals, Piano – Shirley Horn
 

SHIRLEY HORN - You're My Thrill (2001) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

With the swanky midnight mood of their previous collaboration Here's to Life in mind, Shirley Horn and arranger Johnny Mandel go at it again -- a move that is sure to send her legions of latter-day fans into blissful orbit. This time, though, the six sophisticated string-laden ballads are interspersed with five relatively short, swinging numbers with just Horn, her trio, and various instrumental guests. As a result, you get a better balanced album, not weighted too much in one direction or another. Mandel's orchestrations are paragons of subtlety, sometimes creeping almost imperceptibly like a slow moving fog upon Horn's trio. Like his singer, Mandel respects the value of silence and space; they're a well matched pair, their different ideas of timing dovetail together neatly. Though some of us would have wanted Horn and her jazzmen to stretch out more on the small group tracks, they do serve effectively as breathers, or intermezzos, in between the languorous collaborations with Mandel. In lieu of the participation of Wynton Marsalis (who contributed to Here's to Life), Carl Saunders offers some soulful trumpet obbligato work on "Solitary Moon." Guitarist Russell Malone and bassist Brian Bromberg also appear on the small group tracks -- Malone even does a soft focused rockabilly thing on "Why Don't You Do Right?" -- while bassist Charles Ables and drummer Steve Williams stoke the rhythm in Horn's trio. Another worthy stylish outing for Horn. by Richard S. Ginell  
Tracklist :
1     You're My Thrill 4:46
Bass – Charles Ables
Drums – Steve Williams
Vibraphone – Larry Bunker
Written-By – Jay Gorney, Sidney Clare   
2     The Best Is Yet to Come 2:37
Bass – Brian Bromberg
Drums – Steve Williams
Written-By – Carolyn Leigh, Cy Coleman
3     Solitary Moon 5:06
Bass – Chuck Domanico
Drums – Steve Schaeffer
Guitar – Dori Caymmi
Piano – Alan L. Broadbent
Trumpet – Carl Saunders
Vibraphone – Larry Bunker
Written-By – Alan & Marilyn Bergman, Johnny Mandel
4     Sharing the Night With the Blues 3:00
Bass – Brian Bromberg
Drums – Steve Williams
Guitar – Russell Malone
Written-By – Emanuel Logan
5     I Got Lost in His Arms 4:52
Bass – Charles Ables
Drums – Steve Williams
Vibraphone – Larry Bunker
Written-By – Irving Berlin
6     The Rules of the Road 3:37
Bass – Brian Bromberg
Drums – Steve Williams
Guitar – Russell Malone
Written-By – Carolyn Leigh, Cy Coleman
7     My Heart Stood Still 4:39
Bass – Charles Ables
Drums – Steve Williams
Vibraphone – Larry Bunker
Written-By – Richard Rodgers-Lorenz Hart
8     You'd Better Love Me (While You May) 1:58
Bass – Brian Bromberg
Drums – Steve Williams
Written-By – Hugh Martin, Timothy Gray
9     The Very Thought of You 5:14
Bass – Charles Ables
Drums – Steve Williams
Vibraphone – Larry Bunker
Written-By – Ray Noble
10     Why Don't You Do Right? 2:45
Bass – Brian Bromberg
Drums – Steve Williams
Guitar – Russell Malone
Written-By – Joel McCoy
11     All Night Long 7:44
Bass – Charles Ables
Drums – Steve Williams
Vibraphone – Larry Bunker
Written-By – Curtis Lewis     

SHIRLEY HORN - May the Music Never End (2003) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Shirley Horn has made a remarkably strong and consistent series of records for Verve. On May the Music Never End, her 12th record for Verve, there are two big changes: the absence of Horn's longtime musical partner bassist Charles Ables, who passed away in 2001, and the addition of a pianist to take the place of Horn's quite capable playing. Ed Howard fills in admirably on bass and George Mesterhazy does the same on piano, except for on two tracks ("Maybe September" and "This is All I Ask") where Ahmad Jamal takes over. Horn's trademark sound is the sparse, languid torch song, with atmospheric piano chords and her gentle and soulful vocals caressing the notes as she slowly lets them ease into the listener's ear. Most of the album is in this downcast, nocturnal mood: the highlights are her smoldering version of the Jacques Brel-Rod McKuen song "If You Go Away," the bossa nova-influenced "Watch What Happens," and the heartbreaking and bleak "Ill Wind." She also does a very nice job with the Gordon Jenkins-penned "September of My Years"-style ballad "This Is All I Ask" and the emotional "May the Music Never End." These two tracks taken together almost sound like Horn saying goodbye to music and the world of jazz and will really bring a lump to the throat of Horn fans. She breaks up the somber mood with a few swinging tracks: the rollicking take on "Forget Me"; the lightly swinging "Take Love Easy," with some nice Roy Hargrove obbligatos; and the martial "Everything Must Change," which features one of Horn's most dramatic vocals and a wonderful moment three and a half minutes into the song where the tight rhythm bursts open and the band hits a big up-tempo groove with Horn soaring over top. The only real clunker here is her version of the Beatles' "Yesterday," a song that has been done just about every way possible. Here Horn cuts the tempo, adds some atmosphere, and actually manages to over sing the song. Her voice pushes at the outer reaches of her range, but her phrasing is strangely urgent and she sounds old for the first time. It is a rare misstep on an otherwise very good record by one of the great underrated jazz singers. If it is indeed her swan song, then she went out the same way she came in: as a true classic. by Tim Sendra  
Tracklist :
1     Forget Me 3:30
Valerie Brown
2     If You Go Away 4:49
Jacques Brel / Rod McKuen
3     Yesterday 4:14
John Lennon / Paul McCartney
4     Take Love Easy 5:12
Duke Ellington / John Latouche
Flugelhorn – Roy Hargrove    
5     Never Let Me Go 5:17
Ray Evans / Jay Livingston
6     Watch What Happens 3:29
Norman Gimbel / Michel Legrand
7     Ill Wind 7:09
Harold Arlen / Ted Koehler
Flugelhorn – Roy Hargrove   
8     Maybe September 7:10
Ray Evans / Percy Faith / Jay Livingston
Piano – Ahmad Jamal
9     Everything Must Change 5:01
Benard Ighner
10     This Is All I Ask 6:43
Gordon Jenkins
Piano – Ahmad Jamal   
11     May the Music Never End 5:07
Artie Butler / Norman Martin
Credits :
Bass – Ed Howard
Drums – Steve Williams
Piano – George Mesterhazy (faixas: 1 to 7, 9)
Producer, Vocals – Shirley Horn

SHIRLEY HORN - Live at the Four Queens (1988-2016) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist :
1     Hi-Fly 6:30
Randy Weston
2     The You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To 4:03
Cole Porter
3     Meditation (Meditação) 9:12
Norman Gimbel / Antônio Carlos Jobim / Newton Mendonça
4     The Boy From Ipanema 5:27
Norman Gimbel / Antônio Carlos Jobim / Newton Mendonça
5     Isn’t It Romantic? 10:14
Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers
6     Lover Man (Oh Where Can You Be?) 5:28
Miles Davis / Humberto Ramírez / James Sherman
7     Something Happens to Me 3:23
Marvin Fisher / Jack Segal
8     Just for a Thrill 5:10
Lil Hardin Armstrong / Don Raye
9     Blues for Big Scotia 3:11
Oscar Peterson
Credits :
Bass – Charles Ables
Drums – Steve Williams
Lead Vocals, Piano – Shirley Horn 

SHIRLEY HORN - Violets for Your Furs (1981-1991) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Six years before she signed with Verve and finally became a big name, Shirley Horn already sounded quite mature and fully developed on this live trio date. Recorded at the 1981 Northsea Jazz Festival with bassist Charles Ables and drummer Billy Hart, the pianist/vocalist performs nine familiar standards, including versions of "More Than You Know" and "I Didn't Know What Time It Was" that did not come out until the 1991 CD reissue. The emphasis, as usual, is on ballads, including "Gee Baby Ain't I Good to You," "Baby Won't You Please Come Home" and the title cut. This lesser-known set is up to the same level as Shirley Horn's best-selling Verve sets. Recommended. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist:
1 Love Is Here to Stay 3:27
George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin
2 Georgia on My Mind 7:25
Hoagy Carmichael / Stuart Gorrell
3 Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You 3:40
Andy Razaf / Don Redman
4 Lover Man 5:18
Jimmy Davis / Roger "Ram" Ramirez / Jimmy Sherman
5 Violets for Your Furs 4:56
Tom Adair / Matt Dennis
6 Baby Won't You Please Come Home 4:14
Charles Warfield / Clarence Williams
7 My Man 10:16
Jacques Charles / Albert Willemetz / Maurice Yvain
8 More Than You Know 4:18
Edward Eliscu / Billy Rose / Vincent Youmans
9 I Didn't Know What Time It Was 2:25
Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers
Credits:
Bass – Charles Ables
Drums – Billy Hart
Piano, Vocals – Shirley Horn

SHIRLEY HORN - The Main Ingredient (1996) APE (image+.cue), lossless

 
This Shirley Horn CD is a little unusual, as it was recorded at her home. The four sessions utilized some of her favorite musicians, including bassists Steve Novosel and Charles Ables; drummers Steve Williams, Elvin Jones, and Billy Hart; trumpeter Roy Hargrove (on "The Meaning of the Blues") and Joe Henderson; and Buck Hill on tenors. As usual, virtually all of the songs are taken at slow tempos, with "All or Nothing at All" given a definitive treatment. Other highlights include "The Look of Love," "Fever," and Henderson's playing on "You Go to My Head." by Scott Yanow
Tracklist:
1 Blues for Sarge 4:16
Ronald R. Dawson
2 The Look of Love 5:22
Burt Bacharach / Hal David
3 Keepin' Out of Mischief Now 3:46
Andy Razaf / Fats Waller
4 The Meaning of the Blues 7:55
Bobby Troup / Leah Worth
5 Here's Looking at You 3:27
Carroll Coates
6 You Go to My Head 9:08
J. Fred Coots / Haven Gillespie
7 Fever 4:42
Eddie Cooley / John Davenport
8 Come in from the Rain 4:50
Melissa Manchester / Carole Bayer Sager
9 Peel Me a Grape 2:55
Dave Frishberg
10 All or Nothing at All 7:10
Arthur Altman / Jack Lawrence
Credits:
Bass – Charles Ables (tracks: 2, 3, 5, 7, 9), Steve Novosel (tracks: 1, 4, 6, 8, 10)
Drums – Billy Hart (tracks: 9), Elvin Jones (tracks: 6, 10), Steve Williams (tracks: 1 to 5, 7, 8)
Flugelhorn – Roy Hargrove (tracks: 4)
Guitar – Charles Ables (tracks: 1, 8)
Tenor Saxophone – Buck Hill (tracks: 1, 3, 10), Joe Henderson (tracks: 6, 10)
Vocals, Piano – Shirley Horn

SHIRLEY HORN — Loads of Love + Shirley Horn with Horns (1990) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

 
Two of pianist/vocalist Shirley Horn's rarest (and earliest) recordings are reissued in full on this single CD. Actually, Horn does not play piano at all, sticking exclusively to vocals, and she had less control over the interpretations (being persuaded to sing some songs at faster-than-usual tempos) than she would later on. The arrangements for the big bands that back Horn were written by Jimmy Jones and Quincy Jones and, although the overall music is enjoyable, Horn would have much preferred to be the pianist behind her own vocals. Since she would only record two other albums during the next 15 years (sticking to playing locally in the Washington, D.C., area while raising her daughter), this CD gives one a valuable look at the early Shirley Horn; her distinctive vocal style was already nearly fully formed. Scott Yanow
Loads Of Love
1 Wild Is Love 1:29
Written-By – Wayne, Rasch
2 Loads Of Love 2:24
Written-By – Richard Rodgers
3 My Future Just Passed 2:40
Written-By – Marion, Jr., Whiting
4 There's A Boat That's Leaving Soon For New York 2:41
Written-By – Ira & George Gershwin
5 Ten Cents A Dance 3:49
Written-By – Rodgers & Hart
6 Only The Lonely 3:05
Written-By – Cahn/Van Heusen
7 The Second Time Around 3:12
Written-By – Van Heusen/Cahn
8 Do It Again 2:56
Written-By – DeSilva, Gershwin
9 It's Love 2:01
Written-By – Comden/Green, Bernstein
10 That's No Joke 2:37
Written-By – Bailey
11 Love For Sale 3:50
Written-By – Porter
12 Who Am I 2:49
Written-By – Stone, Bullock
Shirley Horn With Horns
13 On The Street Where You Live 2:15
Written-By – Lerner/Lowe
14 The Great City 2:02
Written-By – Lewis
15 That Old Black Magic 2:34
Written-By – Mercer/Arlen
16 Mack The Knife 3:01
Written-By – Brecht, Weill, Blitzstein
17 Come Dance With Me 2:13
Written-By – Van Heusen/Cahn
18 Let Me Love You 3:04
Written-By – Howard
19 After You've Gone 2:59
Written-By – Creamer, Layton
20 Wouldn't It Be Loverly 3:42
Written-By – Lerner/Lowe
21 Go Away Little Boy 3:26
Written-By – Goffin/King
22 I'm In The Mood For Love 2:47
Written-By – McHugh/Fields
23 The Good Life 3:11
Written-By – Reardon, Distel
24 Wee Small Hours 3:20
Written-By – Hilliard, Mann
Credits:
Arranged By – Billy Byers (tracks: 13, 18, 19, 22 to 24), Don Sebesky (tracks: 15, 21), Quincy Jones (tracks: 16, 20), Thad Jones (tracks: 14, 17)
Arranged By, Conductor – Jimmy Jones (tracks: 1 to 12)
Baritone Saxophone – Gerry Mulligan (tracks: 1 to 12)
Bass – Milt Hinton (tracks: 1 to 12)
Drums – Osie Johnson (tracks: 1 to 12)
Guitar – Kenny Burrell (tracks: 1 to 12)
Piano – Bobby Scott (tracks: 13, 16, 18, 20), Hank Jones (tracks: 1 to 6, 8 to 10, 12), Jimmy Jones (tracks: 7, 11, 14, 15, 17, 19, 21 to 24)
Producer, Conductor – Quincy Jones (tracks: 13 to 24)
Saxophone – Al Cohn (tracks: 1 to 12)
Saxophone, Flute – Frank Wess (tracks: 1 to 12), Jerome Richardson (tracks: 1 to 12)
Trombone – Jimmy Cleveland (tracks: 13 to 24)
Trumpet – Ernie Royal (tracks: 1 to 12), Joe Newman (tracks: 1 to 12)
Violin – Gene Orloff (tracks: 1 to 12)
Vocals – Shirley Horn