Renowned jazz artist Shirley Horn, who has enjoyed a resurgence in her career the last few years, will perform with her trio at 8:15 p.m on Friday, March 24, in Glenn Memorial Auditorium. Along with Horn, the trio includes Charles Ables on bass and Steve Williams on drums.
Recently nominated for her fourth Grammy award, Horn's latest CD, I Love You, Paris, was #1 on radio charts and debuted in the top five on Billboard's jazz chart. Prior recordings include I Thought About You, Close Enough for Love, You Won't Forget Me and Light Out of Darkness: Tribute to Ray Charles, all on the Verve label. Her 1992 recording, Here's to Life: Shirley Horn with Strings, won her numerous accolades including 1992 Jazz Artist of the Year and a Grammy award.
A pianist first and singer second, Horn studied on scholarship at The Juilliard School and finished her musical training at Howard University. Her mentors have included Miles Davis, who first brought her to New York to sing in the 1960s, and Quincy Jones. Enjoying a resurgence in visibility after a period of performing only close to her Washington, D.C., home so that she could stay at home with her young daughter, Horn's recording and touring began again in the late 1980s. Among her fans are singer Tony Bennett, musician Johnny Mandel and music critics across the country. Considered a jazz artist extraordinaire by many--"Superlatives are always dangerous...but Shirley Horn is the best singer in jazz today" (San Francisco Chronicle)--Horn nevertheless considers herself just a "good singer who picks good songs," not a jazz singer. According to Bennett, another recent Grammy winner, "She'll go down in history as one of the great performers."
Admission is $12; tickets are available through the Emory Box Office at 727-6187.
-- Joyce Bell