1. Shirley Valerie Horn was an American jazz singer and pianist.
21 Facts About Shirley Horn
1. 2.
Shirley Horn collaborated with many jazz musicians including Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Toots Thielemans, Ron Carter, Carmen McRae, Wynton Marsalis and others.
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Shirley Horn was most noted for her ability to accompany herself with nearly incomparable independence and ability on the piano while singing, something described by arranger Johnny Mandel as "like having two heads", and for her rich, lush voice, a smoky contralto, which was described by noted producer and arranger Quincy Jones as "like clothing, as she seduces you with her voice".
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Shirley Horn was born and raised in Washington, DC Encouraged by her grandmother, an amateur organist, Horn began piano lessons at the age of four.
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Shirley Horn formed her first jazz piano trio when she was 20.
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Shirley Horn had recorded with violinist Stuff Smith in Washington, DC, in 1959, as a pianist in one of the rhythm sections featured on Cat on a Hot Fiddle.
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On her two Mercury LPs, Shirley Horn was placed in a traditional pop setting with medium-sized jazz orchestra, and on neither album did she play piano.
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Shirley Horn was popular with jazz critics, but did not achieve significant popular success.
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Shirley Horn made one album in 1972 for Perception Records, but the record received little notice, and Horn did not tour to promote it.
10.
In 1978, Shirley Horn's career got a boost when SteepleChase Records of Denmark tracked her down in Washington, DC, and offered to record her with drummer Billy Hart, and bassist Buster Williams.
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The resulting album, A Lazy Afternoon was the first of a total of four Shirley Horn albums released by SteepleChase between 1978 and 1984.
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Shirley Horn began to play engagements in North America and Europe, including the North Sea Jazz Festival, where two of her albums were recorded.
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In 1986, Shirley Horn signed a one-record deal with CBS-Sony for the Japanese market and released All of Me, a studio session recorded in New York City with her regular rhythm section, plus guest Frank Wess on three tracks.
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Shirley Horn recorded one further session for an independent jazz label, then returned to Verve.
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Shirley Horn released a total of 11 studio and live albums for Verve during her lifetime.
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Shirley Horn worked with the same rhythm section for 25 years: Charles Ables and Steve Williams.
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Lincoln Cemetery in Washington, DC Since her death, concert recordings of Shirley Horn have been released on CD and DVD by Resonance Records and Image Entertainment.
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Shirley Horn was nominated for nine Grammy Awards during her career, winning the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Performance at the 41st Grammy Awards for I Remember Miles, a tribute to her friend and mentor.
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Shirley Horn was officially recognized by the 109th US Congress for "her many achievements and contributions to the world of jazz and American culture", and performed at The White House for several US presidents.
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Shirley Horn was awarded an honorary Doctor of Music degree from the Berklee College of Music in 2002.
21.
Shirley Horn was awarded the National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters Award in 2005.