If you are going to buy only one album this year, may I recommend vocalist and pianist Shirley Horn's "Here's to Life" (Verve CD 314 511 879-2), a collection of 11 standards that will transform the biggest grump into mush? The pace throughout is not leisurely. It's even more measured than that, despite composer/arranger Johnny Mandel's 49-member orchestra backing her, along with regular Horn trio members Charles Ables on bass and drummer Steve Owens. Wynton Marsalis joins the crowd for "A Time For Love," which has been receiving considerable play on KUER, and "Quietly There," but even he is subservient to Horn. If anyone is concerned about who will fill the shoes of Billie and Ella and Sarah, there's no reason to fret.
Not that Horn is a newcomer. She's been recording for more than three decades, and her first album, "Embers and Ashes" in 1960, caught the attention of Miles Davis, who invited her to join him at the Village Vanguard in New York City. By the way, "Here's To Life" is dedicated to Miles, who died during the Mandel recording of the orchestral parts that were then added to the trio tracks.For many years, Horn performed in halls and clubs in Washington, D.C., as her family life took priority. About 10 years ago, Horn returned to the road. Her career was rejuvenated in 1988 when she signed an exclusive contract with Verve, which produced the albums "I Thought About You," "Close Enough For Love" and the 1991 Grammy-nominated "You Won't Forget Me."
And now "Here's To Life." Mandel, who also collaborated with Natalie Cole for the smash "Unforgettable" release, was given free rein on the arrangements, which includes three of his tunes. One of the other cuts is "Return to Paradise," the theme for a forgettable film years ago, but one that I remember because of . . . was it Debra Paget?
During the past two months, no album has been played more by me than this one.
And more good news. Horn and her trio will be one of the headliners at the Snowbird Jazz Festival Aug. 8. I guarantee if you are not in a romantic mood when you arrive, you will be when you leave.
- Also scheduled for Snowbird is Andy Narrell, for whom I have no frame of reference. Narrell plays the steel pans and is considered the best there is, which probably has the same impact as being the best water skier in North Dakota.
But after listening to "Down the Road" (CD 10139-2), his sixth album for Windham Hill Jazz, I'm excited about seeing him in August. The New York native was introduced to the steel pan by his social worker father, who hired an Antiguan exchange student to teach some kids on the Lower East Side of Manhattan how to play the pans. Within a few years, 20 such bands were in existence, and Andy and his brother wanted to get into the action. That was more than 30 years ago. After graduating from college, Narrell shelved thoughts of medical school and began playing professionally. Narrell, who has made a number of visits to Trinidad, the birthplace of the pan, has polished the pan into the infectiously joyous music heard on "Down the Road."
I'm not knowledgeable enough to analyze the music except it is a delightful mixture of sounds from Trinidad, Brazil, Cuba and the Dominican Republic, and the rhythmic result is very satisfying, especially the 10th and final track, "Down De Road," a tribute to the early days of calypso. Narrell, who also plays keyboards on this release, is backed by veteran guitarist Steve Erquiaga, bassist Keith Jones, percussionist Karl Perazzo and Paul Van Wageningen on drums.
- Bruce Granath of Space Agency, which again is promoting the Snowbird jazz, has also signed superb pianist Bobby Lyle for Aug. 8. Lyle's latest effort for Atlantic Records is a solo, "Pianomagic" (CD 82346-2), a solid potpourri of items ranging from five Lyle originals to Miles' "So What," Bill Evans' "Waltz for Debbie" and Mel Torme's "The Christmas Song." A little something for everyone, played nicely by the versatile Lyle.
Aug. 8 at Snowbird. I, for one, can't wait.