Shirley Horn Live at the 4 Queens (Resonance)
The Resonance label continues its parade of previously unissued recordings with this jewel by Shirley Horn, a supremely gifted pianist and singer (1934-2005). By the time of the 1988 performance in the music room of her favorite Las Vegas hotel, Ms. Horn, bassist Charles Ables and drummer Steve Williams had honed themselves into a group of uncommon tightness and empathy. They generated seductive swing at the slowest tempos, as in this album’s vocal versions of Lil Armstrong’s “Just For a Thrill†and Antonio Carlos Jobim’s “Meditation.†In outright piano trio swing, Horn is at her peak in Randy Weston’s “Hi-Fly,†an extended “Isn’t It Romantic,†“Blues for Big Scotia†by her early piano influence Oscar Peterson, and an amused romp through Cole Porter’s “You’d Be So Nice to Come To.†This is a welcome addition to Horn’s discography.