Shirley Horn - Travelin Light (12 tracks) +Album Reviews

Quiet Brilliance

D. Davis | Southern CA | 12/01/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I feel I must confess--it has taken me years to become a devoted fan of Shirley Horn (a fact that embarrasses me now, but the same once held true for me with Sarah Vaughan as well). But this Impulse label recording from 1965 shows the breathy and quiet brilliance of voacalist and pianist Shirley Horn. (If one is looking for name dropping on this recording, I might mention Kenny Burrell on guitar.) The first song, a Johnny Mercer number, lends the recording its title: This is without a doubt the best version of "Travelin' Light" I've ever heard; I'm sure a few Billie Holiday fans out there won't like this fact, but that's too bad. The ballad, "You're Blase," is marvelous. And although I'm not a Lennon-McCartney fan, Horn does a very good job on the last track, "And I Love Him." A few of these numbers swing (not like Ella, but swinging nonetheless); they are "Sunday in New York" and "Big City." One can certainly hear on this recording the effect Horn has had on the younger, less sophisticated, and less mature Diana Krall (who is admittedly a Horn fan). But Krall does not have Horn's maturity or jazz presence (if you've ever seen Krall in concert, you'll understand--she plays with her stringy hair too much). I like this Horn better than the Horn on "Here's to Life" The theme here is one of a quiet and sophisticated mood."

The best of the young Horn

hbubi | La Jolla, California United States | 09/10/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"What's better than Shirley Horn? Two Shirley Horn's. I know of no other major vocalist who so clearly has two different periods which translate into two completely different personas. On this disk you get a sassy, swinging and young cross between Dinah Washington and Peggy Lee. It is my favorite early period Horn and one of my three all time favorite Horn's. You will like it a lot!"

If you like Diane Krall, you will also like this CD

hbubi | 01/18/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It is very easy to be seduced by this music. The voice is rich and expressive, the phrasing is intellegent and witty, the piano is like another voice and the back-ups adds just the right dimension. Although it is easy to listen to, it is not by any means "easy listening." The artest is one of the most origional and has been copied by many current aspiring female singers. Some, such as Diane Krall, give her credit for being a major influance. If you are a Krall fan you will recognize that infulance immediatly.
One of Shirley's hallmarks is the moods she is able to evoke. Both "Sunday in New York" and "Big City" are so evacative of NYC that either one could be the theme song for that city. "You're Blase" is a perfect portrait of the bored and world-weary, sung by someone who obviously has the oppisite point of view. There is a witty humor here also - in songs like "Confession" and "Yes, I Know When I've Had It." If you like the blues you will love "Some of my best friends are the Blues". In Shirley's later recordings her voice has deteriated, although she lost none of her musical and power. I enjoy her later recordings, but here, her voice is fresh, and she has an optimism mixed with shophistocation which is very appealing. The only downside to this recording is that the cuts are fairly short by today's standards. Short though they may be, each is a gem to be enjoyed and heard over and over again."

Light as a butterfly with Louis Vuitton luggage

KSG | New York, NY United States | 12/16/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Shirley Horn has a great voice and plays piano like a boogie woogie angel. This work apparently failed commercially as it was not jazz and not pop. I believe that Miss Horn created a new crossover genre way ahead of her time. The reluctant beat of the Beatles cover, And I Love Him is so modern and hip hop, you just want to send a copy to Missy Elliot to sample. Sunday in New York has become my post 911 anthem, it is so much about what New York can be if you think clearly about this big city. This is not the Shirley Horn of now. No lush strings and mellow dramatic ballads. Just a swinging smart set of good songs."

Probably her best album. . . .

Danniray99 | Expatriate in Germany | 03/01/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Unlike many recordings from the mid- to late-sixties, the late great Shirley Horn's "Traveling Light" does not sound dated. Indeed, what's astounding is how brilliant this all-too-brief album still sounds! Overshadowed by the likes of Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan--who were undoubtedly more driven and dominating--Horn remained a little-noticed jewel half-submerged just below the surface. In fact, it took Miles Davis to uncover this treasure, though Horn largely shunned the spotlight for much of her life! What set Horn apart was her unusual combination of streetwise sophistication and bourgeoisie eloquence. She was an accomplished pianist whose delicate touch mirrored the subtle power of her elegant, unforced vocal style. Though Horn's economy of style permeates "Traveling Light," the album is surprisingly varied. "New York on Sunday" and "Don't be on the Outside" are rhythmical, finger-snapping juke-jaunts, but there are also the kind of whispery, intimate ballads that became her signature, like "I Could Have Told you," "And I Love Him" (an amazing cover of the signature Beatles tune). Elsewhere, Horn serves up sleek, sassy versions of "Some of My Best Friends are the Blues," "Big City" and "Yes, I Know When I've Had It." But best of all is her riveting and DEFINITIVE version of the album's title cut, an exquisite torch song which Horn effectively steals from Billie Holiday. This number alone is worth the price of the CD! As a showcase for the singular gifts of Shirley Horn, "Traveling Light" is perhaps unequaled."

Search - Shirley Horn :: Travelin Light

CD Details

CD Reviews

	Shirley Horn Travelin Light Genres: Jazz, Pop, Broadway & Vocalists Track Listings (12) - Disc #1 Travelin' Light Sunday In New York I Could Have Told You Big City I Want To Be With You Some Of My Best Friends Are The Blues Someone Loved You Don't Be On The Outside You're Blase Yes, I Know When I've Had It Confession And I Love Him
? Larger Image