2 early albums by the great
Shirley Horn – back to back on one CD! On Loads Of Love,
Shirley sings some somber ballads over large orchestrations by Jimmy Jones – in a mode that's different from recent work, but which also shows that she's a great singer with a really sensitive style. The groove's not as open as on some of her small combo recordings, but that also brings out a side of
Shirley that you don't always hear on record – a committed, honest, slightly sad style that's quite striking, considering that this was one of
Shirley's first albums. Titles include "That's No Joke", "Love For Sale", "Ten Cents A Dance", "Who Am I?", "Only The Lonely", and "Wild Is Love".
Horn With
Horns is hip stuff from
Shirley – very mature and swinging jazz, despite any hokiness you might expect from the "with
horns" tag. Arrangements are by Quincy Jones, Thad Jones, and Billy Byers – and the set list features some good current numbers, and a bunch of standards, all redone nicely in a 60s sophistijazz style. Tracks include "Wee Small Hours", "That Old Black Magic", "The Great City", "On The Street Where You Live", and "Let Me Love You".
(Vocalists, Jazz) (1990 pressing.)