No one but no one could make a ballad pierce your soul like Ms Horn. Her phrasing is exquisite. She moves me in ways that no other singer ever has. This is one of the most beautiful songs ever written. Ms Horn of course, does it justice. A masterpiece.
I have this cd and I love every track on it. Rich and lush. Several of my favorite singers have tried to, but, just can't match Ms Horn or her special touch.
You are so right, "Urana" -- It escapes me why she wasn't better known, though she was better known on the east coast than the west where I'm from. I found her after she was gone, but RIP, Shirley, wherever you are -- we love you! (As a musician, I appreciate her soft, subdued, extreme talent and furthermore, she always looks as if she's enjoying herself!) Bravo, SH!
You can say that again, "Urana" -- a beautiful lady, in every way, on this number, she had just had foot surgery so wasn't playing the piano, in a way it is extraordinary to watch this, such a gifted talent, I never tire of her.
I am a devout Sarah Vaughan fan. But I heard this on a local jazz station last night and just had to look it up so I could hear it again. Perfect blend of music, vocals, and expression. Another great performance that has inspired me!
I saw one of her last performances at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in 2005. She was in a wheelchair but still wonderful! She is missed dearly!
Other singers who sing this ballad sound as if they really have to work hard to interpret this difficult song. Shirley Horn just sits there and sings her heart in the most effortless and elegant way. She's supremely talented. She knows exactly how to do a slow ballad like this one. Joe Williams with George Shearing version is marvellous but I listen to Shirley for her emotional honesty and sensibility.
"Here's To Life" is a Masterpiece. Produced and arranged by the brilliant Johnny Mandel. One of my all time favorite recordings. :-))) Nobody sings this better than Shirley.
+michaelmachine Nobody...this is my favorite song by her... the orchestration is awesome. You will find our simple country folk version of it here on TH-cam my niece Sonia Harrison and my self Bobby Gonzales from Seguin, Texas.
Shirley Horn was one of those rare singers who could bring lyrics to life. Here, she emotes ev’ry emotion of the lyrics with her intonation and inflection and pauses. I miss you, Ms. Horn. Here’s to life, here’s to you…wherever you are ❤️
Some you mentioned can almost equal Shirley, but definitely NOT all! Each for different reasons, but Shirley can top most of them, of those, Ella, Peggy, Nancy, Julie are great, Astrud is, but had few songs, Blossom is unusual unto herself, Sarah on some songs but not all, Etta James had the audience but not the voice unlike Etta Jones, who was clouded by Etta James but was the better singer, forget the rest, except maybe on ONE of their better songs. Anita O'Day has a voice, but DON'T watch her sing, that head-shaking is bad and distractive. A few of these women would have been better off without their drugs! I listened to Eartha Kitt sing this, she doesn't hold a candle to Shirley! Shirley Bassey's version is very nice, but doesn't equal Shirley's. This is, simply, Shirley Horn's song, and was her signature song, with reason!
I would have NEVER thought of this as a funeral song, but, it is a lesson for those left behind, to enjoy life and that's what I'm sure your grandma wanted for you!
OH this song...I was at my neighbor's memorial service last night and this song was on when I started my drive home. Here's to Life, because we never know when our time is up. Enjoy every day.
Parents , introduce your children to music of yesterday, they'll be richer for the experience. This song by Shirley Horn and Joe Williams I would like to recommend.
Oh do I second that, Allan C.! Today's children NEED to hear good music like this, NOT what is out there today, which isn't really music, but screaming noise with a beat! Thank you for providing this for us, "Billylovesjazz!"
I love when a "live" performance is as good as the studio version. Shows what a true artist Shirley Horn was and what a great conductor John Williams was. A true collaboration of great musical talents. Not to mention the fact that this is a terrific song, well written and orchestrated.
This song, "Here's to Life" was Shirley's signature song. BEAUTIFUL!! She is such a super-star, a treasure, and with the Boston Pops -- you can't get much better than this! Extraordinary! As a musician myself, I don't know why I didn't know about her earlier in my life, I guess because I'm West Coast and she was mostly East Coast and the world. She has a voice like NO OTHER! I'm completely infatuated with her! Great musician and gifted talent, that's for certain. "Here's to Life" must be one of the most beautiful songs ever, b/c the lyrics are so up-lifting, and Shirley sings it like no other can! I've never heard this song before, so I listened to others sing it; I'd say it belongs to Shirley! And we understand she was a great lady and beautiful person also.
This Song, Here's To Life, is one of my All Time Favorites. The very first time I heard this song years ago I had to pull off the highway just to listen. I got the pleasure to see Shirley Horn perform at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. Magnificent. I miss her too.
Having worked as a professional musician for twenty plus years, I can honestly say that this is the only song that I've either played or heard that, as soon as the line,/chorus "...And here's to life..." starts, I do indeed start to cry. The power of music, eh!?
Superb, because of the deep beauty in this song and the way she sings it! I wish I could sing this in my sets but I can't, it's just too emotional for me to sing in public! Maybe some day. "May all your storms be weathered, and all that's good get better, here's to life, here's to love, here's to you..." What a great wish for everyone! (And to a love I lost.)
That french horn solo with the mordant up to high concert G - - gets my every time. Johnny Mandel arrangement. Rockin' arrangement, rockin' players on it. And John Williams conducting!! Bravo to all! Shirley Horn and this song got me through some rough times.
Eric, Shirley was in a class by herself, but don't forget Nancy Wilson is still around...retired I know, but we can always hope she'll give us one more...
"Here's to Life" a kind of pharmakon, a real balm in her voice that I learned to admire over the years. Shirley Horn and the magnificent song, lyric 'poetry' of stunning simplicity.
been listening to this swan album since the mid 90's....you know something? with each passing year, something happens...or doesn't happen... that places me back in front of shirley as a reminder to hope for the best. here i am once again. thank you Lady. "may all your storms be weathered and all that's good get better..."
So cinematic. A story told, the listener allowed it peer into the life of the singer but for a moment. My absolute favorite song and arrangement, ever!
Wow, my father was a great jazz artist and I thought I heard all the great artist of that generation but never hearing her until a year ago? I'm taken away by her song, "Here's to Life" my favorite all time version of a great song.. We all relate to the words and her Voice just magnifies its beauty!! Wow...
This truly is a hidden masterpiece that I feel never got mainstream? I've been around this kind of music my whole life and until last year, never knew this beautiful recording existed. I agree with the others that no one sings this like Shirley, No One. This is my theme song of Life and I listen to it daily....
Ah life!! I received the "best" of everything so far!! I am certain i have not seen the truly "best" that is waiting for me! My three children are the "best" I have experienced in my 81 years!!!
I was very ballsy and very lucky to sit with Ms. Horne when she was having dinner between sets at Jazz Alley in Seattle, back when anybody could sit down without being escorted away. She told me she had been a single mom and stopped singing until start singing until her daughter was grown. And here she was performing on the road, around this time frame. I was also a teacher and single mom and aspiring singer. She was very kind to share with me.
What a marvelous performance wonderful music even better lyrics and Shirley Horn is magnificent in this rendition of this incomparable piece. I have heard other version of this song, but this is the best version I have ever heard of it.
For me, Miss Horns' way of interpreting a song--the way she lets the notes of a song breathe through her if only now through recordings is therapy(dare I say, cure) for my addiction to the expedient pace of humanity especially in America.
I have listened to other renditions of this song, but the only one that inevitably brings tears to my eyes is Shirley Horn's. The quintessence of feeling in singing.
i just watched Patti LaBelle sing this and i wanted to hear Ms Horn's version Ms.Horn is in a league of her own there's no one that can TOUCH her I've been transported back in time to the days when i was just a little girl reading on the couch while my Daddy listen to his Jazz and had a little smile in his glass smoking his Pall Malls
This beautiful song was introduced by Shirley Horn but was sang by Robert Goulet,Barbra Streisand in her Back to \Brooklyn show and Barbara Cook who sings this in all her performances and she sang it today(May 16th,2016) in a Doris Robert tribute..What a beautiful song!!!!Ihaent heard other performances;
At the time she was suffering from a severe form of arthiritis and yet the way she sings this song is simply amazing, Nowawadays no one can write such meaningful lyrics and can perform like SH.
Definitely a good re-creation of the brilliant recording with Horn's Trio and Johnny Mandel's subtle, miraculous arrangements. But Shirley is not really a "stand-up" vocalist. She's best heard on the original recording, the most beautiful ballad album since Coltrane / Johnny Hartman's early '60s album or the many Sinatra /Riddle "concept" albums on Capitol in the '50s. My understanding is that the original has Shirley playing and singing while the orchestra is playing--not all of the usual "multi-tracking. As a result, the album "Here's to Life" is magic from the first track (this is only the first) to the very last. My favorites are "Return to Paradise" and the Piaf tune, "If You Love Me." One of the most sublime vocal albums in jazz history. Ignore the All Music review. Miles knew the real thing when he heard it, which is why he called Shirley to NYC in the last couple years of his life.
The piano part on the cd for this (and Where Do You Start) isn’t played by Shirley, it is played by Alan Broadbent. The process and the reasons are all in the program notes in the cd.
One night,1960, my date and I dropped into the Brass Rail in Washinton D.C. and there was Shirley sitting at the piano.There were no more than a dozen lucky people in the room. If there was the least chatter in the room she would not play. I sat there mesmerized. Have been a fan ever since. One of the best at interpreting lyrics. Try "Where Do You Start" for looking back on past loves that haunt your memory or "How Do You Keep The Music Playing" in recognizing that person you thought of just as a friend is a love you can't be without.
I could not agree more with Art Allen. This CD is just gorgeous and her version of ' A time for love' - another Johnny Mandel classic composition and arrangement - is so beautiful.
Perhaps I'm being a touch harsh here, but the 42 people who have clicked on thumbs down for this video should be thrown off a cliff. Alternatively, they could seek medical help.
She emanates a sincere love and care that you can feel when she sings this song. Its like being held close by a loved one. Thank you Ms. Horn for being and sharing yourself through music.
I lived in the same community as Shirley Horn and never knew it until my mother told me that she lived around the corner from where we lived I was in shock about that but you see that little area of the world created so many interesting people who are the leaders of today in Washington DC
I have listened to this album and specifically this song many times over the years and if there is a single song that speaks to the ethos that life should be a celebration of existence, this song is it. The lyric are full of so much imagery and evokes memories of both joyful ( “ . . . .as long I’m in the game I want to play ) and possibly not-so-joyful (“ . . . .may all your storms be weathered”) times in one’s life all to the rhythm and tempo of Shirley voice that is beautifully haunting and inspiring in singing about the virtues of living life to the fullest. Shirley sang many tunes but I will always remember her for this one. . . . .
I love the way Ms. Horn sang this song, the depth of interpretation that she brought to it and I admire Artie Butler for writing such a wonderful song....
No one but no one could make a ballad pierce your soul like Ms Horn. Her phrasing is exquisite. She moves me in ways that no other singer ever has. This is one of the most beautiful songs ever written. Ms Horn of course, does it justice. A masterpiece.
yes!!! i agree...
totally agree!
Without doubt!
You're so right! She was a very great artist indeed.
Buy the cd, get comfortable, turn the lights off, forget the world, and let this music wash over you.
I did ....... and you are absolutely right Art.
I have this cd and I love every track on it. Rich and lush. Several of my favorite singers have tried to, but, just can't match Ms Horn or her special touch.
You sound like a great date!!!
Agree
That's beautiful "Here"s to Life" - Shirley :)
Strings, Harp, French Horns, Orchestra
I love this song. Brings me so much peace in the moment
Shirley Horn was one of the greatest that never received her dues. I love her music!
Thank you for posting.
You are so right, "Urana" -- It escapes me why she wasn't better known, though she was better known on the east coast than the west where I'm from. I found her after she was gone, but RIP, Shirley, wherever you are -- we love you! (As a musician, I appreciate her soft, subdued, extreme talent and furthermore, she always looks as if she's enjoying herself!) Bravo, SH!
You can say that again, "Urana" -- a beautiful lady, in every way, on this number, she had just had foot surgery so wasn't playing the piano, in a way it is extraordinary to watch this, such a gifted talent, I never tire of her.
I am a devout Sarah Vaughan fan. But I heard this on a local jazz station last night and just had to look it up so I could hear it again. Perfect blend of music, vocals, and expression. Another great performance that has inspired me!
No matter how many renditions of this song I hear, Shirley Horn's is absolutely perfect. She made it life's most beautiful serenade.
Still cry every time I hear this. By far my most favorite song of all time. I pray for, and aspire to achieve such zest for life.
Yes she is...absolutely perfect. I Love her rendition of this song.
@@teapartier5584 Me too.
Me too! This Lady and Sarah Vaughan are getting me through this Dystopia x
Gino, I agree 100%
I saw one of her last performances at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in 2005. She was in a wheelchair but still wonderful! She is missed dearly!
What an amazing experience I'm sure
When she sings, the bottom falls out from underneath you and leaves you floating.
Perfectly stated.
Every day she soothes and calms me for a new day...
One of the most beautifully moving songs in the "American Songbook" sung by one of our most sensitive singers.
Shirley Horn, a REAL artist.
Agree. I was born about 20 years too late. Would have loved to hear her, among the other greats.
I HAVE to agree - a superb masterpiece!
YES!!!!
You know it's great if you get chills and tears...Shirley delivers it.
Other singers who sing this ballad sound as if they really have to work hard to interpret this difficult song. Shirley Horn just sits there and sings her heart in the most effortless and elegant way. She's supremely talented. She knows exactly how to do a slow ballad like this one. Joe Williams with George Shearing version is marvellous but I listen to Shirley for her emotional honesty and sensibility.
Try "Palmer's songs for midnight" and his version of Here's To Life
The first time I heard this song was on a soap opera sung by Lesley Uggams. It haunted me for years and I could never find her version as a recording.
"Here's To Life" is a Masterpiece. Produced and arranged by the brilliant Johnny Mandel.
One of my all time favorite recordings. :-))) Nobody sings this better than Shirley.
+michaelmachine yes indeed Michael, it remains one of the great Jazz vocal albums of the last 40 years, so pleased you recognized this..
+michaelmachine Nobody...this is my favorite song by her... the orchestration is awesome. You will find our simple country folk version of it here on TH-cam my niece Sonia Harrison and my self Bobby Gonzales from Seguin, Texas.
I like Eartha Kitt version too. Both ladies were phenomenal artists.
Agreed! I wish I could have seen her in person. This treasure shows her talent and how much she enjoyed performing -- thanks for posting!
Agree. She's perfect!
Autotune? no thanks, playback? no thanks, dancers behind? no thanks. Just let Shirley sing, she always capture the audience.
Shirley Horn was one of those rare singers who could bring lyrics to life. Here, she emotes ev’ry emotion of the lyrics with her intonation and inflection and pauses. I miss you, Ms. Horn. Here’s to life, here’s to you…wherever you are ❤️
Shirley Horn!!!!!,...and Carmen McRae, Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee, Julie London, Nancy Wilson, Astrud Gilberto, Etta James, Gloria Lynne, Dinah Washington, Esther Phillips, Nina Simone, Marlena Shawn, Betty Carter, Billie Holiday, Blossom Dearie, Anita O'Day.
Some you mentioned can almost equal Shirley, but definitely NOT all! Each for different reasons, but Shirley can top most of them, of those, Ella, Peggy, Nancy, Julie are great, Astrud is, but had few songs, Blossom is unusual unto herself, Sarah on some songs but not all, Etta James had the audience but not the voice unlike Etta Jones, who was clouded by Etta James but was the better singer, forget the rest, except maybe on ONE of their better songs. Anita O'Day has a voice, but DON'T watch her sing, that head-shaking is bad and distractive. A few of these women would have been better off without their drugs! I listened to Eartha Kitt sing this, she doesn't hold a candle to Shirley! Shirley Bassey's version is very nice, but doesn't equal Shirley's. This is, simply, Shirley Horn's song, and was her signature song, with reason!
YES! All of them gone. Isn't there anyone else to step into this "female jazz" spot? 2018 SYLVIA - FL
Now this is a list!!!!! :)
Oh, yes, these are the “Brilliants”.
Thank you for mentioning these awesome and profound women.
It doesn't get better than this.
No words describe the emotions felt. Perfection.
Cynthea Burns there are places in the heart only music can touch.
I miss u grandma. This song was played at her funeral
I would have NEVER thought of this as a funeral song, but, it is a lesson for those left behind, to enjoy life and that's what I'm sure your grandma wanted for you!
I miss her too!!!!
@@MJLeger-yj1ww Goed gezegd / Well said.
How fortunate you were!
OH this song...I was at my neighbor's memorial service last night and this song was on when I started my drive home. Here's to Life, because we never know when our time is up. Enjoy every day.
one of the most heart-rending songs of the unique Shirley Horn
Parents , introduce your children to music of yesterday, they'll be richer for the experience. This song by Shirley Horn and Joe Williams I would like to recommend.
Oh do I second that, Allan C.! Today's children NEED to hear good music like this, NOT what is out there today, which isn't really music, but screaming noise with a beat! Thank you for providing this for us, "Billylovesjazz!"
Always brings tears to my eyes. One of the ALL TIME GREAT Jazz Ballads and Jazz Ballad performances. Flawless and astoundingly beautiful!!!
What a PHENOMENAL artist. I love Shirley Horn!!!
Beyond flawless......................This song still makes me cry................
So beautiful and touching, she's like silk.
Awesome!
I love when a "live" performance is as good as the studio version. Shows what a true artist Shirley Horn was and what a great conductor John Williams was. A true collaboration of great musical talents. Not to mention the fact that this is a terrific song, well written and orchestrated.
In my opinion, best version ever ….. What a grace to being able to watch this …. she owns that song!
This song, "Here's to Life" was Shirley's signature song. BEAUTIFUL!! She is such a super-star, a treasure, and with the Boston Pops -- you can't get much better than this! Extraordinary! As a musician myself, I don't know why I didn't know about her earlier in my life, I guess because I'm West Coast and she was mostly East Coast and the world. She has a voice like NO OTHER! I'm completely infatuated with her! Great musician and gifted talent, that's for certain. "Here's to Life" must be one of the most beautiful songs ever, b/c the lyrics are so up-lifting, and Shirley sings it like no other can! I've never heard this song before, so I listened to others sing it; I'd say it belongs to Shirley! And we understand she was a great lady and beautiful person also.
This Song, Here's To Life, is one of my All Time Favorites. The very first time I heard this song years ago I had to pull off the highway just to listen. I got the pleasure to see Shirley Horn perform at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. Magnificent. I miss her too.
I remember the Women in Jazz series at the KC too.
My new theme song on life !
Classic ....
Thank you Shirley..
My anthem ...
Mine too
Lyrics of this song are SPIRITUAL... performance by Shirley Horn and John Williams orchestra is wonderful
Why I'm crying?
Having worked as a professional musician for twenty plus years, I can honestly say that this is the only song that I've either played or heard that, as soon as the line,/chorus "...And here's to life..." starts, I do indeed start to cry. The power of music, eh!?
Superb, because of the deep beauty in this song and the way she sings it! I wish I could sing this in my sets but I can't, it's just too emotional for me to sing in public! Maybe some day. "May all your storms be weathered, and all that's good get better, here's to life, here's to love, here's to you..." What a great wish for everyone! (And to a love I lost.)
The musicians who played on the recording cried during the playback. You're not alone.
Because you have a heart... and the heart knows
Right!!!!!
November, 2021....washing my face by tears....wow....song for life...
So deep, so meaningful, so touching...
Thank you, darling! ♥️
I saw Shirley many times at the Village Vanguard and she was always spectacular
WOW...how extraordinary...this woman was CLASS...
That french horn solo with the mordant up to high concert G - - gets my every time. Johnny Mandel arrangement. Rockin' arrangement, rockin' players on it. And John Williams conducting!! Bravo to all! Shirley Horn and this song got me through some rough times.
SO GLORIOUS...and her best album...THANKS FOR POSTING, and thank you most of all...Shirley Horn :-)
Brilliant. Classy. Sophisticated, eat ya heart out Beyoncé. Taylor Swift, and Madonna!
Possibly the last REAL DEAL of female jazz singers.
Eric, Shirley was in a class by herself, but don't forget Nancy Wilson is still around...retired I know, but we can always hope she'll give us one more...
AMEN TO THAT!
Touché!
Absolutely beautiful Jonny Mandel’s arrangement for her beautiful voice and deep lylics!
"Here's to Life" a kind of pharmakon, a real balm in her voice that I learned to admire over the years. Shirley Horn and the magnificent song, lyric 'poetry' of stunning simplicity.
Beautifully stated.
been listening to this swan album since the mid 90's....you know something? with each passing year, something happens...or doesn't happen... that places me back in front of shirley as a reminder to hope for the best. here i am once again. thank you Lady.
"may all your storms be weathered and all that's good get better..."
The same with me!
Guinevere Wright Thumbs up for you G!
+btinsley1 thank you....those are my feelings too. I have loved Shirley Horn too since I first heard her in the mid 90a as well 😊
Love this song, so beautiful and each word is perfectly placed and delivered. I could listen to this over and over and never tire of it's beauty.
Ditto the above.
I do love to listen over & over to this song from Shirley Horne.
Fantastic !!
YesI saw this show, as well as other shows towards the end. This was the hardest track to absorb. We were all crying and so was she.
I miss her so much...Such great music that she brought to us here on earth.... A great lady!!!!!
A master singer...she would have felt more comfortable at the piano but still class and taste personified.
Just ...music! I am totally lost in this dream...
So cinematic. A story told, the listener allowed it peer into the life of the singer but for a moment. My absolute favorite song and arrangement, ever!
I love her's . Joe Williams & Mary Wilson's takes on this song
The joy and pain of a life as interpreted by the legendary Ms. Shirley Horn.
flawless..
I love her so much.
The song just seeps in to your soul!
Just listened to Joe Williams doing the same song; 2 wonderful singers putting their own wonderful stylings and voices on a wonderful song.
Superb. Perfection. Brilliance
Wow, my father was a great jazz artist and I thought I heard all the great artist of that generation but never hearing her until a year ago? I'm taken away by her song, "Here's to Life" my favorite all time version of a great song.. We all relate to the words and her Voice just magnifies its beauty!! Wow...
man man man, this song got me through some tough tough times. eyes get watery every time
The pauses at the end of this song adds so much more meaning. Incredible!!!
I'm speechless. What could I say the is worthy of that performance.
This truly is a hidden masterpiece that I feel never got mainstream? I've been around this kind of music my whole life and until last year, never knew this beautiful recording existed. I agree with the others that no one sings this like Shirley, No One. This is my theme song of Life and I listen to it daily....
Ah life!! I received the "best" of everything so far!! I am certain i have not seen the truly "best" that is waiting for me! My three children are the "best" I have experienced in my 81 years!!!
Beautiful song/lyrics sung by Shirley Horn, she sings it effortlessly.
... and believes the words she sings.
Check out this song by Joe Williams. Nobody does it better
Shirley, you are amazing!
Listening in November 2021,
WOW! What a song!
I was very ballsy and very lucky to sit with Ms. Horne when she was having dinner between sets at Jazz Alley in Seattle, back when anybody could sit down without being escorted away. She told me she had been a single mom and stopped singing until start singing until her daughter was grown. And here she was performing on the road, around this time frame. I was also a teacher and single mom and aspiring singer. She was very kind to share with me.
What a marvelous performance wonderful music even better lyrics and Shirley Horn is magnificent in this rendition of this incomparable piece. I have heard other version of this song, but this is the best version I have ever heard of it.
See how she holds the melody? hear the cadence and how it rotates, but only at her command....
Beyond WORDS. One in a row.... SHIRLEY. God bless.
For me, Miss Horns' way of interpreting a song--the way she lets the notes of a song breathe through her if only now through recordings is therapy(dare I say, cure) for my addiction to the expedient pace of humanity especially in America.
I have listened to other renditions of this song, but the only one that inevitably brings tears to my eyes is Shirley Horn's. The quintessence of feeling in singing.
Here's to LIFE!!
... and every JOY it brings.
i just watched Patti LaBelle sing this and i wanted to hear Ms Horn's version Ms.Horn is in a league of her own there's no one that can TOUCH her I've been transported back in time to the days when i was just a little girl reading on the couch while my Daddy listen to his Jazz and had a little smile in his glass smoking his Pall Malls
Seeing this live version was truly outstanding. Thanks so much for posting.
Thanks, Bro Steve for uploading this. Best wishes from Rev.White, Newport News
Il y a de ces chansons qui font du bien...les écouter, dans le calme complet.... et vivre les paroles
Beautiful! I was lucky to see Shirley perform at the Cinegrill at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.
This beautiful song was introduced by Shirley Horn but was sang by Robert Goulet,Barbra Streisand in her Back to \Brooklyn show and Barbara Cook who sings this in all her performances and she sang it today(May 16th,2016) in a Doris Robert tribute..What a beautiful song!!!!Ihaent heard other performances;
At the time she was suffering from a severe form of arthiritis and yet the way she sings this song is simply amazing, Nowawadays no one can write such meaningful lyrics and can perform like SH.
Definitely a good re-creation of the brilliant recording with Horn's Trio and Johnny Mandel's subtle, miraculous arrangements. But Shirley is not really a "stand-up" vocalist. She's best heard on the original recording, the most beautiful ballad album since Coltrane / Johnny Hartman's early '60s album or the many Sinatra /Riddle "concept" albums on Capitol in the '50s.
My understanding is that the original has Shirley playing and singing while the orchestra is playing--not all of the usual "multi-tracking. As a result, the album "Here's to Life" is magic from the first track (this is only the first) to the very last. My favorites are "Return to Paradise" and the Piaf tune, "If You Love Me." One of the most sublime vocal albums in jazz history. Ignore the All Music review. Miles knew the real thing when he heard it, which is why he called Shirley to NYC in the last couple years of his life.
She's a pianist, so it should be her playing piano while singing.
The piano part on the cd for this (and Where Do You Start) isn’t played by Shirley, it is played by Alan Broadbent. The process and the reasons are all in the program notes in the cd.
One night,1960, my date and I dropped into the Brass Rail in Washinton D.C. and there was Shirley sitting at the piano.There were no more than a dozen lucky people in the room. If there was the least chatter in the room she would not play. I sat there mesmerized. Have been a fan ever since. One of the best at interpreting lyrics. Try "Where Do You Start" for looking back on past loves that haunt your memory or "How Do You Keep The Music Playing" in recognizing that person you thought of just as a friend is a love you can't be without.
simply put: BRILLIANT!
I could not agree more with Art Allen. This CD is just gorgeous and her version of ' A time for love' - another Johnny Mandel classic composition and arrangement - is so beautiful.
Peter Smith what's the CD? I must get it!
Perhaps I'm being a touch harsh here, but the 42 people who have clicked on thumbs down for this video should be thrown off a cliff. Alternatively, they could seek medical help.
Here's to you Shirley Horn! Happy Birthday! You are so missed and you were so wonderful!!
wondeful woman, wonderful voice..................
There are artist such as MS. Horne, who work and girt is so superb, it defies discription. When I heard this the first time, I cried for a week!
+James Dill You can't help but cry when you hear her depth and emotion.
One of my all time favorites
All Them Songs Are For My Gay Brother 💔
She emanates a sincere love and care that you can feel when she sings this song. Its like being held close by a loved one. Thank you Ms. Horn for being and sharing yourself through music.
FrankE R perfect description
Absolutely beautiful! I want this song sung at my funeral for my family see how happy I was!!!
My thoughts exactly. More importantly, I pray for, and hope to achieve such zest for life while alive.
I lived in the same community as Shirley Horn and never knew it until my mother told me that she lived around the corner from where we lived I was in shock about that but you see that little area of the world created so many interesting people who are the leaders of today in Washington DC
I have listened to this album and specifically this song many times over the years and if there is a single song that speaks to the ethos that life should be a celebration of existence, this song is it. The lyric are full of so much imagery and evokes memories of both joyful ( “ . . . .as long I’m in the game I want to play ) and possibly not-so-joyful (“ . . . .may all your storms be weathered”) times in one’s life all to the rhythm and tempo of Shirley voice that is beautifully haunting and inspiring in singing about the virtues of living life to the fullest. Shirley sang many tunes but I will always remember her for this one. . . . .
this is the one song I will have at my funeral ! ..it says everything to everyone
Yes, John Williams is such a great conductor....Nice....
What an unbelievably superb piece of music. I love it to bits. Thanks for posting.
This is wonderful! Thank you for posting!
Thank you for sharing this beautiful artist singing a wonderful song, they certainly don't make artist like they did.
I love the way Ms. Horn sang this song, the depth of interpretation that she brought to it and I admire Artie Butler for writing such a wonderful song....
So marvelous that i had goosebumps!!!!Shirley Horn is wonderful,as usual!
Thanks
so beautiful
This video gets 2200 likes while Justin Bieber gets millions!!
Perfection