Customer Reviews

I Love You, Paris

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"I Love You, Paris" rewards the listener in almost every cut and in every way. The songs are (save one) keepers. Shirley's rhythm inventive, her piano inspired, and most importantly, her vocals more quiet, yet more intense than I've heard before.

Shirley's in her warmest, most welcoming voice here, kicking things off with a playful "Wouldn't It Be Loverly?" Her performance and the song itself bring to mind all the reasons we love to love and it sets a tone that tells you from the beginning, 'this album transcends'. "Do It Again" echoes "Loverly's" playfulness but at Shirley's slow, ballad pace. "He Was Too Good To Me" is another of her warm, subtle, melancholy reads.

But where Shirley transcends (and where she requires the most from her listener) is her medley "I Loves You Porgy/Here Comes De Honey Man". I've never heard her deliver a quieter, more haunting performance. The piano is priceless, but her vocal delivery is the star. It's so full of the longing and fear that are this song, to hear it is to hear genius.

The album would get the whole five stars if it weren't for the bloated arrangement of Leon Russell's "A Song For You". And really, once you hear 'Porgy/Hone Man' you'll never get past it on the album anyway.

I discovered the music of Shirley Horn in 1997 while listening to a jazz station on some rainy Sunday afternoon. Since then, I've been a fan and ardent admirer of her craft. "I Love You, Paris" was the first CD of hers that I purchased, so it will always have a special place not only in my collection, but in my memories. The songs here are wonderful; there is something for everyone who loves great jazz vocals. I personally enjoy all of the selections, but really dig "Old Country," "It's Easy to Remember," "L.A. Breakdown," "I Loves You Porgy," and "That Old Devil Called Love." Great, great stuff--the kind of music that sticks to you 'til the end--meaningful, evocative, romantic, passionate. Enjoy.

This CD gets better with age, just like Shirley Horn. She spans the map here, from upbeat to heartbreak, and shines the whole way through. I Loves You Porgy is pure artistry--just remarkably beautiful. If you are looking for a meaningful introduction to Ms. Horn's work, this will do it.

If you enjoy listening to Shirley you will enjoy this CD. She is one of the most evocative, musically gifted singers ever. Just discovered her work last year and can't stop listening to her. She's great!

This is the album that introduced me to Shirley Horn. I grew up listening to jazz but I've never been a hard core fan. I was familiar with the "masters": Miles, Sarah, Dinah, Ella, Coltrane, etc., but it hasn't been until recently that I've explored jazz more deeply as a listener. Part of this personal renaissance was my purchase of "I Love You Paris." I heard one of the cuts on the radio, and I was hooked. Horn's voice is like a banked fire - it can sneak up on you and burn you. But there's a husky mellowness to her alto as well. And she's such a good pianist -- not in the Jacky Terrason or Marcus Roberts sense (they're almost show-offs they're so good) -- her piano playing fits the mood of the song. It's like an undercurrent to what she emotes vocally. Faves: "LA Breakdown," "Do It Again" (that song is SO sexy), and the money cuts - her two medleys of "I Love You Porgy/Here Comes Da Honey Man" and "A Song for You/Goodbye." Both of those are showstoppers, and I could tell from the audience reaction that they felt the same way. She seams one song into the other so deftly, and you can feel her heart breaking as she sings them. It's actually shocking to me that Shirley Horn isn't a bigger name stateside (outside of jazz circles, anyway). Once I get some more dough, I look forward to expanding my Shirley Horn CD collection. But if you're new to her, you can't go wrong with "I Love You Paris." If you're already a fan, you have no excuse not to buy it.

Always touching, always great in her voice-piano with a bass & drums support which certainly knows the next long bar, the next long note. She's perfectly perfect in her time and space exploration in a Debussy way, be it live from a big theater, be it live from a nightclub or from the studios. Someone's already said but ... I also love you, Ms.Horn.