Required Listening
Shirley Horn
Born: Washington D.C.
May 1, 1934 โ October 20, 2005
Genre Style: Jazz, Blues
Shirley Horn, who lived from 1934 to 2005, was an acclaimed American jazz singer and pianist celebrated for her smoky contralto voice and her masterful ability to perform exceptionally slow, intimate ballads while accompanying herself on the piano. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., she was a child prodigy who trained classically at Howard University before transitioning to jazz and forming her own trio at age twenty. She rose to national prominence in 1960 after legendary trumpeter Miles Davis discovered her debut album, Embers and Ashes, and adamantly insisted she open for him at New Yorkโs Village Vanguard. Although she recorded with major producers like Quincy Jones, Horn famously chose to step back from heavy touring and industry pressures during the 1960s and 1970s to remain close to home and raise her daughter. She experienced a massive global career renaissance after signing with Verve Records in 1987, ultimately earning a Grammy Award in 1999 for her tribute album, I Remember Miles, and cementing her legacy as one of the ultimate musician's musicians of her generation.๐ Check the sidebar
