“Songs at the piano” is one thing, but to sing and play piano brilliantly and simultaneously is quite something else. That’s what Shirley Horn did. Born in 1934, she died in 2005 and was largely unknown until her late 40s. She was justly celebrated for her hypnotically slow and intimate ballad performances, but was formidable at any tempo. This 1988 live set, released for the first time, contains six typically subtle examples of her interplay between voice and piano, including a gloriously expansive version of the ballad, Lover Man. There are also two instrumentals, which reveal her power as a jazz soloist and her famous rapport with bassist Charles Ables and drummer Steve Williams.
