A Lazy Afternoon

by Shirley Horn

Overview

One of a series of recordings that helped Shirley Horn relaunch her career after taking time off to raise her daughter, A Lazy Afternoon is a fine studio set with bassist Buster Williams and drummer Billy Hart. An always effective vocalist who provided her own top-notch accompaniment on piano, Horn's almost conversational style of singing works very well whether she is swinging an oldie like "I'm Old Fashioned" or delivering a lush, infectious interpretation of a ballad like "A Lazy Afternoon." In addition to well-known material, she uncovers lost gems like Gordon Jenkins' "New York's My Home" (delivered in a narrative-like style that has a funky flavor) and Peggy Lee's neglected swinging song "Take a Little Time to Smile." The one instrumental is an extended workout of Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Gentle Rain." If there's a weak track on the date, it is Bill Withers' "Gra'ma's Hands," as even her best effort at casting it in a slow blues-gospel arrangement doesn't overcome the repetitious nature of the composition, a frequent problem with adapting Withers' work into a jazz setting. ~ Ken Dryden

Product Details

Release Date:	09/13/1994
Label:	Steeplechase
UPC:	0716043111121
Rank:	7772

Tracks

1. I'm Old Fashioned
2. There's No You
3. New York's My Home
4. Why Did I Choose You?
5. Take a Little Time to Smile
6. A Lazy Afternoon
7. Gentle Rain
8. Gra'ma's Hands
9. I'll Go My Way by Myself

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Shirley Horn   Primary Artist,Vocals,Piano
Buster Williams   Bass
Billy Hart   Drums

Technical Credits

John Latouche   Composer
Per Grunnet   Design
Richie Goines   Photography
Herbert Martin   Composer
Gordon Jenkins   Composer
Tom Adair   Composer
Jerome Moross   Composer
Antonio Carlos Jobim   Composer
Hal Hopper   Composer
Arthur Schwartz   Composer
Dave Barbour   Composer
Michael Leonard   Composer
Nils Winther   Producer
Howard Dietz   Composer
Peggy Lee   Composer
Johnny Mercer   Composer
Freddy Hansson   Mixing
Elvin Campbell   Engineer
Chris Sheridan   Liner Notes
Bill Withers   Composer
Jerome Kern   Composer