musical experiencesThe Music Never Ends
- Come a little Closer/Wild is the Wind
- Where Do You Start?
- Summer (Estate)
some singers touch a vulnerable and tender part of your heart so easily you think they perhaps had a private window to your joys and sorrows. I cann't say when I first heard the light twinkling and deep heartfelt sultry voice; perhaps it was around 2000 just after i left J.R.. Sitting around sulking over my decision with a friend, he had a tape with him that we put into my player; I think it was 'I Thought About You: Live At Vine St" and I was lost to Horn forevever. Now maybe that wasn't exactly how it happend, i'm not sure, cause some how I remember haveing 'Light Out Of Darkness (A Tribute To Ray Charles)' well before L.J. and I had hung out. I first heard 'Where Do You Start' from Michael Feinstein's 'Isn't It Romantic 1988 Elektra Recordswhich was well before my heartache; but the song stuck to me along with a few others he had on that disc, like, 'I wanna be Loved, or Wasn't it Romantic or I can dream, can't I?/I'll be seeing you.' But Shirley's version totally scored me over, being both harsh and sweet, painful and matter-of-fact that hush'd style of hers. this is possible, since i think i first heard Horn on a quiet nites in 1973 wit Patty; we use to listen to Ms Horn, Wayne Shorter, Mongo Santamaria, and Miltion Nascimento late into the night. The music gave us great peace and joy, but I was a young man in 1973 and several of the artist that P.S. and I listened together never affected me as much until I listened to them alone, long after my affair with P.S.; I think Ms Horn was one such artist. surely you have the experience of hearing again anew; I must have listened to Miles Davis's 'Big Fun'at least once every day back in 1974, but I never heard it as significantly as I do now in 2005; the same is true for 'Great Expectations' the novel--the story has rang more true to me now than it ever did when I first read the novel in 1960. Some where in the early 90's, i must have picked up 'Shirley Horn with Strings Here's to Life' more than likely cause I was interested in her version of 'Wild is the Wind'; at the time I hadn't heard even Nina Simone's version, but only David Bowie's cover. I had fallen in love with the song because of Bowie and so I picked up anybody else who did it out wonder and curiosity. Somehow the heart ache of leaving J.R. reintroduced me to the soft stylings of Ms Horn's singing--and I am forever grateful for at least that experience. At first I probably only wanted to hear soft music that wouldn't jar me out of my heartache; but Ms Horn, not only touched my heartache she healed it as well. I grew stronger and more resolved to quit crying and doubting myself the more I listened to her. Her voice reassured me in ways I can not fully explain here. I realized my heartache was as old as old itself, and that many a women and men had lived on after similar experiences.
