JAZZ REVIEWS : Shirley Horn Ready for Greatness

Shirley Horn’s performance at the Cinegrill Tuesday night was the work of a singer ready to assume the mantle of reigning jazz diva.

Like Ella Fitzgerald, her up-tempos were brisk and rhythmic. Like Sarah Vaughan, she soared through the upper harmonics of her ballads. And, like Billie Holiday, she brought a yearning intensity to every lyric.

But Horn is not a patchwork artist--a little of this and a little of that. What makes her so special, in fact, is that, while acknowledging the influences of her predecessors, she has carved a uniquely original pathway for herself. Her voice--a warm, sometimes husky, always intimately expressive instrument--is integrated with her piano playing in ways that makes each almost unimaginable without the other.

In songs such as “How Am I to Know,” “For Heaven’s Sake” and “The End of a Beautiful Friendship,” for example, Horn floated above the piano harmonies, suspending time and rhythm to fit the seemingly calm but deceptively passionate flow of her storytelling. When she cranked up the tempo for the middle-grooving “Nice ‘n’ Easy,” she generated a laid-back, undeniable feeling of body-moving swing.

Working with longtime accompanists Charles Ables on bass and Steve Williams on drums, Horn was supported at every unexpected musical twist and turn. To her credit, she encouraged Williams to occasionally work at a surprisingly high level, often using sticks, creating a vigorously effective interplay between his full-blown jazz energies and her inner-focused vocals.

Horn continues at the Cinegrill through Saturday. It’s a rare opportunity to hear a great jazz artist at the very peak of her powers.