Marion Chrétien Raconte Shirley Horn

| The queen of silence

Pianist and jazz singer Shirley Horn excels in creating a soft and sensitive atmosphere where silence is an integral part of the improvisations. Miles Davis was not mistaken when he invited her to the Village Vanguard in New York in 1960, thus launching the career of a unique artist.

"Shirley Horn is a singing magician, in my opinion the greatest of all vocalists currently active, one of the most admirable that jazz has known so far," said Alain Gerber. Like Billie Holiday, she prefers to improvise on the lyrics themselves, almost without using scat. But this does not in any way detract from her inventiveness. She excels in creating an atmosphere in perfect harmony with the subject being addressed; none of her choices are arbitrary. The role she gives to silence, an integral part of the statement, gives her improvisations within the melody even greater strength.