Shirley Horn was born and raised in Washington, D.C.. Encouraged by her grandmother, an amateur organist, Horn began piano lessons at the age of four. Aged 12, she studied piano and composition at Howard University, later graduating from there in classical music. Horn was offered a place at the Juilliard School, but her family could not afford to send her there. Horn formed her first jazz piano trio when she was 20. Horn's early piano influences were Erroll Garner, Oscar Peterson and Ahmad Jamal, and moving away from her classical background, Horn later said that "Oscar Peterson became my Rachmaninov, and Ahmad Jamal became my Debussy." She then became enamored with the famous U Street jazz area of Washington (largely destroyed in the 1968 riots), sneaking into jazz clubs before she was of legal age.
Horn first achieved fame in 1960, through her association with Miles Davis. Davis' praise had particular resonance in two respects: because he was so highly respected as a musician, and because he rarely offered public praise for fellow musicians at that time. Horn had, though, recorded several songs with violinist Stuff Smith in 1959 both as a pianist and a singer. After her discovery by Davis, she recorded albums on different small labels in the early 1960s, eventually landing contracts with larger labels Mercury Records and Impulse Records. She was popular with jazz critics, but did not achieve significant popular success.
Quincy Jones attempted to make Horn into a pure vocalist in several recording sessions, something he later hinted may have been a mistake. Horn was also disturbed by the changes in popular music in the 1960s following the arrival of The Beatles. Largely rejecting efforts to remake her into a popular singer, she stated: "I will not stoop to conquer."[4] From the late-1960s, she concentrated on raising her daughter Rainy with her husband, Shepherd Deering (whom she had married in 1955), and largely limited her performances to her native Washington, D.C.
Miles Davis made a rare appearance as a sideman on Horn's 1991 album You Won't Forget Me. Although she preferred to perform in small settings, such as her trio, she also recorded with orchestras, as on the 1992 album Here's to Life, the title song (lyrics by Phyllis Molinary, music by Artie Butler) of which became her signature song. A video documentary of Horn's life and music was released at the same time as "Here's To Life" and shared its title. At the time, arranger Johnny Mandel commented that Horn's piano skill was comparable to that of the noted jazz great Bill Evans. A follow-up was made in 2001, named You're My Thrill.
Horn worked with the same rhythm section for 25 years: Charles Ables (bass) and Steve Williams (drums). Don Heckman wrote in the Los Angeles Times (February 2, 1995) about "the importance of bassist Charles Ables and drummer Steve Williams to Horn's sound. Working with boundless subtlety, following her every spontaneous twist and turn, they were the ideal accompanists for a performer who clearly will tolerate nothing less than perfection".
Her albums Here's to Life, Light Out of Darkness (A Tribute to Ray Charles) and I Love You, Paris all reached number one on the Billboard jazz charts.
Due to health problems in the early 2000s, Horn had to cut back on her performances. After 2002, a foot amputation (from complications of diabetes) led her to leave the piano playing to pianist George Mesterhazy. In late 2004, Horn felt able to play piano again, and recorded a live album for Verve, at Manhattan's Au Bar with trumpet player Roy Hargrove, which did not satisfy her.[citation needed] It remains unreleased except for tracks on But Beautiful - The Best of Shirley Horn.
A breast cancer survivor, she had been battling diabetes when she died of complications from the condition, aged 71. She is interred at Ft. Lincoln Cemetery in Washington, D.C.
Horn was nominated for nine Grammy Awards during her career, winning the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Performance at the 41st Grammy Awards for I Remember Miles, a tribute to her friend and mentor (the album's cover featuring a Miles Davis drawing of them both).
She was officially recognized by the 109th US Congress for "her many achievements and contributions to the world of jazz and American culture", and performed at The White House for several U.S. presidents. Horn was awarded an honorary Doctor of Music degree from the Berklee College of Music in 2002.
She was awarded the National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters Award in 2005 (the highest honors that the United States bestows upon jazz musicians).
I Didn't Know What Time It Was
Shirley Horn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Danced with Jim and Paul and kissed some other chaps
Once I was young, but never was naive
I thought I had a trick or two up my imaginary sleeve
And now I know I was naive
I didn't know what time it was
Then I met you
How sublime it was too!
I didn't know what day it was
Then you held my hand
Warm like the month of May it was
And I'll say it was grand
Grand to be alive, to be young
To be mad, to be yours alone
Grand to see your face, feel your touch
Hear your voice say I'm all your own
I didn't know what year it was
Life was no prize
I wanted love and here it was
Shining out of your eyes
Once I was old, twenty years or so
Rather well preserved, the wrinkles didn't show
Once I was old, but not too old for fun
I used to hunt for little girls up my imaginary gun
But now I ain't for only one
I'm wise and I know what time it is now
I'm wise and I know what time it is now
I'm so wise and I know what time it is now
In Shirley Horn's song "I Didn't Know What Time It Was," the lyrics take us on a journey through the various stages of life, starting from youth to maturity. The first few lines of the song depict a young and carefree Shirley Horn who is enjoying her time dancing, kissing and believing she knows it all. However, a chance encounter with a romantic partner changes everything, knocking her off her pedestal of naivety.
Horn sings "I didn't know what time it was, Then I met you, Oh, what a lovely time it was, How sublime it was too!" These lines signify a turning point in the song where the character realizes that she was lost before her partner came into her life, discovering love in a way that she had never thought possible. Every moment with her partner is described as grand, and she feels happy and grateful to be alive.
As the song progresses, the character tries to capture these moments and reminisce about them, thinking about the warmth that her partner provided, and how his love changed everything she believed about life. She underwent an evolution, moving from a place of naivety and fluidity to a space of wisdom and knowledge about love and life.
Overall, the song is an ode to love, growth, and maturity, where the character comes to find happiness and joy in the simple pleasures of love, and views their partner as an anchor in their life.
Line by Line Meaning
Once I was young, yesterday, perhaps
In the past, I was young and carefree.
Danced with Jim and Paul and kissed some other chaps
I enjoyed social activities and was interested in multiple partners.
Once I was young, but never was naive
I was never ignorant despite being youthful.
I thought I had a trick or two up my imaginary sleeve
I believed I was smart enough to handle any situation.
And now I know I was naive
But now I realize I was foolish to consider myself wise.
I didn't know what time it was
I had no sense of direction or purpose.
Then I met you
Until I met you and everything changed.
Oh, what a lovely time it was
It was a beautiful and memorable experience.
How sublime it was too!
It was so incredible that it transcended normal experiences.
I didn't know what day it was
I was living without direction or focus.
Then you held my hand
But you took me by the hand and helped me find my way.
Warm like the month of May it was
Your care and affection brought joy and happiness like the start of spring.
And I'll say it was grand
It was a moment of pure joy and satisfaction.
Grand to be alive, to be young
Being alive and young is a great gift.
To be mad, to be yours alone
Being passionate and devoted to you is all I want.
Grand to see your face, feel your touch
The sight of your face and your touch give me comfort and happiness.
Hear your voice say I'm all your own
Hearing you say that I belong to you is a source of happiness.
I didn't know what year it was
I was lost in my own world without a sense of time or direction.
Life was no prize
Life was not rewarding or fulfilling.
I wanted love and here it was
But then I found love with you and realized that what I wanted was right in front of me all along.
Shining out of your eyes
Your love and passion are evident in your eyes.
Once I was old, twenty years or so
Years have passed and I am older now.
Rather well preserved, the wrinkles didn't show
Despite my age, I have taken good care of myself and do not show many signs of aging.
Once I was old, but not too old for fun
I may be older but I still enjoy having fun.
I used to hunt for little girls up my imaginary gun
I used to chase after young women, but it was all in my head.
But now I ain't for only one
But now, I am devoted to only one person.
I'm wise and I know what time it is now
I have gained wisdom and understand my place in life.
I'm so wise and I know what time it is now
I have become even wiser and have a greater understanding of life.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ezekielhenderson8305
The legendary Shirley Horn singing and playing. This ish really swings.
@ezekielhenderson8305
Sublime.
@HFritzson
Beautiful. No surprise here.
@MalONProject
Thank you so much @HFritzson !!
@felixarrufat323
Si