Jazz
Lena Horne (vocals); Lennie Hayton, Artie Shaw & His Orchestra
Jazz vocalist Lena Horne had a spectacularly varied career as a recording artist, club performer, stage actress, and movie star, but her sultry voice and classy phrasing were at the center of all of her work. LOVE SONGS shows off Horne's formidable skills, and includes superb readings of romantic gems from the Great American Songbook, including "Love Me or Leave Me" and ""The Man I Love," and show-tune selections like "People Will Say We're in Love" (from OKLAHOMA!).
Horne is backed by an orchestra on most of these selections, but the warmth and intimacy of her vocal performances is never overpowered or diminished. The smoothly swinging "Love Me a Little Little," for example, finds Horne working with Artie Shaw and his orchestra, but the singer's butter-smooth intonations glide right over the instrumental swells. In fact, her voice is so compelling that it makes a beeline through the ear and straight to the heart, an effect that serves the collection's intended purpose. |
