The tribute to singer and pianist Shirley Horn at the Kennedy Center's Eisenhower Theater on Saturday night was packed with heartfelt and occasionally inspired performances. Only one, however, qualified as unforgettable: the honoree's.
It came near the end of the concert when the 70-year-old jazz artist, who has had severe health problems in the last few years, lifted herself out of a wheelchair, sat down at a grand piano and performed "Here's to Life" with bassist Ed Howard and drummer Steve Williams. The lyric ("as long as I'm in the game I want to play") couldn't have seemed more apt or touching, and when Horn capped the song by pointing to beyond the footlights and adding a personal note of thanks ("Here's to you"), the crowd erupted with cheers.
Horn confessed that she wasn't familiar with all the musicians on the bill, but they were clearly familiar with her. At times, in fact, they seemed acutely aware that she was in the house, especially when one of them was slowly unfurling a romantic melody or quietly interpreting a timeless pop lyric.
The vocalists were a diverse and impressive lot: Newcomer Lizz Wright, seasoned baritone Kevin Mahogany and the great jazz veteran Sheila Jordan, whose custom-tailored arrangement of "The Very Thought of You" simultaneously revealed her bop roots, eternally youthful spirit and great affection for Horn.
Like the singers, the other headliners performed pieces that Horn has recorded over the years. Bassist John Clayton, the evening's musical director, helped set the frequently moody tone when he and his son, pianist Gerald Clayton, intimately collaborated on "Only the Lonely." Trumpeter Jeremy Pelt's rendition of "You Won't Forget Me" soulfully evoked Horn's friendship with Miles Davis, just as vibraphonist Stefon Harris's rendition of "A Time for Love" elegantly underscored her ties to composer-arranger Johnny Mandel. Violinist Regina Carter's performance of "Too Late Now" was tart and swinging, and pianist Kenny Barron seemed in thrall to Horn's sensitive touch when he began playing a gorgeous arrangement of "Beautiful Love."
Tenor saxophonist Buck Hill, one of Horn's early supporters, chose "A Beautiful Friendship" as his tribute, and he sounded thoroughly rejuvenated while zipping through the chord changes. Horn also heard from another old pal, Quincy Jones. He sent along a congratulatory note to his "beloved baby sister," which was read aloud. In it, Jones recalled when he and Miles Davis first fell in love with Horn's sublime and "unique sound."
The salute ended with nearly all the artists assembled onstage, performing an unfocused and unevenly amplified version of "Mack the Knife." Then again, following Horn's moving recital, almost anything would have seemed anticlimactic. The salute was taped by NPR for an airing on New Year's Eve.
