Here's to Life

Here's to Life
Here's to Life
Studio album by Shirley Horn
Released	1992
Recorded	September 1991
Genre	Vocal jazz
Label	Verve
Producer	Johnny Mandel
Shirley Horn chronology

Here's to Life is a 1992 studio album by Shirley Horn, arranged by Johnny Mandel (also the composer of three of the songs on the album), who received a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocal(s)^[3] on this album.

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	^[1]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings	^[2]

The title track "Here's to Life" became Horn's signature song. The music was written by Artie Butler and the poignant lyrics were written by Phyllis Molinary. The lyric is known, world-wide, as one of her finest works and the song is considered a "modern day jazz standard."^[4]

"If You Love Me" is her interpretation of the passionate "Hymne à l'amour", made famous by Edith Piaf.

"Summer" is the first English version of the Italian standard "Estate". Horn ordered English lyrics after hearing Joao Gilberto's version, which spread the song's worldwide fame.

Track listing edit

"Here's to Life" (Artie Butler, Phyllis Molinary) – 5:37
"Come a Little Closer"/"Wild Is the Wind" (John Wallowitch)/(Dimitri Tiomkin, Ned Washington) – 7:27
"How Am I to Know?" (Jack King, Dorothy Parker) – 3:23
"A Time for Love" (Johnny Mandel, Paul Francis Webster) – 6:45
"Where Do You Start?" (Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman, Johnny Mandel) – 4:36
"You're Nearer" (Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers) – 3:32
"Return to Paradise" (Tiomkin, Washington) – 5:09
"Isn't It a Pity?" (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin) – 5:47
"Quietly There" (Morgan Ames, Johnny Mandel) – 6:09
"If You Love Me" (Marguerite Monnot, Geoff Parsons) – 6:02
"Summer (Estaté)" (Bruno Brighetti, Bruno Martino, Joel E. Siegel) – 7:38

Personnel edit

Shirley Horn – vocals, piano
Charles Ables – bass
Steve Williams - drums
Johnny Mandel - arranger, conductor
Wynton Marsalis - trumpet (tracks 4 & 9)
Richard Todd, French horn, (track 1)

References edit

^ Allmusic review
^ Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 726. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.
^ "Winners. 35th Annual GRAMMY Awards (1992)".
^ Eli Zeger, "Here’s to Life — ‘a meditation for those entering their later years’", Financial Times, September 18, 2018.

[1] Allmusic review

[Penguin-2] Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 726. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.

[3] "Winners. 35th Annual GRAMMY Awards (1992)".

[4] Eli Zeger, "Here’s to Life — ‘a meditation for those entering their later years’", Financial Times, September 18, 2018.

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