ProJazz.net

A Beautiful Friendship: Remembering Shirley Horn is the 47th recording (EP) by American jazz vocalist Mark Murphy. It was recorded when Murphy was 80 years old in 2012 and released by the Gearbox label in the United States and the UK in 2013. Mark Murphy celebrates his close friend Shirley Horn with four of her trademark songs reinterpreted in his inimitable style. It’s a warm and sparse sounding session featuring Shirley Horn’s longtime drummer Steve Williams, Betty Carter’s double bassist Curtis Lundy (brother of Carmen), the sensational young New York pianist Alex Minasian and the German trumpet star Till Brönner. This was Mark Murphy’s final recording.

Reception
Bruce Lindsay, writing for All About Jazz, calls the recording a “superb tribute” and finds “Here’s to Life” to be “extraordinarily affecting”.

Jeanie Barton gives the release a positive review in The London Jazz News writing, “This EP is a warming tribute to two influential musicians with personal contributions from all involved…this record perfectly honors their Beautiful Friendship”.

Track listing:
“A Beautiful Friendship” (Donald Kahn, Stanley Styne) – 5:22
“But Beautiful” (Jimmy Van Heusen, Johnny Burke) – 5:20
“Get Out of Town” (Cole Porter) – 4:32
“Here’s to Life” (Artie Butler, Phyllis Molinary) – 4:12

Personnel:
Mark Murphy – vocals
Alex Minasian – piano
Curtis Lundy – bass (tracks 1, 2, 3)
Steve Williams – drums (tracks 1, 2, 3)
Till Brönner – trumpet (tracks 2 and 3)

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Released: June 12, 2013
Recorded: November 2012
Venue Merion Inn, Cape May, New Jersey
Label: Gearbox Records
Producer: Jean-Pierre Leduc, Darrel Sheinman