The Art of the Song


The Art of the Song is an album by jazz bassist Charlie Haden and his Quartet West, released in 1999. It reached number ten on the Billboard Top Jazz Albums chart.
Quartet West was formed in 1986. Their repertoire consisted mainly of music from the 1930s and 1940s, often music associated with films of that period.
Guest vocalists Bill Henderson and Shirley Horn each perform four songs.
The orchestral accompaniment written for Shirley Horn of Leonard Bernstein's "Lonely Town", won Alan Broadbent a Grammy Award.

Reception

John Sharpe in All About Jazz wrote that "The Art of the Song is an evocative collection of sombre ballads, immaculately performed". Richard S. Ginell of AllMusic wrote, "Frankly, this sounds like the work of a weary musician."

Track listing

  1. "Lonely Town" – 5:30
  2. "Why Did I Choose You" – 7:23
  3. "Moment Musical, Op. 16, No. 3 in B minor" – 5:36
  4. "In Love in Vain" – 5:05
  5. "Ruth's Waltz" – 4:14
  6. "Scenes from a Silver Screen" – 6:24
  7. "I'm Gonna Laugh You Right out of My Life" – 6:15
  8. "You My Love" – 4:24
  9. "Prelude en La Mineur" – 5:14
  10. "The Folks Who Live On the Hill" – 6:56
  11. "Easy on the Heart" – 4:54
  12. "Theme for Charlie" – 4:07
  13. "Wayfaring Stranger" – 4:23

Personnel

Charlie Haden Quartet West
Guest musicians
  • Murray Adler – violin, conductor, concertmaster, orchestra contractor
  • Bill Henderson – vocals on "Why Did I Choose You", "Ruth's Waltz", "You My Love", "Easy on the Heart"
  • Shirley Horn – vocals on "Lonely Town", "In Love in Vain", "I'm Gonna Laugh You Right Out of My Life", "The Folks Who Live on the Hill"
Orchestra
  • Ezra Kliger – violin
  • Gina Kronstadt – violin
  • Don Palmer – violin
  • Robert Peterson – violin
  • Kathleen Robinson – violin
  • Robert Sanov – violin
  • Harry Shirinian – violin
  • Paul Shure – violin
  • Rachel Sokolow – violin
  • Marcy Vaj – violin
  • Francine Walsh – violin
  • Tibor Zelig – violin
  • Charlie Bisharat – violin
  • Robert Brosseau – violin
  • Bobby Bruce – violin
  • Israel Baker – violin
  • Russ Cantor – violin
  • Suzanna Giordono – viola
  • Steve Gordon – viola
  • Paolo Gozzetti – viola
  • Mimi Granat – viola
  • Carol Mukagawa – viola
  • Earl Madison – cello
  • Ray Kelley – cello
  • Suzie Katayama – cello
  • Jerry Kessler – cello
  • Larry Corbett – cello
  • Adrian Rosen – bass
  • Dennis Michael Trembly – bass
Production