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 "Lonely Town" (Leonard Bernstein, Betty Comden, Adolph Green) – 5:30 "Why Did I Choose You" (Michael Leonard, Herbert Martin) – 7:23 "Moment Musical, Op. 16, No. 3 in B minor" (Sergei Rachmaninoff) – 5:36 "In Love in Vain" (Jerome Kern, Leo Rubin) – 5:05 "Ruth's Waltz" (Charlie Haden, Arthur Hamilton) – 4:14 "Scenes from a Silver Screen" (Alan Broadbent) – 6:24 "I'm Gonna Laugh You Right out of My Life" (Cy Coleman, Joseph A. McCarthy) – 6:15 "You My Love" (Jimmy Van Heusen, Mack Gordon) – 4:24 "Prelude en La Mineur" (Maurice Ravel) – 5:14 "The Folks Who Live On the Hill" (Jerome Kern, Oscar Hammerstein II) – 6:56 "Easy on the Heart" (Haden, Hamilton) – 4:54 "Theme for Charlie" (Jeri Southern) – 4:07 "Wayfaring Stranger" (Traditional) – 4:23
Personnel Charlie Haden Quartet West Charlie Haden – bass, lead vocal on "Wayfaring Stranger" Alan Broadbent – piano, arranger, conductor, orchestration Larance Marable – drums Ernie Watts – tenor saxophone
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 Charlie Haden – producer Ruth Cameron – producer Daniel Richard – executive producer Jean-Philippe Allard – executive producer Orrin Keepnews – liner notes Jay Newland – engineer, mastering, mixing, mixing engineer Dann Michael Thompson – engineer, mixing Glen Kolotkin – mastering Maureen Murphy – release coordinator John Newcott – release coordinator Carol Friedman – photography, cover photo Patrice Beausejour – art direction Greg Allen – photography
References