A Beautiful Friendship: Remembering Shirley Horn cover

A Beautiful Friendship: Remembering Shirley Horn

Mark Murphy · 2013

19 min · 4 tracks · jazz

A lush tribute blending smooth vocals with rich, intimate arrangements that celebrate the legacy of Shirley Horn.

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Top tracks — play these first

  • →
    A Beautiful Friendship — The title track encapsulates the album's theme, featuring heartfelt lyrics and a warm vocal delivery that honors Horn's legacy while showcasing Murphy's interpretive skills.
  • →
    But Beautiful — This song highlights Murphy's ability to convey emotion through subtle phrasing, bringing new life to a classic standard associated with Horn.
  • →
    Here’s to Life — This track serves as a celebration of resilience and joy, perfectly embodying the spirit of both Horn and Murphy with its uplifting lyrics and vibrant arrangement.

Elevation

Our rating, out of 100 — and why.

AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.

59 /100
Treeline
Higher than 57% of albums we've rated

The album effectively blends intimate arrangements with smooth vocals, honoring Shirley Horn's legacy while showcasing Murphy's artistry.

What we noticed

  • The first track features a slow, sultry tempo with a focus on Murphy's vocal delivery, while the subsequent tracks introduce more varied arrangements and instrumentation.
  • Each song is arranged to highlight both the vocals and the accompanying instruments, creating a rich, layered sound throughout.
Composition 25% of the score
7/10

the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics

Craft 20% of the score
8/10

production, performance, arrangement

Durability 25% of the score
6/10

whether it rewards returning to it

Distinctiveness 18% of the score
6/10

whether it sounds like itself

Sequencing 12% of the score
7/10

running order, pacing, length

Influence 3/10

Known within its scene. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.

Tracklist

Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.

  • 1 A Beautiful Friendship 5:22
  • 2 But Beautiful 5:20
  • 3 Get out of Town 4:32
  • 4 Here’s to Life 4:12

What to play next

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Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata