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An Evening with Lena Horne would prove to be the final live outing from Lena Horne, not that she retired after this 1994 Supper Club show (released as a live album the following year). Far from it, she would go on to do a GAP commercial, release another album in 1998, and retire from public life in 1999, before finally passing away in 2010. But here at age 77, and looking roughly twenty years younger than that, Horne is in exceptionally fine form.
Her voice is remarkably strong, and she’s still a lively performer. Her enunciation is still clear, and her phrasing impeccable. She may not be performing with the same energy and strength as in her 1982 Broadway show, but she was a smart enough performer to pick a group of songs that would be deeper and more introspective with her age and voice essaying them to life.
If she had retired, as originally planned, after The Lady and Her Music, Horne’s legacy would have been secured. An Evening with Lena Horne is a glorious extra, a fitting caper to a legendary and luminous career. It’s legacy work done right. It’s also a fitting way to say goodbye to one of the greatest performers of the twentieth century.
She doesn’t perform many of her biggest hits, and her signature song “Stormy Weather” appears to be missing from the set, but it doesn’t matter. Here we get to witness Horne performing a series of jazz standards and showtunes. “Mood Indigo,” “Old Friend,” “Do Nothin’ Till You Hear From Me,” “Yesterday, When I Was Young,” and “We’ll Be Together Again” all standout as immediate highlights. “The Lady Is a Tramp” is always a welcome addition. Between “Tramp” and “I’ve Got the World on a String” Horne proves that she still has a kittenish side behind the grand dame persona of the rest of the set.
Thankfully, An Evening with Lena Horne survives as both an album recording and a DVD. Much like with The Lady and Her Music, she ended up winning two Grammys for the album version, much deservedly I say. An Evening with can also be viewed in YouTube in two parts. This time around, they’re high-quality uploads with perfect picture and audio.
