Charlie Haden Quartet West’s The Art Of The Song was released in 1999 on Verve France. It was the Quartet’s sixth album and the first to feature contemporary vocalists. Pianist Alan Broadbent’s orchestral arrangement for their version of the song “Lonely Town” won a Grammy award.
“The Folks Who Live On The Hill” was written by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II for the 1937 Irene Dunn/Randolph Scott western musical film High, Wide and Handsome. I haven’t seen it, but it’s apparently about a group of poor farmers who battle corporate railroad barons for access to oil discovered on the farmers’ land.
The Art Of The Song version was sung by Shirley Horn. I found this instrumental mix on a CD-R in my father’s collection. It’s dated 23 February 1999. Solid, Jackson.
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Charlie Haden Quartet West
“The Folks Who Live On The Hill” (Instrumental mix, 1999)
from The Art Of The Song (1999, Verve France)
Charlie Haden - bass
Ernie Watts - saxophone
Alan Broadbent - piano
Larance Marable - drums
Orchestra conducted by Murray Adler
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