Jazz pianist and singer Shirley Horn, who died last week, was a woman of style. That’s not to say that she was a fashion icon. She was not. But style is about more than fashion. Horn’s originality came in her minimalist, slow approach to song. Listening to her recordings is a reminder that there is a certain grace in doing things with deliberate care – and a power in having a style of your own, rather than following the mode of the moment.

I first heard Horn’s voice while riding in a taxicab in Washington D.C., where Horn grew up and where she gave most of her later performances. The song I heard was “Peel Me a Grape.” Between the clever lyrics (“Never outthink me, just mink me.”) and her transfixing voice, I was hooked.

I bought her album “The Main Ingredient,” listened obsessively, and poured over the liner notes. What I learned was that Horn had a voice that gripped your ears (and heart), but it came only partly from God-given vocal cords. Her voice seemed to be an extension of her cool, welcoming personality. In the liner notes, she wrote that the album was recorded in her home. She undertook the project because she wanted to re-create a certain atmosphere: “I remember many years ago, coming home from the gig, the guys always used to come to my house afterward. I always had something to eat, because I was the only one who was married, there was always a pot of something on the stove. We would have some booze and some food and we’d just play and … be like family, you know? I wanted that again.”

The musicians had quotes in the notes, too, and many of them mentioned Horn’s ability to create a relaxed, family mood. They were there out of respect for her music, but also out of love and, it seemed to me, to enjoy the glow of her personality (not to mention the tastiness of the beef-and-beer).

The album and notes created the sense that Horn was an individual. And it didn’t take much more listening to understand this. While other singers would do vocal back-flips to give a standard some flair, Horn would slow it all down. And that style is what elevated her beyond the others. Her patient tempo and distinctive voice caught the attention of Miles Davis, who became a champion of her work. Though Horn could have had a globetrotting career, she kept her focus near her family, friends, and the region that was her home. In her musical choices, she stayed true to herself and her style.

Modern life is about moving fast, and it’s not easy to warm to the notion of slowness. But to really listen to a Horn tune, you have to settle in and explore those rounded, crafted notes. Her voice and her personality were riveting, and as a result, she commanded attention. Gracefully.