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| Marlena Shaw |
| WHO IS THIS BITCH ANYWAY? Not only the title of one of her most famous albums, but a real statement that sums up Marlena Shaw. She's known as a jazz artist, but some only knew her as a disco artist, while others yet think of her in an R&B mode. So who is Marlena Shaw? Well.....she is all of these. Ask Marlena and she'll flat out tell you she's a jazz artist, yet there's no denying her R&B sides and her disco undertakings.
Born Marlina Burgess on September 22, 1942 in New Rochelle, New York. She got her love of music and jazz in particular from her uncle. After her uncle, Jimmy Burgess, introduced her to the recordings of Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis, she caught the jazz bug, and purchased records by Al Hibbler, a vocalist who had a big influence on her singing style. When she was ten she performed at Harlem's Apollo Theater, and despite the enthusiastic reception she received in front of one of the world's toughest audiences, her mother refused to let her go on the road with her uncle, a trumpet player. Shaw began attending the State Teachers' College in Potsdam, N.Y. but later dropped out. For a time in 1963 she worked around New England with a trio led by Howard McGhee. By the mid-1960's she was performing regularly for audiences in the Catskills, Playboy clubs and other New York area clubs. She was discovered by Chess Records in 1966 while singing on the Playboy lounge circuit. On Chess' Cadet subsidiary, under the aegis of producer Richard Evans, she performed vocal counterparts of jazz hits such as "Mercy Mercy Mercy" (number 33 R&B, number 58 pop) by Cannonball Adderley and "Wade In The Water" by Ramsey Lewis Trio. Chess released two albums and a series of singles before Shaw left the company in 1968. Through her accountant, she was brought to the attention of bandleader Count Basie, and she ended up singing with the Basie band for four years. In 1972, after leaving the Basie Orchestra, Shaw was the first female vocalist signed to Blue Note Records, and she toured for a while with the late Sammy Davis, Jr. Shaw recorded five albums and several singles for Blue Note, and critics likened her singing style to Dinah Washington and Sarah Vaughan. By 1977 Shaw was ready for a move. The move was two-fold, first to a new label, Columbia Records, and secondly to the more profitable pop and R&B arena. Her first offering was "Sweet Beginnings." It produced the out-of-the-box smash "Yu-Ma/Go Away Little Boy" which has since become her trademark song. The Bert DeCoteaux produced album had it's disco leanings also. The title track was very danceable but it was the song "Pictures And Memories" that was very well received as a club hit. In fact had a 12" been issued on it the song would have attained cult classic status. It remains one of my top 100 all-time favorite disco tracks. A second album followed in 1978, "Acting Up" which was finely crafted and well produced and contained the hit single "Don't Ask To Stay Until Tomorrow." The song was the theme from the blockbuster movie "Looking For Mr. Goodbar." By 1979 Marlena was feeling the pressure from Columbia Records for another hit. Columbia has always been a hit-singles driven company unlike Blue Note or Verve which are more repertoire and artist driven. Disco was in full swing, and to many, Marlena sold-out by jumping on the disco band wagon. Ironically this, her most successful album for Columbia, would be her last for them. "Take A Bite" or the actual cover title "music is a feast...so sit at my table and....Take A Bite" was a triumphant smash. Marlena, who has always done things first-rate, decided that if she was to do disco then she wanted the best. Producers Meco Monardo, Tony Bongiovi and Harold Wheeler were brought in to assist her. Mixing was by John Luongo and Michael Barbiero. Backgrounds were by Lani Groves, Diva Gray, Gordon Grody, Jimmy Maelen and John Luongo. The centerpiece of the album was the 18+ minute medley that produced two 12" single remixes from the album. The first single was a stunning cover of the Diana Ross hit "Touch Me In The Morning" which became an instant hit and a highly sought after collector's item. The second single, which was released commercially, "Love Dancin' " charted higher and propelled the album to Gold status. As the new decade began Marlena, now lableless, toured the world doing club dates and jazz festivals. Disco, having gone back underground, was now termed Dance music. In 1982 a small independent West Coast label contacted Marlena and she was persuaded to record one album for them. "Let Me In Your Life" was released after her disco-phase and before her return to jazz. The album was an all-out R&B fest that did produce one 12" single "Never Give Up On You." The album and 12" went out of print when South Bay Records closed it's doors in 1983. Her disco presence was strong enough for her inclusion in an all-star medley on The Boystown Gang's 1984 album "And A Cast Of Thousands." Marlena and several other disco superstars re-recorded their hit(s) in "The Dance Trance Medley." Once again Marlena was heard on dancefloors from coast to coast. Like the prodigal child returning home, Marlena came back to her real love, jazz, in the mid 1980's. Two albums followed on the legendary Verve label, both to very favorable reviews. Followed by a move to the Concorde Jazz label in the 1990's she released two more highly successful albums to rave reviews. In 1999 CBS/Sony released "Go Away Little Boy: The Sass & Soul Of Marlena Shaw" which finally featured both of her classic Columbia 12" singles on compact disc. And a 2000 "Anthology" featured samples from her early Cadet jazz and Columbia R&B recordings. Looking and sounding better than ever in the new millenium, Shaw continues to dazzle audiences with her intoxicating blend of straight ahead jazz, soul, pop and classic R&B, but her recordings will also satisfy fans of traditional jazz who have no prejudices about blues and R&B. Our hats off to the bitch who is bad! |
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