Marlena Shaw: Out of Different Bags / Spice of Life (1967-69) ... plus

This amazing set contains two of the best Marlena Shaw albums packaged together, with 10 extra bonus tracks. All the material here was recorded during Marlena's years at Cadet Records, when she was turning out some of the hippest soul of the late ‘60s. Marlena's roots were in jazz, and she sings these songs in a sophisticated style that pushes way past many of her chart-bound contemporaries. Being her first-ever album, Out of Different Bags (1967) is a mix of jazzy vocal numbers and heavier soul tunes arranged by Richard Evans with a hiply swinging sound that bridges modes nicely. The tunes are a real mix of material, but all transformed in a way where standout session tunes like ‘Ahmad's Blues’, ‘I've Gotten Over You’, and ‘Nothing But Tears’ sit very perfectly well next to more familiar numbers like ‘Matchmaker, Matchmaker’, ‘Alone Together’, and ‘The Eyes of Love’. Even better is her second release, Spice of Life (1969), an undercurrent of politics, feminism, and social commentary delivered with surprising intensity. Marlena Shaw shines throughout, showing her power on Aretha-styled cuts like ‘Woman of the Ghetto’ and ‘Liberation Conversation,’ while also delivering supple interpretations of such traditional jazz fare as ‘Go Away Little Boy’. Across this sound spectrum, Richard Evans and Charles Stepney arrangements envelope Shaw in unobtrusive yet exciting pop-soul environs, throwing kalimba runs, psych guitar accents, and bongo-fueled organ riffs into the mix. Their widescreen touch is particularly well essayed on strings-and-brass standouts like the Bacharach-inspired Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil composition ‘Looking Through the Eyes of Love’ and Ashford & Simpson's ‘California Soul’ (a classic reading heavily favoured by the crate-digging set). A perfect way to get familiar with Shaw's impressive early work. http://www.dustygroove.com/, http://www.allmusic.com/

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Marlena Shaw in a recent live show in Barcelona: