Esther Marrow: Newport News, Virginia (1971) / Sister Woman (1972)

Newport News, Virginia is the first of two rare albums cut in the early-'70s by Esther Marrow, easily one of the hardest singing sisters of her generation. Esther has got roots in gospel, but she is singing here in a righteous mode that features plenty of funky undercurrents in the backings, a style that hits harder than work by Aretha Franklin or any of the better-known female singers of the time, and which holds up beautifully over the years. Many tracks here are obscure ones, arranged tightly by Artie Butler and Gene Page, both of whom do a great job of blending fuller orchestrations with tighter drums on the bottom, giving the record a good kick on most tracks, but still shading in the tunes with enough sophistication to match Esther's interpretation of the work. The album is a real landmark of bad-walking soul, as hard-hitting as Marlena Shaw during her best years at Cadet, with titles that include 'No Answer Came', 'Money Honey', 'Walk Tall', 'Peaceful Man', 'Mama', 'Chains of Love', 'It's Been a Long Night', and 'He Don't Appreciate It'. Sister Woman, from 1972, is an overlooked gem in the Fantasy catalog of the '70s. The album is the second of the two secular soul albums cut by Marrow and quite possibly the best of the bunch, too. Esther has got some great help on the set from arrangers Richard Tee, Bernard Purdie, and Bobby Scott, each of whom set Marrow up with some small group backing that keeps things tight and soulful throughout, thanks in big part to the drum work, which is handled by Purdie, Jimmy Johnson, and Idris Muhammad. Other players include Tee on organ and piano, Cornell Dupree on guitar, and Ralph McDonald on congas, whose percussion really helps shape the sound of most of the grooves. There is a horn section too, used sparingly, and there is also a bit of backing vocals from The Reflections, although Esther is pretty much in the lead on all numbers. Titles include 'Things Ain't Right', 'Trade Winds', 'Ask Me to Dance', 'Ghetto', and 'Woman in the Window'. http://www.dustygroove.com/
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"Queen" Esther Marrow with HGS and Leroy ''Lefty'' Thompson singing 'Let The Good Times Roll' live:

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Esther Marrow and the Harlem Gospel Singers sing 'Precious Lord', 1993 :

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