There is something of the raunchy, good-time girl, about Marlena Shaw which instantly connects with the audience; Dee Dee Bridgewater and Tina Turner also have this 'hipnotic' appeal.
Backed by her 'Dream Team', a quintet reminiscent of the Grover Washington band of the 1970's who laid down juicy Hammond chords, funky bass lines and lyrical passages from tenor sax or flute, Marlena served up a cocktail of Soul, Gospel and Blues. With proportionate measures of R&B, Funk and Disco added, the heady brew was both shaken and stirred with such verve that the result was a potion that intoxicated her audience to such a degree that they would have followed her anywhere.
Although not a night of straight ahead Jazz - more a mixture of 'Grooves' - the highlight for me was a tour de force rendition of Lionel Hampton's 'Hey-ba-ba-re-bop' that really set the place on fire. An evening of musical adventure then with Marlena's charisma winning through to the last chorus!
Previously, local act 'Damascus' played their own brand of Soul and were well received.
Jim.
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