Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Marlena Shaw: Elemental Soul

Marlena Shaw: Elemental Soul

By AAJ Staff
October 1, 1997
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After favoring soul and disco in the 1970s and early '80s, Marlena Shaw has made jazz her #1 priority in the 1990s. The big-voiced, Carmen McRae-influenced singer did some impressive things in R&B (including the humorous "Go Away, Little Boy"), but Elemental Soul reminds us that it's certainly great to have her back on the jazz tip. Shaw (who is joined by tenor hero Stanley Turrentine on three tunes) shows just how persuasive an improviser she can be on everything from Mose Allison's "Your Mind Is On Vacation" to the standards "My Old Flame" and "How Deep Is The Ocean," and she even manages to surprise us on "Round Midnight"—giving us a rare chance to hear the Thelonious Monk standard at a medium tempo. Heaven knows, "Round Midnight" has been done to death, but amazingly, Shaw's version sounds fresh. Again, it's great to have Shaw back on the jazz tip.

Personnel

Marlena Shaw

vocals

Album information

Title: Elemental Soul | Year Released: 1997 | Record Label: Concord Music Group

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