Marlena Shaw commands the stage with a loose and spontaneous presence that comes from decades of experience and an innate feel for being in the moment. It translates to her material and her shows feel like a warm homecoming amongst a coterie of friends. Moving seamlessly among jazz, soul, R&B and a touch of gospel, Shaw was backed superbly by locals Larry Dunlap on piano, Vince Lateano on percussion, and her longtime collaborator and Musical Director Jeff Chambers on bass. Expressing the humor of the bawdy jiving “Street Walking Woman” or the thumping R&B soul of “Baby You’re the One for Me” comes easy for Shaw. Her women are tough, streetwise and sharp.  Then, in a moment, she delivers the lovely Alec Wilder/Loonis McGlohon ballad “Blackberry Winter,” about the bleak loneliness of wasted love. Another highlight is the flowing Afro-beat “Look at Me, Look at You (We're Flying)” displaying Shaw’s ability to bridge multiple genres effortlessly. The number builds to a crescendo with a power reminiscent of Nina Simone. She goes “strolling” on the R&B classic “Feel Like Makin’ Love” with a hip backbeat supplied by Chambers on the electric bass. You can’t help but be caught up in the groove when Shaw gets down and dirty. Her now famous intro dialogue, “Yu-Ma,” to her 1977 hit, “Go Away Little Boy,” is still hilarious. Telling it like it is about her “perfect man” who doesn’t quite measure up, Shaw works the time-worn story like she just made it up today. Of course, the tell-him-off song ends with the girl forgiving, but not forgetting, his indiscretions. She’s not weak in her reversal, but accepting. For giving her audience a rollicking good time with timeless appeal, Shaw is a national treasure still peaking and as vibrant as ever.

Steve Murray
Cabaret Scenes
December 1, 2011
www.cabaretscenes.org