StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Spotlight on Marlena Shaw

This week, let's take a look at some clips featuring singer Marlena Shaw, who will be in St. Louis from Wednesday, May 26 through Saturday, May 29 to perform at Jazz at the Bistro.

Shaw first came to wide public attention in the mid-1960s, when she cut her first album for the Cadet label. She's recorded a wide range of material over the years, encompassing everything from jazz, R&B and pop to soul, disco, blues and gospel, and has scored a few hits along the way, including "California Soul," written by Motown hitmakers Ashford and Simpson, and "Go Away Little Boy."

The first female vocalist ever signed to Blue Note Records, where she made five albums and several singles, Shaw also has performed and recorded with the Count Basie Orchestra, Frank Foster’s Loud Minority Band, the Cologne Big Band, the Smithsonian and Seattle Repertory Orchestras, Ray Brown, Benny Carter, Joe Williams and many others.

Today's first clip shows Shaw singing "Go Away Little Boy" at a 2007 performance in Roterdam, The Netherlands. Down below, you can see and hear three clips from Shaw's UK tour earlier this year: "California Soul," from a show in Manchester, England; "Feel Like Makin' Love," from the Birmingham show at the Hare & Hounds; and "Woman of The Ghetto," from a performance at The Caves in Edinburgh. (Note that all of these clips were shot by audience members, so the sound and video quality is variable.)

Last but not least, there's a video interview of Shaw, recorded in Ireland in conjunction with her appearance at the 2007 Electric Picnic music festival. For a more recent interview, check out the latest Jazz St. Louis podcast, which features a chat with Shaw.