Recorded in 1974 and released on the Blue Note label, Marlena Shaw presents one of her best work : Who Is This Bitch, Anyway?
How I found this one ?
Before listening to the album, I first discovered Feel Like Making Love while listening to the radio and, until today, I can listen to this song without any weariness, with the same thrills when the backing vocals comes in, the first time, the second time… From Marlena Shaw‘s voice to every other single pieces, yes, I love everything in it ! By the way, D’Angelo’s cover is absolutely beautiful.
It took me a little time to get out of the song and think : “oh wait, if this song is so good, how about the album ?”. Then I found it in a record store that offers a lot of second-hand. Back in the day I would listen to this LP a lot, I can even remember to play it in my old car while driving away in the evening. Well, this music is really for those who still have a heart…
Few words about the music
With great orchestrations and wonderful harmonies, quite classically the album sails between soul and jazz with a small blues flavor and very pretty careful arrangements. More than Feel Like Making Love, other songs are very captivating, like Street Walkin ‘Woman, where we are immersed in the scene of a film from the 70s, with an atmosphere that almost recall John Cassavetes‘s universe, or even Woody Allen…
The songs Davy as well as Loving You Was Like A Party are also excellent. The whole record brings fierce from the studio to the stage or to the listeners. With Who’s that bitch with, anyway? Marlena Shaw delivers an album where funk, soul and jazz merge into a landscape that is both musical and political, she exposes her convictions by wearing the colors of feminism and love.
