Marlena Shaw - Dangerous (1996)

After neglecting jazz in favor of more financially lucrative soul, funk and disco in the late '70s and much of the '80s, Marlena Shaw has returned to jazz with often rewarding results in the '90s. A sassy, big-voiced diva full of vitality, humor and soul, Shaw lets us know how much she missed jazz on very enthusiastic interpretations of chestnuts ranging from Benny Golson's "Whisper Not" (on which she embraces Leonard Feather's seldom heard lyrics) to the pop standards "The Nearness of You" and "Out of This World." A most pleasant surprise is Shaw's duet with promising singer Kevin Mahogany on the Stylistics' "You Make me Feel Brand New," a Philadelphia soul/pop ballad they successfully turn into swingin', mid-tempo jazz.