Currently Listening: Sweet Beginnings (Marlena Shaw, 1977)

Another one of my mom's albums that was woven into the fabric of my childhood. A lifetime favorite, not a clunker on it. Marlena is amazing. 

When I was little I memorized "Yu Ma/Go Away Little Boy", which is a song that starts with a long compelling narrative (Yu Ma) that blends into a song (Go Away Little Boy). This is a send-up of a Nancy Wilson song, barely resembling the original, peppered as it is with Marlena's signature jazzy talk-downs and incredible phrasing. If you don't feel like listening to the whole album, just listen to "Yu Ma/Go Away Little Boy." What will become immediately obvious is the hilarity of a chubby, bespectacled little Sicilian girl singing that song. Spoken word lyrics like, "I got myself a three-year subscription to Essence Magazine/Read it from cover to cover/You know, I wanted to be perfect for him/Said, "Black is beautiful. Just keep getting up"" OMG I was nine and Rachel Dolezal'ing it up! But I love that song and it would be a favorite shower-song into my 40s. 

My second favorite on Sweet Beginnings is "Walk Softly," the best torch song ever written. I dedicate it to all my former crushes. Listen to that one too. ♭