Holmes's Essential Mix is a masterpiece in it own rights - but frankly - it is nothing but a compilation of perfectly blended different musical styles. Holmes's own music is in fact a lot more interesting. Nevertheless, in the mix, it was one track that was in a league of it own: California Soul a powerful pop song by jazz vocalist Marlena Shaw.

I have hunted for months for the cut or an album with the track, but no such luck. It was not even possible to track it down in second hand stores or in flea markets.

But here it is, with perfect sound quality and crisp presence on a double package set with two of Marlena Shaws´s albums off Chess Records. I instantly bought the set for this one song.

Marlena Shaw is among the most versatile singers of the scene. Every phrase she utters is delightfully improvisatory. One moment caressing, the next rumbustious. Ease, authority, wit and unerring taste make her one of the great jazz stylists of our time. Her career straddles three decades, but it begins with these recordings.

She debuted as a singer 1952 at the age of ten at the Harlem´s Apollo Theater with her uncle, trumpet player Jimmy Burgess who at the time gigged with among others Horace Silver. Despite the enthusiastic reception she received in front of one of the world's toughest audiences, her mother refused to let her go on the road with her uncle.

During her formative years, experience came in the form of a long term at a Manhattan bistro, the Sniffen Court Inn, then a year in the Catskills, a gig in Las Vegas with Adam Wade. In 1966 she began working in the Playboy clubs and eventually she got in contact with Dick LaPalm at Chess Records. LaPalm placed Shaw with arranger-conductor Richard Evans, one of Chess´s in-house arrangers at that time.

In 1966, she recorded a rare vocal version of Cannonball Adderly´s hit, Mercy,Mercy, Mercy for Cadet Records, and the single was a good sized hit for an unknown singer. The single's success prompted executives at Cadet to encourage her to record a whole album for the label in 1967. The album aimed for the soul and rock radio stations with exquisite performances. The best track is Evans´own composition I´ve Gotten Over You.

This set contains Marlena Shaw´s debut albumOut Of Different Bags from 1967, an apt title for the many moods and diversity of styles, including blues, jazz and pop standards, of the singers music. The standard Matchmaker, Matchmakergets a sensual and soulful treatment. It Sure Is Groovy rocks any soul club. Naked City Theme (Ahmad´s Blues) with vocals arrangements by Bob Williams brings Ahmad Jamal´s Ahmad´s Blues to new heights. Very cool. Nothing But Tears is pure southern soul complete with groovy organ and funky guitar licks - soul food. The gospel tinged Wade In The Water tells a story of desire - and it is told just perfectly for the late night mix.

In August 1967, while the album was in preparation, and she was gigging at the Playboy Club, Marlena was brought to the attention of bandleader Count Basie through Basies accountant who was a member of the Playboy Club. He asked if she had any records and she handed him a copy of Mercy, Mercy, Mercy.

When she was on-stage for the rehearsal, Basie was playing the piano, he got up and walked out. Shaw remembers that she thought "Well, I didn´t make this. He´s probably gone to call somebody else," but he came back with a little glass of wine and said: "Save your voice, you´re gonna need it for tonight". She ended up singing with Basie´s band for four years.

The second album of the set is Spice Of Life from 1969. It opens with the political and powerful drama Woman Of The Ghetto. The song is in the same tradition as much of Marvin Gaye´s, Curtis Mayfield´s and Syl Johnson´s political material, with distinct images of everyday life. It is set in view of the civil rights movement that formed the black community´s political struggle in the 1960´s. The rest of the songs spans from T-Bone Walker´s standard Stormy Monday to Mann and Weil´s Looking Thru The Eyes Of Love. And in the middle of everything is the unmatched California Soul by Ashford and Simpson. Essential music.