Variety Pack

Marlena Shaw is one of those evergreen performers, a trusty force in jazz even when she isn’t at the top of the charts. Trends come and go, but good singers prevail, in and out of the limelight. Shaw, who will perform Sunday at Thousand Oaks’ Civic Arts Plaza as a benefit for KCLU, has freely moved among jazz, R & B, show tunes and pop, with no apology necessary.

Her musical history has been a long, winding one, tracing back to a precocious performance at the famed Apollo Theater in Harlem at age 10. A chance to tour as a musician was kiboshed by her mother, and she ended up in college.

But the musical muse still beckoned, and she began working in clubs around New York. She scored a hit in the mid-60s with her version of “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy” and ended up singing for four years with Count Basie’s band before sidling over into show-biz terrain with Sammy Davis Jr.

In the ‘70s, Shaw became the first female vocalist signed to Blue Note records--the current label of Cassandra Wilson, one of today’s best-known jazz singers and another who crosses genre lines. Of late, Shaw has made juicy, cross-stylistic recordings for the Concord label, often with stellar guest stars. Her 1996 first for the label, “Dangerous,” included a duet with acclaimed young vocalist Kevin Mahogany.

In 1997 she released “Elemental Soul,” with saxophonic cameos by her friend, the late Stanley Turrentine. And 1999’s “Go Away Little Boy--Sass and Soul” lives up to its title, with R & B tunes done up in her supple way.

A veteran always worth hearing, Shaw belongs to a line of singers coming out of jazz, including Dinah Washington, for whom swing, blues, feeling and melodic poise are natural allies.

DETAILS

Marlena Shaw, 7:30 p.m. Sunday at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, 2100 Thousand Oaks Blvd. Tickets are $26-$32; 493-3900.

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The Jazz Front: Stu Goldberg, the keyboardist whose resume includes work with John McLaughlin and who has been based in Ventura County recently, will perform Saturday night at 66 California. Joining his quartet are his sibling, Kenny Goldberg, on sax and flute, bassist Jeff Falkner and drummer Dave Renick.

DETAILS

The Stu Goldberg Quartet, 8:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. Saturday at 66 California, 66 California St., Ventura. No cover; 648-2266.

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Stravinsky Alert: Anyone who has heard the two-piano version of Stravinsky’s famed ballet “Petrushka” understands the particular charm and percussive color of the piece in that format. Whereas the orchestral version fleshes out the master’s ideas, his piano arrangements comport themselves in a lean and mean manner and are fascinating in a different light.

Saturday at Moorpark College, a section from that work will be a centerpiece on the program in a two-piano recital by Moorpark College faculty members Joan Thompson and Dolly E. Kessner. The pair, who have performed together since 1991, will do the honors for “Petrushka,” with a dance element provided by faculty from the college dance department.

DETAILS

Joan Thompson and Dolly E. Kessner, 8 p.m. Saturday at the Moorpark College Performing Arts Center, 7075 Campus Road. Tickets are $7-$12; 378-1485.

Josef Woodard, who writes about art and music, can be reached by e-mail at joeinfo@aol.com.