Mary Edwards

On September 23, 2006, I had the pleasure of sitting in the presence of an extremely talented performing songwriter, Mary Edwards. Mary took the stage at the New York City singer/songwriter hotspot, Rockwood Music Hall and once behind the piano that she aptly owned for her hour long set, the night was hers and hers alone...well kind of. An incredibly sensitive percussionist, Mr. Andrew Potenza, who is as aware of rhythm as he is texture, accompanied her and together they ruled the Rockwood.

Ms. Edwards's first song was "24 Brand New Hours." Upon hearing the first few lines of this beautiful set opener, the arrangement, the vocal production, I immediately started, as I do, trying to place the comparisons of who Mary's influence(s) may be. I immediately put my finger on the pulse of classic 60's Dionne Warwick. I also thought that perhaps there was a bit of The Carpenters in her music as well as Carole King. After her impressive first song, Mary, who is as skilled with an ease of fun, light hearted audience patter as she is with playing the 88's, admitted that she was hugely influenced by Burt Bacharach. Can I call it or can I call it? Mary then proceeded to treat her captivated audience with original gems in the style of the masters that have come before her.

Mary's 2nd and 3rd song, "You Had Me At Hello" and "The April Fool" were fine examples of Mary's ability to bring that silky lilt or swing of her voice from the rich, smooth and full bottom notes to the lightly, somewhat breathy upper notes that have just a kiss of a pinch or cry quality in them that make you feel that this singer has truly lived what she is singing. The combination of her range sung with such control and style is what makes you certain that Mary is not alone in her comfortable soothing approach, but so is her now much more relaxed New York/New Jersey audience and that says A LOT, kids! Mary's voice invites you to kick off your shoes, pour a nice smooth brandy and stay a while. However, you must be aware that your shoeless foot may start a tappin' when she gets into the swing feel of some of her other songs.

The playlist rounded out with "Landing" which was a song inspired by a visit to a friends apartment in the Inwood section of New York City where the floor you walked in on at street level was actually the 4th floor, "Camden" which was reminiscent of the masterful song "She's Out of My Life," the Michael Jackson/Rod Temperton classic, "Console", "Sympathetic Magic", "Love, Love, Love" which is my personal favorite of her set with it's positive, mid-tempo, toe tappin' beat and gorgeous vocals, to the final song with it's deep heart beat feel, "Bona Fide".

At first listen, a new set of ears may discount Mary Edwards as a lounge type, oh but those ears would be very, very wrong. Ms. Edwards is as much an architect within this style of music as is its master architect, Burt Bacharach. Let's just say that if smooth, relaxing vocals with infectious rhythms and stylistically anchored arrangements were a course of study at Bacharach University, and that if Dionne Warwick, Carole King and The Carpenters were her professors of that stylist sound, they would be very proud of the their student, Mary Edwards. Mary Edwards would definitely be graduating ahead of her class and that's because not only is she talented, warm and inviting but also she is nothing short of a class act.

Find Mary Edwards at http://www.myspace.com/maryedwards for upcoming dates and future music releases.

Review By:

Terry Christopher 9/29/06