Mary's new holiday CD available November 17!

"Every Day Is a Holiday," Mary McBride's new cd, will be released on November 15, 2008. The album features McBride's signature take on eleven holiday classics, originals, and covers. From her soulful approach to traditional carols Silent Night, O Holy Night and O Come All Ye Faithful to her two toe-tapping originals, Bring It On, and Christmastime, McBride will get even the biggest grinch in the holiday mood. The album also features McBride's unique interpretation of by some of her favorite songwriters, including Leonard Cohen, Louis Armstrong, Patty Griffin, Kate Rusby, and Stax volt pioneer William Bell.

10/15/08

Mary Performing Live with Elton John in NYC this Monday 10/20

This Monday, October 20, Mary will join many of today's greatest pop and Broadway performers onstage at the New Amsterdam Theater in New York. They will perform the classic double album from start to finish to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the album's release in the USA. Other featured performers include Elton John, Rufus Wainwright, Ben Folds, Stew, and the casts of "Hair" and "The Lion King."

The concert is being presented by the Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF), Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BC/EFA), and Friends in Deed.

Click here to buy tickets.

09/22/08

Message from Mary - September 2008

Greetings from Springfield, Missouri where I have been recording a new album with a great crew -- Producer and bass player Lou Whitney, drummer Bobby Lloyd Hicks, keyboard player Joe Terry, guitarist Donny Thompson and a horn section led by tenor sax player Charlie Chalmers, who has worked with some incredible people, including Aretha, Al Green, Wilson Pickett, Jerry Lee Lewis and others.

The sessions have been going great. I worked on several new songs with the band from the ground up, with a just an idea, a groove and a hell of lot of horns. Old songs have reinvented themselves fast and furiously. Full on band songs have come unplugged. Rockers have relaxed into shuffles. Lyrical turns have been turned inside out so that suddenly the song has an entirely new meaning. And every song seems to have stepped back several decades. A friend who heard some early mixes wrote me, "I tell you, this whole sound takes me back to sweaty friday nights in Baton Rouge, and Irma Thomas, and Bobby Blue Bland, and Ernie Kado, and Slim Harpo, and on and on." Since I am a big fan of THAT sound and of sweaty Friday nights, I will happily take it as a complement. I can't wait for you all to hear the new tunes soon but in the meantime I just posted a bunch of studio shots here so check them out.

It's a strange feeling being back here. We recorded "Everything Seemed Alright" here in October of 2001 and "By Any Other Name" in 2004 and in some ways it feels like a welcome time warp. The same breakfast spots. The same Mexican dive. The same church on Glenstone with a revolving spiritual message (If you can't sleep, count your blessings...God reads Knee Mail...). The same studio. The same vocal booth. And the same hotel -- the Best Western Rail Haven, where, yes, Elvis stayed. I have had full on insomnia which can drive me somewhat crazy but this time I've somewhat enjoyed being constantly awake and reading a few great books in the wee hours, including "The Tender Bar," which is heartbreaking and "Another Bullshit Night in Suck City," which is hilarious. The great thing about not sleeping is I don't have to worry about the caravan of Norwegian bikers who are staying at the Rail Haven waking me up.

I've been reliving the sessions from my first records with so many of my old band members, including my Dan Pifer and Aaron Maxwell who I started my first band with. It's funny thinking about playing those gigs when we were Mary McBride and the Pancake Party Boys, and about the day we first talked about recording. Our first record seemed like a lark, a little idea we cooked up with our pal Bullethead and Laurena after too many bloody Marys one Sunday afternoon at the Bar under the Guiness sign on East 11th Street. A few weeks later I met Lou Whitney at a Skeletons show in Austin and now, several years later, I'm at the point of no return.

We'll keep you posted on details on the record and upcoming tour dates...I am so looking forward to getting back on the road and seeing you all soon...xxx MM

07/23/08

Mary to Play Opening Event at the Democratic Convention in Denver on Sunday, August 24 and Friends of New Orleans event in Aspen on August 27

Mary will be playing the Democratic Convention at the Opening event benefiting the Friends of New Orleans hosted by James Carville, Donna Brazille and John Laroquette will feature Mary along with the VOICE OF THE WETLANDS ALL-STARS (Tab Benoit, Cyril Neville, Anders Osborne, Waylon Thibodeaux, Johnny Sansone, Big Chief Monk Boudreaux and others), IRMA THOMAS, MARVA WRIGHT, MARCIA BALL, RANDY NEWMAN, and a one-time only reunion with Members of the Original METERS (George Porter Jr., Leo Nocentelli, and Zigaboo Modeliste). Following Denver the same bill will also be playing benefit concerts in Aspen, CO ( 8/26 and 8/27).

07/18/08

The latest on The Nitpicker

Mary has teamed up with playwright Doug Carter Beane (Xanadu, The Little Dog Laughed) and Director Scott Ellis (Little Dog Laughed, Curtains) to develop her musical The Nitpicker.

07/10/08

Drew Glackin (1963-2008)

Drew Glackin, my wonderful friend and bandmate, died suddenly this past week at the age of 44. Drew played and toured with us on and off since 2001 and I was always amazed at his ability to juggle so many bands, so many songs, and so many shows. At one SxSW in Austin a few years ago, he was downright smug that he had played over 25 shows in a week. And the best part of Drew was that he probably made each of those bands feel like they were his only gig that week.

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