Most jazz singers sing “standards” – those great tunes written by genius wordsmiths including Cole Porter, Rogers and Hart, or Johnny Mercer. It worked for Ella and works today for Diana. Blues singers tend to immerse themselves in the creations of several generations of Afro-American writers from Ma Rainey to Robert Cray. Those who embrace chanson work the B’s- Brel, Brassens, and Boris Vian.

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Mary Barry follows a different path, writing original songs in all three genres that are “so good they sound like standards”. Sometimes you really have to look at the composer credits to confirm that the song that reduced you to a puddle of emotion was written by the same person you hear singing it. The ability to both write and interpret is a rare talent outside the rock and folk worlds. Even more compelling is her ability to create magic on stage. Mary Barry has spent a lifetime refining her skills and the result has won her a dedicated coterie of fans among discerning listeners from coast to coast and all over the map.

 

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An Evening with Mary 

An evening with Mary Barry unfolds like a story: there’s a beginning, a middle, and just when you think you’ve figured out the plot, a surprise twist. It finishes with all the loose ends tied up. The audience leaves with the satisfied feeling that the story has been well and truly told. The show has a flow to it, moving easily through blues and ballads, swing and bossa nova, all originals sung in French and English. There are also select standards in the jazz and blues tradition, along with a few “chansons classiques” in French. 

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The Voice, the Vision

Mary Barry explores life with all its joys, sorrows and absurdities. Carrying out the true task of the artist, she takes your experiences and reflects them back to you in the form of cleverly crafted, articulate songs.

Whether as a solo artist and pianist, or in duo, trio, quartet, or quintet formation, what remains constant is the voice and the vision; the unique art of Mary Barry.

- Gary Cristall