Marguerite Mariama Wild Women Never Get The Blues…Well, Not Anymore! Powerlight Media Reviewed by Evan Ginzburg

Marguerite Mariama is not only a singer but a PH.D; which may explain her clinical sounding liner notes:

“In the repertoire I have selected, the musicians and I use Africanisms to explore jazz standards, blues songs and contemporary favorites. Improvisation, cries, hollers, polyrhythms, blue notes, bent notes, hums, moans, and other rhythmic and melodic devices empower the lyrics and music.”

Wow. I felt like I was reading a music major’s graduate thesis.

Regardless, it’s a wonderful album with Ms. Mariama backed by such topflight jazz artists as Chico Freeman on tenor sax, Buster Williams and Lonnie Plaxico on bass, Eric Reed on piano and other notables whom aficionados would recognize. With vocals both warm and passionate, she gives fresh twists to classic tunes like Stevie Wonder’s Knocks Me Off My Feet and Donny Hathaway’s Tryin’ Times.

I truly enjoyed this gifted vocalist, but would advise her in the future to go easy on the liner notes’ “new ageisms” which on occasion border on clichés (“When I loved, I loved deeply and am better because of it. I finally learned to love myself and became more equipped to attract love that serves my spirit.”).

Whatever.

Keep singing, Marguerite, and leave the writing to the music critics. You’ve got a gift and that’s what’s most important in this worthy new release.

For more information on Marguerite and her CD’s, log onto: http://cdbaby.com/cd/mariama2

Evan Ginzburg

www.evanginzburg.com