4/1/2006

Linda Murdock

It's true that Mary Flower taught at Swallow Hill Music Association for close to 20 years. Thus, it was no surprise that the release of her eighth CD on February 25th was celebrated there as if it was old home week. The house lights remained up during the first set, so she could glance out at all her former students, friends and fans.

Opening with a Fats Waller song, her voice came out in a rich, pure clarity, difficult to compare to other female blues singers. Her newest release, Bywater Dance, was recorded in New Orleans just before Katrina hit. My heart cheered as she sang "Brother Can You Spare a Dime," with a lighter approach than Etta James's sad, haunting rendition.

Much of Mary's approach to her playing and singing is optimistic and hopeful, and she is clearly drawn to rag style tunes. In fact, she "ragged" on us for a couple of hours, her fingers picking out both melody and rhythm. If you closed your eyes, it was difficult to believe that only one person was up on stage. If you kept them open, you watched while her fingers quickly moved among the frets and strings, showing the complexity of her style.

The highlight for me was when she picked up the Gibson square-neck guitar, which she played in her lap. I can't help myself, slide guitar just sings to me. Her version of "Don't You Worry, Because the Work Is Almost Done" was outstanding, as was "Baby Please Don't Go," also played on slide. During the former song, she managed to hit high notes one might think only attainable on a full sized piano.

Hearing Mary speak about the music she played was a mini-education in itself. Who know the movie soundtrack about cartoonist Robert Crumb was her personal choice for the "if I was stranded on a desert isle and could pick only one recording" scenario? It made me curious to learn more, as did her comment regarding a piano player named Henry Butler, who escaped Katrina and is now living in Boulder.

Although "Backwater Blues" was a pleasant surprise and apropos to the new album title Bywater Dance, it does not appear to be on the CD. I am partial to Bessie Smith's version of that song with her wailing emphasis on certain words. However, Mary's guitar version was more complex.

She played medleys, rags, and involved us all in a sing-a-long to "bye, Bye Blackbird." Of course, there was the inevitable Swallow Hill appreciation encore. I had never heard of May Flower or her music prior to this engagement. She calls Portland home now and it is Denver's loss. Now, that she is no longer a Coloradan, we can only hope that her absence will make those, who do know her, even more appreciative.