After Dinner Speakers: Mary Black, Roland Rivron, Grace Jones

Mary Black's crystal clear voice is the most beautiful sound in the world. She hails from Dublin where she grew up in a musical family. Her mother and father as well as all of her brothers and sister are quite fine musicians in their own right. Mary can interpret a song and completely make it her own. From her early traditional material to her more contemporary current work, Mary abilities know no bounds. If you like a traditional Irish tune then may we recommend her first album, Mary Black or Collected. If you like folk styled Irish tunes with brilliant accompaniment then we recommend Without the Fanfare, By the Time it Gets Dark, No Frontiers, Babes in the Woods or Holy Ground. Circus pushes a wee bit more towards pop Irish as Shine completely sheds the Irish label as it really defines Mary's more modern approach to today's music here in America. For those who like "Greatest Hit's" may we suggest Looking Back or The Collection. For the collector may we suggest Saw You Running EP or the rare import from Japan called Wonder Child - Special Edition! Also check out the compilations which have set sales records in Ireland A Woman's Heart #1 and A Woman's Heart #2. Books include A Woman's Voiceand aSheet Music Book. 2000 Update has her travelling to the US this spring to play in the theater circut as well as next spring again here in the States. Her new album is terrific and should bring her many new fans as well as please her loyal fans very much. If you have a chance to catch Mary's show - Do It! I hear she is planning to take it easy this summer and only play a few festivals in the UK and Ireland.