Mean Mary, or Mary James if you like, is a whole bunch of interesting characters. There’s Mary James the multi-instrumentalist (with banjo at the forefront), Mary James the singer-songwriter and Mary James the author, just for a start. She’s also the sister of gifted twelve-string guitar player Frank James and daughter of author and songwriter Jean James. All of these facets of Mary James are pulled together in ‘Portrait of a Woman (Part 1)’, which should be followed by Part 2 in September 2023. The first part highlights Mary’s many talents, featuring banjo and violin instrumentals (‘Merry Eyes and ‘Butterfly Sky’), songs that tell stories, songs of life as a touring musician and a few songs that hint at some kind of supernatural menace. It’s a pretty comprehensive package.
The album opens with a powerful display of Mary’s strengths; it’s a full band piece featuring Mary’s vocals, guitar and banjo, Frank’s twelve-string and vocals and it’s a co-write with Mary’s mum. ‘Cranberry Gown’ is a story song set in a traditional folk styling, telling a tale of one important symbol that can make a world of difference to a life of drudgery. The song is circular; the gown is lost and then found again, and self-esteem is restored. The album’s second song ‘Bridge Out’ is a humorous take on life on the road, bringing out the interaction that characterises Mary and Frank’s live performances, with Frank cast as the gloomy, unrecognised sideman. It’s a bit of fun underpinned by some serious observations about the pressures of life as a touring musician.
The touring musician theme reappears on ‘Big Tour Bus’ , featured on Mary’s 2020 album, ‘Alone’, which takes a more serious look at the pressures on travelling musicians from a female point of view. If you’ve heard solo female musicians talk or sing about life on the road, you’ll recognise the story Mary tells. It’s not just difficult, it can be dangerous out there.
Of the remaining songs, there are a few personal standouts. ‘Bette Come Back’ is a real story-teller’s song, building up a brooding intensity about the whereabouts of Bette, who has disappeared during a storm. The turnaround is that Bette is a cat frightened by the thunder who has hidden under the bed. The traditional, folky, ‘Old Banjo’ is on the same theme as ‘Cranberry Gown’; everything will be all right as long as the banjo is there. ‘Only Time to Pray’ conveys a sense of menace from the bowed upright bass notes of the intro, while the album’s closing song ‘Clouds Roll By’ displays Mary’s vocal range in a love and escape song that gently evokes The Band.
This album gives a good idea of the breadth of Mary’s talents, from the breath-taking banjo playing, through the vocal versatility to the quality of the songs she creates on her own and with her mother Jean. Give it a listen and try to catch her live if you can.
‘Portrait of A Woman (Part 1)’ is out now on Woodrock Records (WDRK-4303).
Here’s the video for ‘Cranberry Gown’:
