Mary Pearson & Fred Hersch - Take Five

On this Arkadia Jazz CD recording of intimate duets, entitled Mary Pearson: You and I, Jazz singer Mary Pearson's voice weaves a seamless tapestry of romance. Mary and her all-star partners Fred Hersch, Lynne Arriale, Harvie Swartz, David Lahm, Steve Davis and guitarist John Hart create a virtual suite of love songs, guaranteed to keep you under her passionate spell.

"Ms. Pearson gets to me not only with her humorous energy and stunningly musical vocal talent, but also with her "on the edge" eccentricity"
-Mark Murphy, legendary Jazz vocalist

The musical concept of the album - pairing Pearson’s indelible voice with a single instrument per song to create a collection of intimate duets - seems so clever that it’s hard to believe it is not employed more widely in the Jazz world. The simplicity of this format helps breathe new life into some of the often performed Jazz Standards, and three originals, and creates an impressive pulpit to introduce her original compositions to the world.

“These austere settings showcase the warmth and richness of Pearson's instrument, a lush, supple voice … You and I is an impressive, musically exacting first effort.” - Joel E. Siegel, JazzTimes Magazine

Mary Pearson knows that it takes more than a beautiful voice to once again bring alive some of the most cherished and recorded timepieces of our American Songbook. According to the accomplished veteran, “If you can’t add something new, you may as well just put on the original and sing along.” With creative ingenuity and a vision to fashion her songs in a style never before tailored, on this Arkadia CD, Mary Pearson: You and I, Pearson has been able to reclaim a glory that once existed in the classic realm of romantic Jazz, performing in the tradition of Shirley Horn, Morgana King, and Chris Conner.