"Notes on the Bridge.."
Mariah Picot [vocal],
Bill Peterson [piano],
Jeff Denson [bass],
Ronan Itzik [drums],
All music & lyrics by Mariah Picot except "Notes on the Bridge.." music by Bill Peterson
"General Malaise" - Mariah Picot [vocal], Don Breithaupt [pno], Peter Bleakney [b], Rick Gratton [dr], John Johnson [s]
Influences
Billie, Ella, Sarah, Shirley Horn, Manhattan Transfer. Bill Evans, Oscar Peterson, Kieth Jarrett. Composers: American Songbook of course, Dave Frishberg, Ned Rorem, Paul Bowles, Faure, Ravel, to name just a few. Plus all the incredible musicians I have worked with who in their dedication to the art form have inspired and lifted us all up.
Mariah Picot has spent her life in the arts. “Growing up in a musical family certainly helped”, she says. “We always had family jam sessions and my first public performance was at the age of 5.” She completed a Bachelor of Music, in voice at Queens University, Kingston, On. She then started a professional career in musical theatre, with lead roles in many musicals and cabarets In Toronto and across western Canada.
During this time she was also doing extensive theater training with teachers from CAST [Centre for Actors Study in Toronto] in Toronto, and Herbert Bergoff Studio in NYC.”
Mariah was a guest soloist with the London [ON] Symphony, and was asked to sing for the Canadian Command Performance at Massey Hall, along with other guests including Jim Carey, Rich Little & Buffy St. Marie. She was the only performer that evening to have 2 paragraphs written about her by the reviewer in the Toronto Star. “a dynamic singer” -Ray Conalogue.
During the mid Eighties, she changed her focus to jazz piano studies with Frank Falco and began performing in piano bars. Her longest running job of 2.5 years at Tom Jones Steak House, in the middle of the theater district.
In Florida, Mariah was busy working in clubs and hotels as a solo artist. She was a member of “Steeplechase”, a jazz quartet with an emphasis on vocal harmony. She has been heading her own group, “The Mariah Picot Trio” and Quartet, on piano/vocals where she sings in English, French, Portuguese and Italian.
She was the musical director at Unity of Panama City for 7 years for whom she wrote, directed and co-produced two multimedia musical events: .“Mystical Awakening” in 2001 with Robbie Hibshman & “Lighting the Temple Fires” in 2002 with Vivian Kevan, as well as various skits and several songs. As an accomplished theater coach, she has also assisted the actors in other productions..
Mariah is a 2002 recipient of the “Tom Hipps Scholarship Award given by the Gulf Jazz Society. She also teaches the Cornelious Reid Vocal process that she learned from Carol Forte in Toronto.
In the spring of 2004, to critical acclaim, Mariah released her first CD of original songs “Notes on the Bridge...”, with the Bill Peterson Trio. – ‘Jazz influenced art songs with a Spiritual Perspective’. Mariah wrote 8 of the songs plus the lyrics to 5 of Bill Peterson’s tunes.
Musicians she has shared the stage with are: Davy Jones, Bill Kent, Bill Peterson, Ronen Itzik, Jeff Denson, Frank Falco, Jane Fair, Chip McNiell, Dave Restivo, Jim Vivian, Barry Romberg, Peter Telford, Kiki Misumi, Don Guinn, Mark Eisenman, Luke Pinegar, Charles Pagano, David Goldflies, Bob Maksymkow, Fred Domulot, Suzanne Stewart, Stephanie Pettis, Hore Higuera, Neil Gray, Jim Ates, Jim Genest, Hose Bevia, Tom Latenser, Ron Hasty, Duke Brown, Freddy LeSax, George Niedorf, Daniel Sledge, Ben Jackson and Julie Bonk.
In Canada she has performed: at Massey Hall, appeared with the London Symphony Orchestra, original tunes for August Moon artist showcase, Performing Arts Lodge, various cabarets, piano bars and a variety of corporate event across western Canada and toured with the show band ‘Chamelion’ . In the US she has been seen at the Gulf Jazz Society Jazz Jubilee, Seaside Jazz Festival, Seaside Concert Series, Gulf Place Concert series, Concerts in the Park, Monk & More Jazz Gumbo, Gulf Beach Presbyterian Concert Series, Unity of Tallahassee, Grapefest 07 & 08 in Grapevine, Unity Dallas Concert series, Dallas convention Center, plus countless corporate and private events along the Gulf coast of Florida, Los Angeles and Dallas.
You can buy "Notes on the Bridge..." at CDBaby.
I just found out that a recording I made & produced in 2004 (old blues guys at the Hard Rock and Majestic Theatre, for the BLUE SHOE PROJECT) just got nominated for a Grammy...
