Mary Beth writes the songs and performs lead vocals and keyboards. When she has her band, Wild Honey, with her, other players are Craig Poole on bass, Joel Stevenett on drums, Doug Collins on guitars, and on backing vocals, Joslyn Petty, Margaux Lodge, and Melissa Petty. Recently Aaron Ashton joined the group on violin and it was a *great* addition, and sometime Scott Johnson comes along with his special groove of accordion, computer loops, and auxiliary keyboard parts.
Influences
PRODUCTION:
Currently, I'm blown away by the production and vibe of cool layered artists like Imogen Heap, Sia, and K.T. Tunstall. Always find myself liking Aimee Mann and Michael Penn -- the exposed nature of her vocal is riveting. Also digging the retro feeling of the Ricky Fante's last album. The passion and all-out feeling in Susan Tedeschi's recordings make me want to let go more, and the rollicking cool of young Grace Potter inspires me as well. I like the exotic vibes and different nuances of other languages of Carla Bruni, Bebel Gilberto, and Paulo Conte.
SOUND:
Lately I'm finding myself interested in getting back to the roots of American music -- listening to everybody from the Carter Family to early Delta bluesmen and gospel to Irish traditional music. For atmosphere, I love my movie soundtracks...The Mission by Ennio Morricone kills me. American Beauty by Thomas Newman instantly puts me in an engaged, focused, artistic state of mind (even though everyone's copied him to death for the last few years). A very schizophrenic iPod at the moment.
WRITING:
Songwriting-wise, people like Beth Neilsen Chapman, Jimmy Webb, Leonard Cohen, Randy Newman, Cliff Eberhardt, Barry and Cynthia Mann, Willie Nelson, and the old brilliant country writers move me the most. Also I like Canadian artists/writers Jann Arden and Sarah Harmer a lot. Seems like everything I hear from them is fantastic. I like the fun that Christine Lavin and Barenaked Ladies have with the writing -- it reminds me that I don't have to be so serious all the time. Listening to The Beatles all through gradeschool and high school gave me a foundation in song structure, and the Beach Boys records taught me a lot about intros, harmonic layering, and hooky parts. I always have loved old Cole Porter/Gershwin/Rogers and Hart and other writers from the 30s and 40s too...the American Songbook is an amazing place to learn about being concise, witty, and heartfelt. Listen to the Linda Ronstadt albums recorded with Nelson Riddle in the 80s if the old vintage recordings aren't your bag. They're a beautiful introduction to the older stuff. Then check out some vintage compilations if you like -- a great one is "Sweet And Lovely: Capitol's Great Ladies Of Song."
VOCALS:
Bonnie Raitt, Linda Ronstadt, Karen Carpenter, Rita Coolidge, Mama Cass, Patsy Cline -- these were the women singers playing on the eight-track while I was growing up. Maybe it's a regression thing, or maybe because their alto voices have always been cozily in my range, but I still think they're some of the most amazing singers we've ever had, and I'm influenced a lot by them and all the journeys of their recordings.
Mary Beth Maziarz started writing songs as a kid in Illinois -- jamming out her compositions on the funky upright piano in her family's basement. When Mom and Dad decided she'd made the cut, a grand piano came onto the scene upstairs, and she started playing when 'company' came over. Piano cover gigs soon started competing with her steady seventh-grade babysitting nights (and winning), so she ditched the neighbor kids and began taking the song thing more seriously.
She first performed her original music as a freshman in high school, playing her song Friends Through the Years for other girls while playing hookey from tennis. The seniors really liked it they cried! -- and badgered her to play it for the school talent show. Mary Beth played it for the talent show and the crowd was on their feet. She was hooked.
In college at Northwestern, MB played in local cafes and composed scores for student plays. The college scene was glutted with emerging songwriters, but Mary Beth carved out a devoted fan base while playing a weekly residency at Tommy Nevins Pub. Singing at the pub, also a home to Mary Beths dubious waitress skills, allowed her to experiment with new material and develop a better rapport with audiences. (Patrons drunkenness helped her nervousness.) A year at Oxford in England also brought more pub-playing opportunities; then, as now, British Sterling was hammering the dollar, so the little sing-for-her-supper gigs and attentive audiences really nourished the young performer.
After school, as her compatriots largely went off to find fame & fortune as actors in Hollywood or as number-crunchers at Arthur Anderson, MB announced she was moving Out West. . . to Utah, specifically part-time home to movie stars, record moguls, and other fabulously connected people. The shi-shi ski-town of Park City proved the perfect spot to build her set list, meet fascinating people, and learn to schuss with the best of them. (Well, with the marginally managing of themthere are a LOT of world-class skiers that live in Park City.) She began a longterm gig at the Riverhorse Café, a beautiful, upscale lemon-in-the-water restaurant on Main Street. The Riverhorse gave her music a high-profile place to grow in Park City and begin distributing her first two albums (Something Real and Snowed In) as her performances there began to draw serious support from locals and glitterati visitors alike.
In 1999, Mary Beths music caught the ears of producers of the popular tv show, Dawsons Creek. They contacted her about featuring one of her songs, Hold On, in the final scene of the Season Three Premiere. Everything changed. More of her songs were featured in the show. Other folks came a callin. Fans wrote to her, clamoring for all the DC songs on one album. She listened, printing 200 CDs of the songs and demos that appeared on Dawsons Creek, calling the project A More Perfect World. They sold out in nine days. She made more.
From there, she put out the shimmering Goodnight, Goodnight and continued to find her music in demand for tv shows (Party of Five, Everwood) and films (Broken Hearts Club, The Real Thing). Mary Beth also found herself performing at outdoor festivals, bigger club gigs, and upscale house concerts-- private concerts in ballrooms, outdoor stages, and music rooms around the country. In November of 2004, her music jumped the pond when her song True Believer became the theme for Bianca Wege Zum Gluck, a show that airs every day in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. She is brushing up on her German. There is much brushing to do.
From there it was time for the fields to rest a bit. So she took her time with recording another project, letting the songs really find their core meanings. The rest proved helpful, as when she finally started getting antsy to record, the perfect producer appeared in Craig Poole. Pooles rock-solid rhythmic sensibility and love of sweet old-school funk/R&B brought a new energy and groove to the tracks. He also introduced Mary Beth to the magic of vintage keyboards, bringing in Rhodes, Wurlitzers, and other beaucoup beautiful sounds to the mix. And so Wish was born.
The fourteen tracks on Wish represent five years of writing and an occasionally schizophrenic heart. Themes of brand new love, discovery, separation, dreams, and recognition thread through this, her fifth, album. The range of styles is fascinatingly diverse, but Mary Beths writing (and singing) voice remains a lush constant. This album, from this insightful and soulful writer, is sure to become a soundtrack for many of lifes most moving moments.
Hosted By: BANDS, ARTISTS, DJs AND MUSICIANS OF UTAH When: Wednesday Jul 23, 2008 at 7:00 PM Where: ARTOPIA GIFTS 60 EAST EXCHANGE PLACE (350 SOUTH) SALT LAKE CITY, UT 84111 United States Description: COME JOIN THE HOTTEST BANDS ARTISTS AND MUSICIANS OF ALL GENREs AT SALT LAKES MOST TALKED ABOUT NETWORKING MIXER!!!
I love your Gorgeous Voice & your Tracks !!! it’s G r e a t !!! Thank you for have answered to my invitation. Welcome to my “FriendshipSpace”!! It’s a Great Pleasure you are among my friends Have a Fantastic Thursday God bless You Keep in touch Love
hi mary beth! i so love your music, especially the songs with just you and the piano. your lyrics let me dive deep into them. i'd love to see you live someday... but i'm here in austria... we have beautiful mountains and lakes... need a holiday? ;-)
Hi here's the link www. novel-storm. com Please register - it's FREE and takes mere seconds! There's books, poetry, scripts & screenplays being added all the time. Visit the forum to see where the new material has been added and please leave feedback there for the authors.
Hi!!! I'm 14 years old and I really love your music!! You have a great voice!!!! I'm sorry I can't write more...but I have a little trouble with english. Have a great week!!! You are amazing!! Best wishes from Mexico.
I have been a fan since we both started going to Park City in the summers and each year we enjoy your music more. Looking forward to a new "children's" CD real soon. May God continue to bless you with good health and much success and many blessings! Gerry & Joe
Ignore that last comment from me...i didnt send it...i think someone broke into my myspace account and posted that comment....so dont even bother to click on the link....sorry!! let me know if you get any other weird comments like that from me. hope you are doing well.
someebody on my friends list wrote something really nasty about you in a blog. you need to see this, what happened... sorry about that, but here is the link to it...
..
.. 
