Bywater Dance (2005)

About this title: It's not just that Mary Flower fingerpicks an elegantly mean fingerstyle blues, ragtime, and jazz guitar. And it's not just the gentle, controlled warmth of her voice. There's something else special going on here, and it may have to do with the fact that she traveled from her home base of Portland to a studio on the south end of New Orleans to make this record, and was joined in the process by such local A-listers as Henry Butler (piano), Jon Cleary (piano, organ), and Dr. Michael White (clarinet). The music that came out of these sessions is unfailingly sweet, hot, and sassy -- not a single ... read more

Tracks:

1. Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives to Me [Swanstone/McCarron/]
2. Raise the Devil [Flower]
3. Crow Jane [traditional]
4. New Orleans Hop Scop Blues [Thomas]
5. La Grippe [Flower]
6. Last Kind Word Blues [Wiley]
7. Terminal Rag [Flower]
8. Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? [Harburg/Gorney]
9. Papa's on the Housetop [Carr]
10. Hudson River Rag [Flower]
11. Nobody's Fault But Mine [Traditional]
12. Main Street Blues [Caffrey]
13. Built Right on the Ground [Darby]
14. Good News Waltz [Flower]

Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is further described below.