Search - Mary Witt :: Dance With Me

Mary Witt, critically acclaimed singer and bass player for The O-Tones of Western Massachusetts, celebrates the release of her first solo CD, Dance With Me. Sultry, soulful, and sassy, this album will make you swoon and kick up your heels. The music spans various genres from swing and jazz to rhythm & blues and soul. It glides seamlessly from the old favorite ballad The Very Thought Of You to the upbeat swing tune Almost Like Being in Love . New Orleans hit Teardrops From My Eyes segues to Cab Calloway's Everybody Eats When They Come To My House" with a contemporary culinary flavor. Also included are Ray Charles Roll With My Baby and Frank Sinatra s Come Dance With Me , the title cut. Sure to become a classic, "Dance With Me" lulls the listener into wanting to be in love, even in a most ironic twist described in Freddie Cole's "A Sinner Kissed An Angel". Taking an Audrey Morris song "How'd Ya Like To Love Me?" and turning it into a duet captures the sweet, longed-for corniness of the 1940's. Lou Rawl's rendition of "Fine Brown Frame" gets a facelift to include reference to a current star. Mary moved from Atlanta, GA in 1993 to start The O-Tones in Northampton, Massachusetts. Growing up in NC, she sang often with her sister, learning the fine tuning of harmony singing. Later in life, she broadened her horizons to sing leads and learn bass. Whether the vocalists of The O-Tones are singing their rendition of a 1940's swing tune, or belting out a more contemporary R&B number, Mary Witt, Ann Percival, and Zack Danziger, make each song they sing a hit. From sentimental ballads to upbeat soul and blues, they will charm you and make you want to jump and jive on the dance floor. Ann, Mary, and Zack also form part of the driving rhythm section of The O-Tones, lending their talents on rhythm guitar, bass, and lead guitar respectively. Walt Chapman, king of Boogie Woogie piano style and organ riffs, rocks the group along. Along with Pieter Struyk on the drums, the pulse of this band is fiery for dancing or listening. On the classic soul numbers like Marvin Gaye s Second That Emotion , audiences jump to their feet once they feel the horns jump start the tune. Ike Turner's Fool in Love lends itself well to the drive of the winds and brass. Having the horn harmonies add their flavor to the old favorites Makin' Whoopie and Almost Like Being in Love reminds us all of the big band era from days gone by. Kerry Blount's tenor sax playing adds heat to The O-Tones varied selection of music. Lending his jazz stylings as well as his bluesy feel, Zack Danziger s guitar playing contributes a high level of professionalism to the sound of the group. On Dance With Me, additional instrumentalists are added to lend a jazzier sound - Chris Haynes on piano and organ along with Dave Wertman on upright bass. Gary Maynard on trumpet and Chris Glanville on trombone lend their punch to the horn section along with Kerry Blount s sax to give a big band feel to several songs: Almost Like Being in Love , Teardrops from My Eyes , The Very Thought of You , and Everybody Eats When They Come to My House . The horn section of The O-Tones adds pizazz to their mixed repertoire. On the classic soul numbers like Can I Get a Witness , audiences jump to their feet once they feel the horns jump start the tune. Aretha Franklin s Chain of Fools is a great tune to have the horn section lend its smoky foundation. The horns take old swing classics and transport the listener to the days of dancing and big bands. Notably, the most dowloaded song on this CD is the new take on If You Don t Know Me by Now , selling worldwide. The variety and quality of this recording make it extremely versatile for a wide range of musical tastes and ages.