Whether in L.A. or elsewhere, girls DO rock . . . and sometimes they sing the blues, too. Witness Tallahassee-born-and-raised Mary Everhart. Mary Everhart (once known as Mary Thornton) is an indie artist out of Crawfordville, Florida. She is a guitarist, songwriter, studio musician and songstress. Everhart—whose tribal name is Duyugodv Ayosdi or “Seeker of Truth” is proud to be a member of the Echota Cherokee Tribe of Alabama Deer Clan. She is “3/4 Cherokee and ¼ Irish” and laughingly jokes: “I figure I missed my calling as a drunk!” Her music like her background is also an interesting blend. Everhart’s music is a mix of blues, Southern and classic rock with a pinch of humor thrown in for good measure.
But years before she began beltin’ out the blues, Everhart was singing God’s praises in the church choir as a young girl. Even back then though, Everhart already knew she wanted to play guitar too.
At the age of twelve she scored her first guitar (and has been addicted ever since). Using a now vintage Mel Bay Instructional Guide, Everhart would sit for hours teaching herself how to play. As time passed she would continue to practice, honing her skills and learning by observing other, older artists. Perhaps her biggest obstacle was being a left-handed artist learning to play right-handed.
Once Everhart mastered that skill, it was all downhill from there. In fact, she has been playing with various regional and local bands for over three decades now and ahs shared the stage with such musicians as Beverly ''Guitar" Watkins, Kingsnake’s own Charles Atkins, award-winning blues artist Lonnie Shields, Chick Willis, blues harpist Pat Ramsey, Bill “The Sauce Boss” Wharton, Theodis “Stand Up In It” Ealey, Blind Mississippi Morris, Blackfoot’s Charlie Hargrett and many other influential musicians.
In 1998 (under the name Mary Thornton) she released her debut disc, Rottweiler Blues on her indie label Redbird Records. The all original 8 track album received favorable reviews from several publications including Blues Revue Magazine and was more recently revisited in the Listen Again series here on Examiner.com which only features albums that are worth listening to again.
Everhart, who seems to have developed a love of live performances, has also played before such celebrities as former Florida Governor, Ruben Askew, and former Tallahassee Mayor, Steve Meisburg. In 2002 she was part of a political demonstration and performed on the steps of the capital in Atlanta, GA. She did two tunes—“Don’t Worry About A Thing” and “My Man Is More Than A Wallet”--which she personally penned in protest of paternity fraud where she was seen by both a local and national audience. “I worked with Carnell Smith and others and we were able to get the Paternity Fraud Law changed in the State of Georgia” Everhart explained.
2002 was also a landmark year because Everhart released her second selection, Distant Star. While the title and cover of this CD may give the impression Everhart has gone new age or at least is tipping her hat to her more spiritual Cherokee roots, the music contained therein remains the same signature blend of blues and Southern rock. This album features a backup band including: “Dangerous” Dave Messler (electric and upright bass), Jon Bailey (lead and slide guitar), Marty Mason (drums and percussion), with additional artistic aid from Charles Atkins (piano), Andrew Davis (drums) and Gee Baldwin (lead and twelve-string guitar).
The lead-in, “Second Hand,” is a blues boogie shuffle that sets the pace for the majority of the disc. Her versatile vocals all too soon lead us right into the second song, “Butt Kickin’ Mary.” “Butt-Kickin’ Mary” is perhaps an even better indication of what Everhart is about as her onstage persona growls away to Atkins’ backing barrelhouse piano.
The third cut here is “Popcorn Pimp”. The odd, eye-catching alliterative title initially hides what is essentially another example of Everhart’s original songwriting skills. She writes from her heart and her personal life experiences in an attempt to make something entertaining and sometimes even humorous out of a less than perfect life story.
“Thank You” is an obvious tribute piece. Here the listener may picture images of a large, smoky club filled with the smell of old blues and alcohol as Everhart slows it down a bit. Ah but not for long though as she is soon off again as she begins playing a song about an end—“Dotted Line”. This one is strangely both liberating and sad at the same time perhaps much as the actual experience which inspired the tune.
The title track, “Distant Star”, is next. With lyrics sometimes very vaguely reminiscent of the spirit of John Lennon’s “Imagine”, Everhart sings of both pain and a better place she imagines out there somewhere. Some may see this as a departure while others may consider it something Everhart had no choice in writing.
Critic’s Choice this time goes to “Sick and Tired”. This is a somewhat self-deprecating albeit exaggerated song about getting older. While this blues babe can still draw a crowd she makes it sound like it isn’t always so easy any more. It’s an appropriate piece for a blues album though since who wants to hear a blues musician sing about how sexy and perfect she is anyway? It’s easy to picture an entire bar filled with over thirty-somethings trying to drunkenly croon along to this one. (Your crusty chronicler’s warranty seems to have expired sometimes too but hey we aren’t dead yet!)
“I-75 to I-10” is another slice of Everhart’s life set to sound. Complete with background singers the track would perhaps sound even better live. Speaking of life and life lessons, “Live and Learn” quickly follows as Everhart heads towards the close of her 12-track tale. Of course, you really can’t have an album in this genre without the prerequisite song about trouble and Everhart inserts it right here aptly placing it before the more positive, revelatory “Things get Clearer”.
The closing cut is called “Bluesbird”. This has nothing to do with the Paul McCartney and Wings tune "Bluebird". This is yet one more of Everhart’s original compositions. While a few critics might claim true blues fans may find the material derivative, one must remember the entire popular music industry has its roots in the genre and that Everhart is simply playing what she loves and lives. Indeed, what makes her material truly unique is her voice and lyrical viewpoint.
The bonus track, perhaps, reveals a bit more about her oft’times subdued humorous side. As Everhart herself confessed recently: “That song was a joke and it is called ‘Other Hand Now ‘or ‘The Shoe's on the Other Hand Now’.” The song features some funny back and forth between a post-romantic couple with lines like “You're starting to smell like a sack of smashed @ssholes” as her man sits in front of the TV watching the football game. This must be even more entertaining live—no doubt.
In general, Everhart runs the full gamut from sultry songstress through growling blues babe reminiscent of the Billie Holiday era. Her guitar work is appropriately simple and effective and not overwhelming. Her band backs her efficiently complimenting her but not stealing the limelight and Bailey’s blues leads only add to the experience. Throw in a pinch of Joplin attitude and that 1970’s Southern rock electricity and you have the big blues picture.
Just last year Everhart was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame as a Great Blues Artist and more recently was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame as an Ambassador to Florida. Her current band includes: Bill Alphin on lead guitar, Melvin Clemans on bass, Shaw Fromm on harp, and Patrick LaSeur on the drums. Presently, Everhart says she is “working on a new CD with SC blues guitarist and writer Keith Patterson. We are co-writing a new CD to be released hopefully in the fall called Everhart/Patterson.” She adds: “It will include new songs we both have that have not been released as well as ones we are writing together. It is going to be smokin hot, I promise.” Finally, Everhart is also working with her “new band line up” and hopes to release a new solo CD “within the year and just play music!” No doubt her fans feel the new disc is long overdue!
My name is Phoenix and . . . that’s the bottom line.
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