Mara Levine and Caroline Cutroneo
Edison, New Jersey, United States
Music
Press
Mara Levine
Album: Jewels And Harmony
Label: Mara's Creations
Tracks: 15
Website: http://www.maralevine.com
You could say that accomplished New-Jersey-based jewellery designer
Mara Levine lives to sing; that you can tell at once from her
crystal-clear delivery, her excellent diction, her practised
technique. She's been singing professionally for a little over a
decade, yet Jewels And Harmony is only her second CD. It proves to be
one of those almost-too-good-to-be-true records, where everything is
so in-its-place: vocals are expressive perfection, arrangements
telling and apt, interpretations classy, choice of material neatly
mixing slightly familiar with unknown but very worthy.
Mara's own performance is peerless: she possesses an attractive,
assured singing voice that recalls Joan Baez, Sylvia Tyson and to some
extent also Judy Collins, while the tone and feel of the arrangements
is very mid-60s too although without the dated aspect that tag might
imply - for Mara's performances are genuinely timeless in style and
execution, and will appeal to any folk fan who's enjoyed the above
artists' discs, Mara too producing polished yet thoughtful, entirely
accessible musical renditions of some classic material. She also has
the considerable benefit of support from a host of really good
musicians and singers from her local community (notably the genial
combo Gathering Time and producer Bob Harris), with some excellent
cameo roles and vocal harmonies provided by the likes of Pat Wictor,
Caroline Cutroneo, Joe Jencks and Cheryl Prashker.
The repertoire is both comforting (also familiar in idiom) and
stimulating (songs you'll very probably not have heard but will want
to hear again immediately). It includes two lesser-covered Paul Simon
songs (April Come She Will and Leaves That Are Green), Bill Staines'
River and Gershwin's Summertime (done in a refreshingly honest, simple
bluesy fashion), alongside Jud Caswell's bluegrassy Blackberry Time,
Bob Franke's seasonal offering Straw Against The Chill and the
entirely apposite CD closer, Dan Schatz's Leaving Time (on which the
song's author himself makes a key contribution). The generous helping
of new-to-me songs receiving exposure here includes Nancy Cassidy's
rousing Hallelujah, Pat Wictor's delightful I Will Walk With You and a
brand new Si Kahn song - written for this very album - When I Sing
With You. Si Kahn himself duets with Mara on a matchless rendition of
Michael Peter Smith's almost unbearably yearning and poignant portrait
of The Dutchman, providing the disc with one of its many standout
tracks. And notwithstanding Mara's own special vocal expertise, she's
unafraid to let another singer take the lead where appropriate, as on
the superb version of Rowland Salley's Killing The Blues which
features Terry Rivel. The modest, entirely tasteful and fairly gentle
acoustic arrangements are faultlessly configured yet retain sufficient
sense of spontaneity to ensure a continued involvement on the part of
the listener.
I really can't fault this disc either from a musical or presentation
point of view (full credits and lyrics are in the booklet, which also
features Mara's jewellery designs); its title Jewels And Harmony fair
sums it all up..
David Kidman - fatea-records uk
Discography
Mara Levine:
Jewels and Harmony January 2013 #1 on the folk chart January 2013, #6, February, 2013, #13, March 2013. The Dutchman by Michael Smith(With Si Kahn) #1 song, January 2013. When I Sing With You #2 song January 2013
Mara's Gems October 2008. # 52 on folk chart, 2009, Wild Rose of the Mountain by Si Kahn # 42 for 2009. Some tracks available on www.myspace.com/maralevine
Straw Against the Chill by Bob Franke - recorded with Joe Jencks, on the Hudson Harding Happy Holidays Vol 4 sampler, November 2009, # 15 on folk DJ chart in December 2009 , #1 Folk DJ chart December 2011
Leaves That Are Green by Paul Simon, recorded with Gathering Time #1 on folk DJ chart October 2011
Caroline Cutroneo - 4 song EP 2010, Traditional
Photos
Bio
Mara Levine and Caroline Cutroneo have gorgeous voices which blend in uncannily beautiful harmonies. They have been singing original, traditional and contemporary folk and blues together for over 12 years. A show with Mara and Caroline is highly entertaining and often moving, and they always invite audience participation.
They have made repeat appearances at area venues such as WRSU, The People’s Voice Café, the Minstrel Coffeehouse, the Good Coffeehouse and WVBR Bound For Glory and appeared at other prestigious venues including The Borderline Folk Club, Beacon Sloop Club Corn Festival and Strawberry Festival, Hurdy Gurdy Folk Club, Falrlawn, NJ, Historic Richmondtown Tavern(Staten Island),
A sample short set from a performance at the Hurdy Gurdy Folk Music Club can be viewed here by clicking pasting the links below into your URL
Hallelujah(Nancy Cassidy)(C ) singalong
http://www.maralevine.com/videos?id=9849
Immigrant dream(Bob Wright)
http://www.maralevine.com/videos?id=9850
Little Sparrow (Caroline Cutroneo)
http://www.maralevine.com/videos?id=9851
Richland Woman Blues(Missisipi John Hurt)
http://www.maralevine.com/videos?id=9852
Where do we go from Here(Caroline Cutroneo)
http://www.maralevine.com/videos?id=9853
When I Sing With You(Si Kahn) (singalong)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60s3W1hppsc
Leaves That are Green(Paul Simon)
with Gathering Time at the People's Voice Cafe
Quotes:
"Your voices together are otherworldly"
John Flynn, singer songwriter
" I heard so many nice comments after the show, you were outstanding and the audience loved you! It was a memorable performance!"
Ron Olesko, President, Hurdy Gurdy Folk Club
"Mara, I think you are one of the best singers of your generation. Every songwriter worth their salt should be sending you their tunes. You have such a beautiful, timeless quality to your voice and you make beautiful recordings. I just LOVE what you do."
Christine Lavin
"When the date of the performance came our audience was not disappointed.... Needless to say, our audience was thrilled that day and said that it was one of the best shows ever presented in the history of The Borderline."
(Sol Zeller, President, Borderline folk Club
" Watching and listening to the duo on stage, I knew I was seeing something special. They sang timeless folk classics, and originals that felt timeless...and they could have moved as easily in song circles in 1960 as they do in 2006."
Steve Quelet, host of the Songwriters Roundtable, Genessee PA
Folk vocalist and jewelry designer Mara Levine is known for her “crystal clear voice, subtle vibrato, and skillful way with a melody line” and for her original interpretations and arrangements of folk songs from traditional to contemporary. Mara’s beautiful version of Bob Franke’s song “Straw Against the Chill” with Joe Jencks was the #1 song on the US/international Folk DJ chart for December 2010. Her version of Paul Simon's "Leaves That Are Green with Gathering time also reached #1 on the same chart for October 2011. Her first CD “Mara’s Gems” reached #52 on the folk charts for 2009.
Her second release "Jewels and Harmony" was the #1 album on the folk chart for January 2013, had the top 2 songs, and she was named most played artist for the month. The album features appearances by artists including Si Kahn, Pat Wictor, Gathering Time, Joe Jencks, Chery Prashker and Caroline Cutroneo. Mara performs with a number of groups and is a professional harmony vocalist for artists including Arlon Bennett and Terry Kitchen. She has performed at venues including the Hudson Clearwater Festival, The Folk Project Festival, the Borderline Folk Club and on WFDU Traditions. She has opened for Oscar Brand and Christine Lavin and shared the stage with Si Kahn and Bill Staines. She has provided vocals for recordings by Spook Handy, Terry Rivel and Jim Indell.
Caroline Cutroneo is an award-winning singer/songwriter-guitarist from Staten Island. Blending lyrical originals with traditional standards, Caroline surprises and delights her audience with originals and rare finds from such obscure sources as traditional folk song, depression-era jug bands, and newly-discovered treasures from the sixties folk revival. She has a 4 song CD is currently recording her first full length solo CD. Caroline is a three-time recipient of the annual performing arts award of Staten Island Council on the Arts and Humanities. A former FM announcer and program director, she has earned a degree in fine arts from the City University of New York. Caroline has opened for Pete Seeger, and shared the stage with Bill Staines. She also plays with her bands “The Runaway Train” and “Lone Pine Radio Boys” at venues on Staten Island. She's also appeared with Mara at the Borderline Folk Club. She has provided vocals for recordings by Bob Wright and Jim Indell.
Links
