Mary James, more commonly known as “Mean Mary,” will perform at Ca d’Zan House Concerts in Cambridge Thursday.
Mary plays 11 instruments, including banjo, fiddle and guitar. Her musical storytelling combines the styles of bluegrass, Gypsy jazz, folk and country. She also is a novelist, producer, and YouTube personality, racking up millions of views online.
After recording her first original tune at age 6, “Mean Mary from Alabama,” the song went public, and it was then the Alabama/Florida native was given the name Mean Mary by the press. The name stuck and the rest is history.
Now working out of Nashville, Mean Mary’s latest album is “Blazing,” her fifth solo release. She tours extensively in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. She has guested on many BBC radio shows.
Another important aspect of Mean Mary’s sound are her resonant, emotional vocal performances, though there was a time that she thought she’d have to retire from performing. In her mid-teens, James was in a car accident that paralyzed her right vocal cord. It was only after extensive rehabilitation that she was able to sing again.
“I was in California working in the movie industry, and I’d kind of pushed the music to the side, because it felt like old news. After the accident, I realized how important music was to me and what a blessing it is to be able to make music and sing. And that completely changed my outlook on what I’d been doing my whole life. It also made me appreciate the fact that I played instruments. It was very glamorous to be out front and sing, especially as a young girl. And it was only when I couldn’t sing that I realized that I could still play music. I still had the opportunity to make music even if my vocal cord never got better,” she said.
The evening will begin with a potluck dinner at 6 p.m., with music starting at 7, and is open to guests of all ages. A $20-30 donation is suggested. Weather permitting, the concert will be outdoors. Guests are asked to bring lawn chairs and/or blankets.
In the event of rain, the concert will be moved to the Bishop Hill Creative Commons.
For more information visit xroadscc.org/events.
