Feels Like Home begins by welcoming you in from the rain the warmth of the hearth with the Paul Simon classic ”Kathy’s Song.” Before you know it, the rugs are rolled up and a dance floor is cleared. Mary Beth takes listeners to her grandparent’s dairy farm back in the 1940’s with ”Threshing Time,” a tune she co-wrote with her 85 year old father. Airing fears, worry and concern is still a part of family gatherings. The burdens are shared and then released with Gary White’s ”Long, Long Time.” Mary Beth takes the Linda Rondstadt cover and places it in a bluegrass arrangement, giving it new breath. She then leads you slowly into the wee hours of the evening (to the bedroom) with ”The Medley” and concludes with an original ditty welcoming the morning and the gift of a new day with ”Cottonwood Creek”.
“For folk singer-songwriter Mary Beth Cross, it wasn’t a huge stretch to embrace a grassier sound on her latest album, Feels Like Home. With producer Chris Pandolfi, she has put together a warm, down-to-earth album that fans of “acousticana” music should enjoy.”
“With the help of a stellar cast of musicians, Mary Beth Cross has crafted a warm and friendly listening experience that indeed feels like home. The disc opens with a cover of Paul Simon’s “Kathy’s Song”, an interesting choice and a rarely covered tune perhaps due to it’s singular melody and definitive version by Simon and Garfunkel. The instrumentation and the vocals take a casual and perhaps more reflective approach to the song and infuses it with a wistful quality. “Threshing Time” tells family stories and has the feel of a conversation between neighbors over a backyard fence. “Shady Grove” gives the assembled musicians and chance to stretch out a bit – Chris Pandolfi on banjo, Tyler Grant on guitar, and playing fiddle and mandolin, Jeremy Garrett, held together by Adrian Engfer on bass. There are more covers than originals on the recording so that makes me take note of the arrangements in particular. “Long, Long Time”, previously known as a slow, sad song gets a new treatment here with a chugging groove on the verses that morphs into a straight up bluegrass groove on the chorus. The mood shifts to a smokey jazz feel on “Summertime”, again featuring some tasteful playing. The tune is part of a minor key medley that pulls together Cross’s own tune “Pas De Deux” with Van Morrison’s “Moondance”. The album wraps up with “Cottonwood Creek” celebrating home and family. A pleasant musical journey indeed.”
“Americana / Folk / Bluegrass artist Mary Beth Cross from Denver replies from her new EP. The songs on his acoustic bluegrass, part of her growing up in Winsconsin. So she was inspired by stories of her family, forests ranches over there and of course her new home in Colorado. In this EP she is assisted by a banjo player and a fiddle and mandolin player. There are six songs, the Paul Simon cover "Kathy's Song" is the first. After that "Threshing Time 'about her grandparents, something followed by Linda Rondstadt's" Long, Long Time. " During a medley is classic 'Summertime' linked to Van Morrison's "Moondance" via a private track. With her own composition 'Cottonwood Creek "she concludes. The rural atmosphere oozes so from it. A feast for lovers of folk and bluegrass.”
“Cross's latest project celebrates the importance of home in the lives of average, everyday Americans. The eight-song EP climbed to number nine on Roots Music Report's Alternative Folk Albums Chart. It features originals, as well as classics written and/or performed by legendary artists such as Paul Simon, Linda Ronstadt, Garry White, Van Morrison, George Gershwin, and Dubose Heyward. The EP is dedicated to her late nephew, Christopher Chmiel, who died unexpectedly in 2015.”
My EP Titled Feels Like Home was released May 15th at Baur's listening room in downtown Denver.
It has been well received by family, friends and in the industry. It hit 5 record charts with the help of Lisa Grey and Kim Brody on our radio promotion team, and the DJ's who chose to play my music. It debuted #1 on Airplay direct in April and reached #29 on the Folk DJ-L for the month of June. It also reached #9 on the Rural Roots Music chart, with the Paul Simon tune "Kathy's Song" reaching #5.
“Award-winning folk-Americana artist Mary Beth Cross has released an eight-song bluegrass EP that celebrates the importance of home in the lives of average, everyday Americans. The project is climbing the Top 40 on five separate record charts compiled by Roots Music Report.”
DENVER (July 2016 Press Release) – Award-winning folk-Americana artist Mary Beth Cross is experiencing unprecedented success, with her latest EP and a featured Paul Simon cover song hitting the Top 40 on five separate record charts.
“Award-winning folk-Americana artist Mary Beth Cross is experiencing unprecedented success, with her latest EP and a featured Paul Simon cover song hitting the Top 40 on five separate record charts.
The Americana/bluegrass EP "Feels Like Home", which includes original songs and classics, continues to climb various charts compiled by Roots Music Report. The eight-song project, which was released in June, celebrates the importance of home in the lives of average, everyday Americans. Following are highlights of the artist's growing success.”
“Award-winning folk-Americana artist Mary Beth Cross has released an eight-song bluegrass EP that celebrates the importance of home in the lives of average, everyday Americans.
"Feels Like Home" includes original songs, as well as classics written and/or performed by legendary artists such as Paul Simon, Linda Ronstadt, Garry White, Van Morrison, George Gershwin, and Dubose Heyward. The recording spotlights Cross's soaring, pure-tone soprano vocals. It was produced by veteran banjoist Chris Pandolfi, who joins nationally respected musicians Jeremy Garrett on fiddle, Tyler Grant on guitar, and Adrian Engfer on bass. The EP is dedicated to her late nephew, Christopher Chmiel, who died unexpectedly in 2015.”
“Award-winning folk-bluegrass-Americana artist Mary Beth Cross will celebrate the release of her new bluegrass-Americana EP, "Feels Like Home", with a concert and meet-and-greet from 3-5 p.m. May 15 (Sunday) at Baur's Restaurant, 1512 Curtis St. in Denver.
Cross's latest project celebrates the importance of home in the lives of average, everyday Americans. The eight-song EP features originals, as well as classics written and/or performed by legendary artists such as Paul Simon, Linda Ronstadt, Garry White, Van Morrison, George Gershwin, and Dubose Heyward. “
“This is Mary Beth Cross’s fourth album, and it is surely her most mature and best. Hailing from Wisconsin, her art is steeped in Americana. This album of original compositions reflects the best of our pioneering spirit, the grit and determination of those who blazed a trail towards the West seeking, beauty, adventure, land, freedom and opportunity.”
“Denver singer-songwriter Mary Beth Cross has stepped onto the national folk-Americana stage with the release of her fourth CD "Beyond Good and Evil", landing a top-five ranking on Airplay Direct, receiving positive reviews from critics around the world, and performing at major venues.”
“Singer-songwriter Mary Beth Cross weaves bluegrass, folk and Americana on this album, featuring original tunes, and African Spiritual, and some covers like The Gershwins’ “Love Is Here To Stay”. Inspired by the spirit and grit of the pioneers, Beyond Good and Evil is a tribute to the melting pot America has become and what we treasure.”
"Babes In the Wood" that's another story, for sure, but not a Mary Beth Cross original. All the rest of the songs are. Mary Beth is a folk singer, well yes, but she's also a soft country singer, well yes she's also her own distinctive self.”
“Beyond Good and Evil is a collection of original and cover songs, performed by singer/songwriter Mary Beth Cross. Cross is currently based in the Rocky Mountains, which coupled with her upbringing in the rural farmlands of Wisconsin, is a big influence on her music. The album features Stuart Duncan, 2012 IBMA Fiddle Player of the Year, and was produced by Dave Bechtel and Cross herself.”
“Cross describes the album, which is inspired by “the spirit and grit of pioneer women,” as “positive, uplifting and historical.” It is influenced by early folk music of the 70s including Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, John Denver, Joan Baez and The Beatles.”
“Denver folk-Americana singer-songwriter Mary Beth Cross will celebrate the release of her fourth CD with a special concert and signing from 4-6 p.m. Jan 27 (Sunday) at Fourteen Seventy-Two Lowcountry Dining, 1472 Pearl St. in Denver.”
“Recorded in Nashville, “Beyond Good and Evil” gives voice to the pioneer spirit of the American frontier with original songs and cover tunes. Cross spent the past year penning songs reflecting the grit and determination of the adventurers who blazed a trail from the East to the West in search of what they treasured most: beauty, adventure, land, new opportunities for work, and freedom from oppression.”