Maria Muldaur

Maria Muldaur spices her music with passion and a voice that’s scintillating, brazen, and lightly burnished. Whether dipping into the songbook of Peggy Lee or wading into the Louisiana bayou, she completely envelops herself in her chosen style. For over 40 years as a performer, she’s literally lived the life of someone steeped in the American roots music songbook, whether it’s blues, jazz, gospel, folk, country or rhythm & blues. She’s the real deal, a true natural resource without any artificial affectations or jive.

“Muldaur has got the blues… once you zero in on the emotional nuances of her finely weathered drawl, you’ll hear an inspired change of heart – her voice becomes an oasis for troubled souls.” -People magazine

Born and raised in New York City’s Greenwich Village, Muldaur grew up in a very fertile musical climate. While still in her teens, Maria joined John Sebastian and David Grisman to form the Even Dozen Jug Band, and soon moved to Boston to join the influential Jim Kweskin Jug Band. This group attracted national attention and a recording contract, and when they disbanded in 1968, Maria had her pick of musical directions to take. After making a couple of blues records with husband Geoff Muldaur, she was asked to record a pop song called “Midnight at the Oasis.” It was her first solo recording, and it went platinum.

Since the early 1970s Maria has been involved in a dizzying number of projects: jazz, gospel, swing tunes, roots music, New Orleans anthems, protest songs, and more. Her latest records, Yes We Can! and Garden of Joy, are returns to her roots: the first is a collection of protest songs, replete with choir, and some Muldaur originals, and the Garden of Joy is her first jug band recording in over 40 years.

• “Cajun Moon,” a great J.J. Cale tune

• singing the blues with Leon Russell, Bonnie Raitt, Willie Nelson

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