Trimming & Burning Review

Dubliner Mary Ryan, whose musical background encompasses jazz, blues, gospel and theatrical song, joins forces with Belfast guitarist/singer Mark Braidner and stride piano-player Simon Templeton (also from Belfast.) The result is a stellar collection of gospel, delta blues and vaudeville standards, lovingly performed and recorded with a sound that’s authentic and true to the material’s origins.
Some songs here are more familiar than others: Springsteen fans might recognise ‘Mary Don’t You Weep’, the Mississippi John Hurt song that he covered on his Seeger Sessions LP and which appears here in a more pared-down, intimate form.
Other highlights include Blind Willie McTell’s ‘Baby It Must Be Love’, Fred McDowell’s ‘When I Lay My Burden Down’ and Kansas Joe McCoy’s ‘Why Don’t You Do It Right’. The playing is impeccable while Ryan’s sepia-toned voice, which has hints of Maria Muldaur and the McGarrigle Sisters, brings the material excellently to life.

Key Track: 'Mary Don't You Weep'