“As she’s been doing for many years, with Another Round Mary’s blues-flavored guitar work and singing are sparkling and clear in delivering her deep-rooted bluesy drive–a high level of performance augmented by a smiling stage presence that has long delighted her live audiences. The accompanying jazzy, funky and brassy contributions from The Tuna Band (including a riding-the-range western feel on “The Cowboy Song”) all combine to serve up Another Round of compelling tunes artfully graced by Mary’s always-insightful songwriting skills. Another excellent album from an established pro!“
James E. Guyette
Host, “Laying Down Tracks“
WRUW-FM/91.1, Cleveland; worldwide at wruw.org
“Just received two CD’s of Mary Martin, you’re right about this ladies singing, songwriting and guitar skills”
Terry Iredale HOT/FM
Brisbane Australia
“The woman has a voice that connects”
Fitz WCPM / Cleveland, Ohio
“I think we can call here a kind of “female” Van Morrison!”
Martin LaChance
CHAA/ Montreal, Canada
“You’ll be reminded of Billie Holiday’s emotional maturity when you
listen to Mary Martin”
Linda Yohn
WEMU /Ann Arbor, Michigan
“The vocals, musicality and production quality are outstanding”
Benton and de Fries
Seaport FM / Amsterdam
“Felt like Mary was singing just for me”
Mike Halmo
WBOR Brunswick, Maine
Mary Martin and the Tuna Band are an incredibly talented group of musicians. They have a unique sound that blends elements of jazz, funk and soul. There music is catchy and uplifting and their live performances are always high energy and entertaining They are well known for their improvisation and ability to make each show unique.
Chat GBT
“What ever happened to Mary Martin, I have been asked over the years. Most often it was legendary Cleveland guitarist Glenn Schwartz asking. Glenn always respected Mary’s ability to handle a guitar. In the late ‘70s, Mary was Cleveland’s Bonnie Raitt, not only writing songs and singing with a deep rich vocal, but her mastery of that hollow-body red Epiphone dropped a few jaws in a world where women were still mostly accents and subject matter in the blues. I was a true believer and signed on to help book and manage Mary Martin and the 9th Street Tunas. Our Regional Art Terrorist friend Melissa Jay Craig created a dancing tuna logo. Mary’s motley crew of bandmates included Albert Dennis on bass and Leo Ryan on drums, who both lived in the rear of the Plaza on Prospect, where the band would rehearse. Marji Caral brought the the flute and the saxophone highlights. The sound became a trademark. We invited Glenn to sit in on the single “New Mornin’ Warnin’”that we recorded at Audio Recording and from then on he would often come and sit in when the Tunas were playing spots like Déjà vu on W. 117 or Peabody’s Café in Cleveland Hts. Mary’s Tunas evolved over the years, but Bert Dennis and his steady bass has always been at the ready, a stable support. And now Mary Martin and the Tuna Band returns, some 40 years after those innovative performances that were part down-home blues, part funky rock, sprinkled with jazzy solos. The signature sound is still there: Mary’s compelling guitar and gritty vocals, the solid bass, the brass accents and rock bottom. It is a sophisticated music and Mary’s songwriting has only gotten better and richer. For me, to have her add a pedal steel on tracks like “The Cowboy Song” is a treat that stretches Mary toward Americana and the tasty percussion adds some funky south-of-the-border feel, all indicting that Mary Martin is still exploring and is alive and well, making vital music as she floats between her Ohio roots and her Florida base. I can only hope to get her back to my Cleveland music club Beachland Ballroom once again, with her merry band of Tunas.”
Cindy Barber, Co-owner Beachland Ballroom and Tavern
“Mary Martin cannot exactly be qualified as a blues singer, but she is a great vocalist, guitar player and songwriter who includes blues into the jazz and folk fusion she offers on these two cds recorded for Tuna Music Mary Martin has spent the last two decades tramping all over different clubs, bars and joints playing at the most unbelievable places Born in Cleveland, Ohio, she has settled in Chicago where she has performed as backing guitar with different bands that regularly play at windy city blues clubs She has also shared stage with such great names like Koko Taylor, Hubert Sumlin, Willie Dixon, Bob Stroger, Valerie Wellington, Jimmy Burns, Smokey Smothers or Robert Lockwood among others On these two cds Mary shows herself as a cool easygoing versatile artist with an amazing swing that is able to move the coolest person Besides, she tastefully and cleverly combines the natural maturity of Billie Holiday with the terrific intense feeling of Janis Joplin (listen to Blues in C included on the first cd) and her gift for captivating the audience can be clearly seen in both cds.”