Born and raised in Southern California, Mary Ann Douglas is a product of West Coast Jazz influence. She composes the music and writes the lyrics for all her songs. Trained as a vocalist in the beginning, she didn't return to music until after finishing graduate school, getting married, and beginning a family. In 1997, she produced her first vocal jazz CD, "True Stories". This was followed by "Sensory" in 1999, "Does Thinking Just Make It That Way?" in 2001, and "Unfinished Business" in 2007. On all her recordings she has been surrounded by the talents of great local Southern California musicians including Mundell Lowe, Mike Wofford, Peter Sprague, John Rekevics, Bob Magnusson, Jim Plank, Rephael Harp, Kevin Esposito, Gary Pack, Dan Papaila, and Dave Hoffman. Her CDs have received good critical reviews and airplay both in the United States and France. Music lovers who like original material with introspective, real-life lyrics set to a variety of blues, bossa nova, pop, and smooth jazz stylings will want to acquire the entire collection. Not much performing for this lady - she does what she wants to do - writes and produces. You may catch her at the microphone occasionally in the San Diego area where she lives. REVIEWS: 'Douglas is an original. What she has in abundance is style, with assurance, humor, subtle authority and a sense of light irony. She has what jazz musicians refer to as time, a necessity for all top-flight singers. Moreover, she writes all of her own songs. . . She sings very well. You should hear her.' Don Freeman - San Diego Union-Tribune 'Songwriter Mary Ann Douglas creates some of the most interesting tales of love and romance available to today's jazz market. Her clear understanding of the human condition, coupled with her feel for sympathetic melodies, drives each message deep into your heart. With a natural, down-to-earth style that let's the pitch waver according to a lyric, and an approach to phrasing that makes every sigh seem essential, Douglas presents her songs in convincing fashion. Recommended.' Jim Santella - L.A. Jazz Scene 'Mary Ann Douglas has launched a stunning line up of all-star musicians for her second album of personally written compositions. . . The strength of this album is the cohesion of it's elements. . . Douglas writes about love and friendship and the uncertainties of feeling as if she were talking to a close friend on the phone or over a cup of coffee.' Jim Merod - Marge Hofacre's Jazz News 'This has many surprises, and comes on you slowly. . . We get all the faces of love, from a warm voice (pure on the high notes, a touch of vibrato). . . her album won't disappoint you! John Barrett, Jr. - The Green Mountain Jazz Messenger 'Douglas is an excellent tunesmith and a fine vocalist. She continues to bring San Diego's finest musicians into the studio with her. . . Her phrasing, timing, and diction are impeccable. This is straight singing; no scatting here. Armed with a bushel full of good tunes and first-rate musical neighbors playing the instruments, Mary Ann Douglas has turned out another winner with 'Sensory'. Recommended.' Dave Nathan - All Music Guide 'I popped in Mary Ann Douglas' CD, 'Sensory', and all I could say was 'wow', and I am never one to be at a loss for words. Her original jazz tracks, all eighteen of them, blew me away. It's not one thing or the other; it's the overall package, everything from the cover to the contents. . .'Sensory' takes you on an intense musical journey. Jazz fans MUST own this CD. . . I have absolute confidence that Mary Ann's talent is really going to take her places.' C.J. Cauley - Shock Value Music Webzine 'Magdalene Records brings us Mary Ann Douglas and her second CD, 'Sensory'. Mary Ann has put together a collection of original tunes with an excellent rhythm section to produce a project that is worthy of listening to. She mixes styles to give you a variety in this seventy minutes of music.' The Jazz Singer.

Tracklist:

Sensory
I Am Content
Just As Free
Nothing But Strangers
I'll Take It The Way That It Is
Love Food
We Are The Song
Up To You
With No Words
Leave You With A Smile
If There's A Next Time
Pardon Me
So, You're Back!
Survivors
Treat A Lady Special
Closer, My Friend
I Don't Think I Can Do This Anymore
The Night Is A Lover

UPC: 786497362028
Label: Cd Baby
Release Date: 3.20.07
Format: CD

Mary Douglas Ann - Sensory (CD)