Mary Tebbs

Mary Tebbs has been called the Ellen DeGeneres of singer/songwriters. It’s not unusual for her off-the-cuff, quick-witted and endearing performance style to have you laughing in one moment and crying the next.

The Las Vegas Weekly says, Tebbs is full of weathered innocence, dealing with love, sensuality and heartache, building it all on a solid foundation of blues and slow mountain funk, a pretty accurate description.

Since 1995 she has garnered many awards for her songwriting claiming the Best Songwriter, Best Solo Performer, Best Folk/Acoustic (Salt Lake City Weekly), and receiving a national nomination for Best Jazz Song from GLAMA (Gay Lesbian American Music Awards based in New York City).

Mary’s new release Landscape of Love Vols. 1 & 2 shares songs that travel across the many different emotions that arise from a love relationship, attraction, longing, desire, anger, heartache. It’s a moving listening experience and one that many people can relate to. The fan favorite, “Beautiful” tells the story of finding the guts to tell someone you’re attracted to the truth about your attraction. The City Weekly says, “Tebbs’ voice is warm and slightly lower, reminding me of the vibrato-rich voice of Lucinda Williams, and any instrumental accompaniment mostly acoustic guitar and lap steel on the album is deftly done, allowing that voice to shine,” and “…no song ever falls into the category of ‘typical love song’ because Tebbs songwriting is so thought-provoking and fresh…”

Mary’s previous release, Fuzzy Halo (co-produced at EchoTone Studios in Portland with Matthew Denton Brown), is an inspirational listen. In July of 2008, Mary was diagnosed with a brain tumor (macroadenoma) and the songs on this CD reflect a journey of awakening to life fully, accounting for the moment by moment choices that afford happiness. This CD is a gift of inspirational proportions. From her song Make It Light Mary reminds us of the gift that’s in the journey awaits our true discovery. And love is the key.

David Burger of the Salt Lake Tribune says, Fuzzy Halo is an intriguing concept CD that features Mary’s penetrating lyrics as well as music that is joyful and happy to be played and to be alive.

Though Mary has shared the stage with a wide range of national acts like Weezer, Melissa Ferrick, Karma, Luscious Jackson, Blessid Union of Souls, and The Young Dubliners to name a few, her favorite venues and audience to play for are those where the energy is focused, like a concert setting, so that there can be an exchange of connection and love. These are the performances where Mary really shines as she creates an intimate experience with those in attendance through her candid willingness to share her stories and melodies with raw emotion and humor. Mary says, love the energy exchange at house concerts and coffee shops. People are there to listen to the music and the stories behind the songs and I’m here to share my music and stories so we all get energized and edified by the experience and this is the most profound way that I connect and create relationships with my listeners.

Mary’s musical influences range from Hank Williams Sr. to Stevie Wonder. She sounds like the full range of a storm: from the calm before to the intensity during to the clearing beauty after. Comparison-wise people have said she sounds like a mix of these great singers: KD Lang, Karen Carpenter, Bonnie Raitt, and Mary Gauthier. But through and through she’s an original.

Mary’s music is about sensuality, inspiration, honesty and humor. Her performances are about laughter, reality, rawness, and connection. The City Weekly has described her songs as Swinging music that’s not afraid to wear its heart on two or three sleeves, well said.

Mary adapts warmth, richness, and the down-to-earth realness of simplicity. She is original, entertaining, and real. Listen and enjoy.