Mary Ann Hurst - Wishing On A Star (2005)

Mary Ann Hurst, vocals: bn Long Island, NY. Raised in Asia, Europe, U.S. Initial exposure to jazz via WWII parents' album collection: Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Nat King Cole, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Jackie Gleason, Sophie Tucker. Key moments that developed an interest in jazz: hearing Duke Ellington's orchestra play under the stars in Marseilles, France, watching "Satchmo" & Ella perform. She's performed in Ankara, Beijing and the US: Boston, Honolulu, New York, South Carolina & Texas.

Freddie Bryant: received his Master's degree in classical guitar from the Yale School of Music. Active in the New York jazz scene, he works with Ben Riley's Monk Legacy Septet , the Mingus Orchestra, and records with Trio del Sol (Twinz Records). He's toured with legends Salif Keita, Maestro Giora Feidman and Tom Harrell (as a member of his quintet, 1999-2001), and has recorded and/or played with Tom Harrell, D.D. Jackson, Steve Wilson, Kevin Hays, Rosanna Vitro, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Sheila Jordan, Randy Brecker, David Sanchez, and others. He recently performed at the Kennedy Center with the Billy Taylor Trio, and is a U.S. Department of State "Jazz Ambassador."

Gilad Dobrecky, born and raised in Israel, grew up with diverse musical styles from Brazil, India, Europe (classical music) and the US (jazz). He's performed with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and top artists of Israel. His group "Hameshbesh" won first prize at the Red Sea International Jazz Festival in 1987. Gilad performs in New York and has recorded with Randy Brecker, Joshua Redman, Ornette Coleman, Joe Locke, Dave Kikoski and Richard Bona. He was selected as one of the Top 12 players in the "Percussionist on Fire" contest conducted by JAZZIZ magazine and has recently been touring and recording with Al Dimeola and his World Sinfonia Band.

Review from the internet's premiere jazz site, All About Jazz:

"Hurst has another new release, Wishing On A Star...an intriguing and very effective package…a well-wrought session that begins with more than a touch of the cool female vocalists of the 1950s. Even the opening track, “Pete Kelly's Blues,” is pure jazz nostalgia, taken from the soundtrack of the Jack Webb film."

"Hurst's trio is not your usual piano/bass/drums unit but a combination of voice with acoustic guitar and percussion, giving this album a decidedly intimate patina. Mary Ann delivers many of the tunes in ballad tempo, raising the tempo on others to provide contrast to such titles as “Skylark,” “When You Wish Upon A Star,” and ”You Must Believe in Spring.” “Soon It's Gonna Rain,” “A Taste of Honey,” with a Latin pulse from Gilad, and a midtempo “The Surrey With The Fringe On Top” all work to provide a well-mixed set."

"Let us respect the value of percussionist Gilad and especially guitarist/arranger Freddie Bryant on this album. Bryant is a wonder, either strumming on the uptempo songs or providing sensitive playing and solo work on the majority. The tongue-in-groove fit of his playing and Hurst's smoky vocals place this album on a special shelf."