- Music
- 23 Jan 23
The highly anticipated new album from Dublin singer Mary Stokes and her acclaimed band is available now
Following the release of their lauded 2021 album, Comin' Home – the winner of Blues and Roots Radio's Album of the Year award – The Mary Stokes Band are back with a brand new LP, Let 'Er Roll!
Available to purchase as a digital album and on limited edition CD now via Bandcamp, the album will have its official launch party on February 10, in Arthur's Blues and Jazz Club in Dublin, at 8.30pm. You can expect to hear songs by Memphis Minnie, Billie Holiday, Little Walter, Big Walter, Otis Rush, Rory Gallagher, Sugar Pie DeSanto, Muddy Waters, Billy Boy Arnold, Bo Diddley, Bessie Smith, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee and others, along with the band’s sensational original songs.
The Mary Stokes Band have left an indelible mark on Irish and international music. Their 1997 debut Ten Years On The Road, a nod their legendary live profile, was a powerful statement of blues prowess. In recent years, Mary's iconic sound has been revitalised by the addition of guitarist Sarah Michelle to her band. They're joined by Mary's long-time sideman, harmonica maestro Brian Palm, as well as bassist Zamo Riffman and drummer Jay Oglesby.
"After the remarkable international success of our 2021 album, Comin’ Home, we were presented with an age old dilemma: 'How do we follow it?'" the band state in their official album description. "Our response was to relaunch our seminal album Clouds In My Heart, Live in Dublin (1999) while we developed a plan for our next move.
"Unintentionally, many of the same factors which had motivated the previous year’s recording session for Comin’ Home were still in play, and they reasserted themselves," they continue. "The continuation of Covid related issues restricted health, travel and touring for many musicians, including us. Key members of our band naturally drifted apart and needed to be replaced for a busy summer performing schedule. We recruited the multi-talented Zamo Riffman to play bass guitar, and drummer extraordinaire Jay Oglesby, both of whom we had shared the stage with many times before."
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They recorded the project at Displace Studios in Dublin, with Tom Lee and Darren Roe. Let 'Er Roll! was mixed by Pete Holidai, and mastered by Joe Chester.
Order The Mary Stokes Band's new album from Bandcamp below:
Tickets for the album launch party at Arthur’s Blues & Jazz Club in Dublin are available here