By Chuck Whiting
MCAU Editor
DENVER
(March 2015) – Award-winning folk-Americana artist Mary Beth Cross is exploring
new musical and visual territory by releasing a techno-pop-dance song video of
the Noel Brazil classic, "Babes in the Wood".
The
video, which was filmed at various landmarks including Denver's Union Station,
features Cross performing on a snowy, dark downtown street with five dancers
from Cherry Creek Dance. The performances are accented with clips of roaming
wolves from Yellowstone National Park, a reminder that danger lurks just beyond
the happy-go-lucky innocence of youthful bliss.
Cross
describes her project as "a visual story of the wolf in nature at
Yellowstone and mankind's living in harmony with the Earth, nature, one another
and ourselves." The artist's smooth soprano vocals are energized with
vocal echoes, drifting synthesizers, electronic pulses, and heavy percussion.
"You
might call my techno-pop song video of 'Babes in the Wood' a creative
endeavor," said Cross, who recently received the "2014 Folk-Country
CD of the Year Award" from the National Traditional Country Music
Association. "There are times when we need to step out of our comfort
zone. In this case, I wanted to help individuals experience the deeper subconscious
meaning of the battle between Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf. The
presentation is both beautiful and haunting."
The
artist's vocals were re-mixed from an existing recording with the electronic
wizardry of Nashville producer/arranger/keyboardist Matt Stanfield. The
atmospheric, rhythmic rendition is a sharp contrast to the popular folk song
she recorded for her last album, "Beyond Good and Evil". She
describes the newer dance version as more moody, creating an atmosphere of
mystery and evoking the imagination of the listener.
Produced
and directed by Cross, the video was shot in the dead of winter by Joseph E.
Films. Choreographer Stephanie Prosenjak coordinated the
sidewalk dance scenes featuring Cherry Creek Dancers McKenna Gehrke, Emma Knor, Seamus
Peart, Ellie Shin, and Charlotte
Thayer. The roaming wolf sequences were provided by Bob
Landis Photography and Bill Campbell of Homefire
Productions. Various scenes were shot inside Denver's Union Station and outside
the Crawford Hotel and Stoic and Genuine Restaurant.
"The
dancers were dressed in red-accented and blue-blended plaid shirts, reminiscent
of Colorado's urban gangs," added cross, who dressed in a red pea coat her
mother gave her in college. "Like nature, we are finding ways to
camouflage ourselves to co-exist in a dangerous world. We can embrace fear, or
we can choose to hold our ground. My video encourages viewers to do the
latter."
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| Mary Beth Cross |
In
the lyric, Brazil paints a striking picture of the battle between good and
evil. For Cross, his message is both troubling and reassuring. Predatory wolves
are lurking about to sabotage one's dreams. Families fall apart, criminals do
harm, and the innocent become prey.
"Metaphorically,
there's a Big Bad Wolf lurking inside all of us," the artist continued.
"The song and video bring to light the process of our childhood innocence
maturing into adulthood and the choice of becoming the predator or prey, and
finding a balance of the two within ourselves. By bringing this to one's
consciousness, we can make the choice to allow others to co-exist without a
ruthless battle, living in peace and harmony. I believe that the hope for the
planet lies in the balance of progress and thoughtful living."
Cross
received national exposure in 2013 with the release of her fourth CD,
"Beyond Good and Evil". The project, which was produced by
Dave Bechtel, landed a top-five ranking on Airplay Direct. Critics around the
world praised the album, with Country Music News International calling it
worthy of "Americana CD of the Year". In 2014, she received the
"Folk-Country CD of the Year Award" at the Old-Time Music Festival
and Convention.
The
CD gives voice to the pioneer spirit of the American frontier with original
songs and cover tunes. Cross spent more than a year penning songs reflecting
the grit and determination of the adventurers who blazed a trail from the East
to the West in search of what they treasured most: beauty, adventure, land, new
opportunities for work, and freedom from oppression. Although she didn't write
it, her folk-Americana rendition of "Babes in the Wood" remains a
favorite.
The
artist has also performed extensively across the U.S. and Canada. Highlights
include Folk Alliance International in Kansas City and Toronto; the Black Rose
Acoustic Society in Colorado Springs and Black Forest, Colo.; radio station
KRFC-FM’s “Live @ Lunch” show at Colorado State University; the “Colorado
Performing Arts Jamboree” in Golden, Colo.; Swallow Hill Music in Denver;
Metropolitan State College in Denver; the Delta Chelsea Hotel in Toronto; the
Denver Coliseum; the Colorado Association of School Nurses in Breckenridge,
Colo.; the Fall Out Urban Arts Center in Minneapolis; the "Summer Concert
Series" in Arvada, Colo.; and the Musicians United to Protect Bristol Bay
Concert in Raleigh, N.C. In 2015, She will visit Paris for a performance at the
"European Independent Film Festival".
Cross
is also busy writing songs for her fifth album, which will reflect on what it
feels like to be home. The project will be recorded later this year for release
in early 2016. Like her other albums, including "Beyond Good and
Evil", her songs will offer "thoughtful, soothing music for thoughtful
living".
“I’ve
discovered that people are yearning to find acceptance and solace in a dizzying
world of pressure-filled expectations,” Cross added. “People long for an
authentic, non-formula approach.
An
accomplished vocalist and tunesmith, Cross moved to Denver in the 1980s to
pursue a nursing career. Her music is influenced by the rural farmland and
forests of her Wisconsin upbringing and the Rocky Mountains where she currently
resides. She carefully chooses acoustic instrumentation to bring her
story-driven songs to life. Her music represents a few of the cultures that
have contributed to what has become American music today, including the banjos
of African immigrants; the pipes, whistles and percussion of Celtic music
makers in the British Isles; and the horns, accordions and fiddles of French
cafes. Cross's recordings spotlight her soaring, pure-tone soprano vocals.
"Through
the sweet purity of her voice, Mary Beth has captured the underlying haunting
story in 'Babes in the Wood'," said artist Dierdre Keohane, partner of the
late Irish songwriter Noel Brazil. "I know
Noel would be proud of this version."
Matt
Stanfield is known around the world for his beautiful, strange, evolving and
hauntingly addictive arrangements featuring forward-thinking piano. He has
worked with artists such as Norah Jones, Kelly Clarkson, Natalie Grant, Jonas
Brothers, Newsboys, and Chris Thomlin.
"On
a literal level, there is a real and present struggle for the DNR of the Great
Lakes Region of the U.S.," Cross said. "There is currently federally
regulated protection of the wolves. Legislation passed in December 2014 called
off the fall wolf hunt, as they are protected under the endangered species
list. This, along with harsh winters, has caused a dramatic impact on the
whitetail deer population in the north woods of Wisconsin, including the
Nicolet National Forest, where my family has participated in the buck hunt
every fall for over three generations. As wolf experts in Yellowstone have
assured me, the secret lies in the balance as each animal has a role and an
impact on the ecosystem."
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