The editors at Hudson Valley Magazine selected Project Mercury "Best New Band" of 2006, and they are also a favorite at Rockland Magazine. Brewing up a custom blend of acoustic rock and modern folk with traces of blues & classical, their special ingredients are three-part harmony, guitar, violin, cello and bass.
The band has been on the Hudson Valley and New Jersey music map for over 10 years. Launched initially by singer-songwriter-guitarist Marian Mastrorilli as a full-blown rock band,...
The editors at Hudson Valley Magazine selected Project Mercury "Best New Band" of 2006, and they are also a favorite at Rockland Magazine. Brewing up a custom blend of acoustic rock and modern folk with traces of blues & classical, their special ingredients are three-part harmony, guitar, violin, cello and bass.
The band has been on the Hudson Valley and New Jersey music map for over 10 years. Launched initially by singer-songwriter-guitarist Marian Mastrorilli as a full-blown rock band, she and violinist-vocalist Charlene Donohue refocused into the more audience-friendly acoustic genre. The picture was complete with the addition of Craig Fox on guitar and vocals in January '03; in January '05 Jeanne Fox rocketed Project Mercury into a string quartet with her mad cello and bass skills!
Part of the fun of a Project Mercury show is the element of surprise. Will their next song be introspective and dramatic, with a violin and cello arrangement? Will it be upbeat and witty, bursting with harmony? Or will it rock the house? With a camaraderie that comes across onstage, PM is harmonious both literally and personally. Three distinct voices take turns in the spotlight and back one another: Marian's airy soprano, Charlene's earthy alto and Craig's rich baritone. Jeanne's cello and basslines interweave with violin over a backdrop of solid acoustic guitar work.
Project Mercury's 6-song mini-CD Down to Earth, released in '05, features the earnest acoustic sound of the band's "pre-Jeanne" days as a trio. Their first CD Light This Candle, released in '02, uses full production and arrangements to showcase roots in 70's rock and singer-songwriter balladry. It gained airplay on over 60 radio stations, including WFUV, WNTI, WFDU and WVKR.
The band has built a solid reputation by performing steadily at festivals and venues throughout NY and NJ, including a winning songwriter's slot at the NJ Folk Festival's New Folk Showcase in '02. Their tri-state travels have taken them from as far north as Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs, through Bodles Opera House in Chester and The Knitting Factory in NY, to The Saint in Asbury Park, NJ. They have shared bills with Sarah Lee Guthrie, Mark Erelli, The Kennedys, Cliff Eberhardt, Galdalf Murphy & the Slambovian Circus of Dreams, Terence Martin, Sloan Wainwright and regional colleagues Pat Wictor and Red Molly.
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