Reviews & Bio

It is always refreshing to hear an Artist as accomplished as Carolyn Mark, with a voice, rich and clear, full of hope and an unfettered sense of youthful exuberance. With "Just Married An Album Of Duets" Carolyn has set the Mark for all that follow, to achieve. "Just Married An Album Of Duets" takes us on a both a humorous and serious train ride aboard the quirky thing called the Relationship Between Men & Women . "Just Married An Album Of Duets" is a thoroughly enjoyable, and highly recommended CD. John Vermilyea (Blues Underground Network) 

Editorial Review Amazon.Com

The duet sometimes get maligned as a smarmy and insincere musical form... all too often you get vapid "stars" banding together to butcher some old standard in an effort to simultaneously leap on each other's bandwagon. On the other hand, when done well, a duet can transcend any other musical form by combining the strengths of two musicians to create something that shows real communication between the artists. It takes teamwork to make a great duet and if there's one thing that's certain, Carolyn Mark is all about teamwork.

During Carolyn's years of constant touring, she has made friends with singers and players from far and wide. Her rambunctious enthusiasm has always ensured that there were plenty of people happy to make beautiful music with her. Consequently, all of her recordings: Party Girl, Terrible Hostess, and the aptly named Pros and Cons of Collaboration, not to mention the Corn Sisters (with Neko Case) and the Tribute to Robert Altman's Nashville, are testaments to her ability to make friends and turn that friendship into great music. Eventually, it was plain to see, a duets album was not only inevitable, but necessary.

Just Married: An Album of Duets, as you may have already guessed, is a veritable "who's who" of Canadian indie country (and otherwise) music. Her stable of co-duetsters spans the country, including Toronto's Silver Hearts, Ford Pier (Martin Tielli), Neville Quinlan (NQ Arbuckle), Luke Doucet (Veal); Regina's Dave Lang (Timber Kings); Edmonton's Corb Lund (the Smalls); Vancouver's Amy Honey (Clover Honey), Robyn Carrigan (Bottleneck) and Geoff Berner; Gabriola Island's Nathan Tinkham; and from her hometown of Victoria, BC, Carey Mercer (Frog Eyes), Bryce Janssens (the Fine Options), Clay George, Kristen Harrison, and Tolan McNeil (who, by the way, also does a damn fine job of recording and/or mixing 10 of the 14 songs).

With an eclectic group of people like this to work with, you're going to end up with some variety. Just Married: An Album of Duets has some variety all right. You'll find both traditional and original songs here, and some that are a bit of both. Some of the songs have that dynamic tension of male vs. female vocals, and some have the camaraderie of two ladies getting down to brass tacks. There are country songs here, and some that are definitely not country. The one thing in common throughout is that intangible element known in showbiz as "heart." You just know that the musicians are having fun together and doing what they love. Everyone should have friends like that.

Fireworks w. N.Q. Arbuckle / North Country Fair w. The Silver Hearts / Rocket Piano Man w. Amy Honey / It's All Just a Matter of (Where You Draw the Line) w. Geoff Berner / Sweet Thing w. Corb Lund / Done Something Wrong w. Ford Pier / Slow Poke w. Nathan Tinkham / The Happy Bluebird Sings w. The Fine Options / The Color of Love w. Dave Lang / I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry w. Luke Doucet / Don't Come Over Baby w. Clay George / Go Figure w. Kristen Harrison / I'll Be Alright w. Robyn Carrigan / Claxton's Lament w. Carey Mercer

Bio

Some things are just meant to be. Birds are born to fly, politicians were born to lie, big fat guys with giant beards were born to ride their machines without getting hassled by the man, and Carolyn Mark was born to make music.

Ever since first taking to the stage as Templeton the rat in her elementary school's musical version of Charlotte's Web, show business has been the main driving force in Carolyn's life. After coming to the obvious conclusion that musicians were much more fun to hang around with than actors, in the early 90's Carolyn formed her first band... all-girl surfy twang popsters, The Vinaigrettes. This was the beginning of a love affair with music, musicians and the road that, even after 15+ years of crazy hard work, still puts the nitro in her funny car.

After the Vinaigrettes, Carolyn did brief stints in such bands as The Metronome Cowboys and The Fixin's before, in 2000, making her Mint Record debut with her first solo album, Party Girl. Since then, and with the help of a revolving cast of Can-Country super stars including, but not limited to, Tolan McNeil, Garth Johnson, Ford Pier, Nathan Tinkham, Corb Lund, NQ Arbuckle, Luke Doucet, Amy Honey, Greg MacDonald, Neko Case and Carey Mercer, she has released four more highly acclaimed albums. As well, she has also traveled thousands of miles entertaining crowds of 4 to 4000... touring Canada, the United States, the UK, Norway and Italy. She has shared the stage with such talented musicians as Jenny Whitely, Hank & Lily, Luther Wright, Sarah Harmer, Kelly Hogan, Lederhosen Lucil, Geoff Berner, Joel Plaskett, The Handsome Family, Neil Hamburger, JT and The Clouds, The Shiftless Rounders, NQ Arbuckle, Wanda Jackson, The Waco Brothers, The Sadies and Blue Rodeo.

July 2, 2007 marks the release of Carolyn Mark's 6th Mint album, Nothing Is Free, described by Carolyn as her "woodsy, introspective album". Appropriately enough, Nothing Is Free was recorded by Myke Hall at Beaver Point Hall (between visits from the ladies drum circle and a teenage karate class!) on British Columbia's scenic Salt Spring Island. Along for the ride this time were guitar and bass virtuoso Paul Pigat (Cousin Harley), guitar and mandolin heavyweight Paul Rigby (Neko Case), expert vocalist Emilie Rhone (Fishing Derby, Antler) and vivacious violinist and vocalist, Diona Davies (Po' Girl, Geoff Berner, ESL). Additional help was ably rendered by Allison Russell and Awna Teixeira of Po' Girl and the mythical Calvin Dick (Neckbeard).

Carolyn Mark @ The Mint Records Xmas Party 2006

Carolyn Mark performs "Destination: You" .. an unreleased song at the Lucky Bar in Victoria B.C. 
during The Mint Records Ridiculously Early Christmas Party. 
Video filmed and edited by Richard Chapman.

http://www.carolynmark.com/