Meeting Maria Taylor

Thanks to the fine folks at Nettwerk, I got a chance on Saturday night to see former Azure Ray singer Maria Taylor perform at The Echo.

I've always loved Maria's dreamy, soft voice; if you've been paying attention to my playlist through the years, you've probably noticed several Azure Ray tracks, as well as solo singles from Maria's last album, "11:11." (Azure Ray's "New Resolution" remains one of my faves.)

Maria was in town to promote her new CD, "Lynn Teeter Flower." (She also performed live in-studio for KCRW's Morning Becomes Ecelctic. You can see a video of her MBE performance here.)

As for the show itself, it was nice to see Maria and the band really connect with the audience -- and they all seem to really gel on stage. It was a tad tough to hear her vocals at times (I was told she doesn't have her own sound mixer yet on tour); but she still lived up to expectations. Maria ended her set with a lively rendition of "Song Beneath the Song," one of the more well-known tracks from "11:11" (it's the one with the chorus, "It's not a love, it's not a love, it's not a love song.") The entire band -- which includes her sister Kate, on keyboards -- got into it, and it was a nice way to cap the show (which was all too short).

Nice also to run into a Franklin Avenue reader at the show -- Nettwerk's JT Griffith, who even introduced me to Maria after the show.

It was also my first time at The Echo (remember, I have a kid now, so "going to shows" hasn't been an option as of late). It's conveniently not too far from our Glendale home, and a intimate way to watch a show.