"Run Out of Darkness" Review by Rob Patterson, Texas Music Magazine, Spring 2007 "Texas blues and country veteran Mercier finds her focus and hits a Joplinesque sweet-spot of raw power on this primarily bluesy set that finds her wailing on classics including Willie Dixon's 'Spoonful' and Big Mama Thornton's 'Ball & Chain.' She also gives Ray Wylie Hubbard's title tune a nice country-blues workout (with Hubbard himself as a guest singer)." Mandy Mercier "RUN OUT OF DARKNESS" Review by Freddy Cellis, ROOTSTIME The Netherlands, March 2007 issue. Some dream of doing it, some try it, but Mandy can really do it: make a beautiful cd that bares her soul, from the first song to the last. Few artists have this passion and soulfulness. Blues fans should love this cd (her fourth) that offers a mixture of her own work and covers. The titlesong "Run Out of Darkness" is from Ray Wylie Hubbard, who sings harmony. Big Mama Thorton's "Ball and Chain" gets a Janis Joplin treatment which is quite daring, but Mandy pulls it off. Over Mandy's voice: it's 80% Tracy Nelson (from the forgotten and underestimated band Mother Earth) and 20% Janis Joplin. The list of well known artists with whom she's shared the stage is endless but here are a few : Lucinda Williams, Joe Ely, Townes van Zandt, Doug Sahm, Angela Strehli, Lyle Lovett, and I could name a whole lot more, all buddies with whom she's performed fiddle or back up vocals on stage or in studio. On her previous release "Wild Dreams of the Shy Boy" (2001) which was a rootsy folk-rock cd, she played once in a while the violin, but on this record she was destined to chose for the blues and thus there is no fiddle present. A top blues recording with strong covers such as Toussaint's "Hello My Lover' and "Spoonful" (W. Dixon), but also some of her own work that fits right in with the rest. It wouldn't surprise me to hear more of the name Mandy Mercier here in the Netherlands and rightfully so! (RON) translation by D.R. Mandy Mercier "RUN OUT OF DARKNESS" Review by Lucky Boyd, My Texas Music Some dream of it, and some attempt it. Mandy Mercier jumps up on top of it and beats it into submission. From the opening cut, Mercier attacks each song as if it will be her last. Few singers possess this type of passion for performing. Blues fans will enjoy the song selection on this 2006 release as Mercier blends covers, originals, and innovative arrangements of traditional tunes to produce a masterful album. Organ player: Chip Dolan, yes that Chip Dolan. (I once told Chip I was going to make him famous. I'm doing the best I can) Dolan's performance is neo-retro and perfect for Mercier's style. The title cut is a Ray Wylie Hubbard composition and Hubbard duets on the cut. Mercier's performance on "Ball and Chain" is worth the price of the disc. Not typical in her delivery, Mercier has developed a unique sound that makes her one of the best in Texas. Good friends and fellow MTM members Shake Russell and Dana Cooper both appear on the album as do Champ Hood and Paul Skelton. Excellent project top to bottom. Mandy got a nice writeup on Duggan's blog for her gig at Guero's and new CD... Merci, Mercier! Tuesday, November 21, 2006 (excerpt) Mandy Mercier - the one true heiress to Janis Joplin, another bluesy woman whose voice just broke your heart. Mandy's voice did just that to me the very first time I heard her sing – back at the Imperial Golden Crown Harmonizers’ gospel brunch at the long-defunct (and much missed) Empanada Parlour. Mandy had only recently started singing again after nearly succumbing to a killer disease – several months later, she released "Wild Dreams of the Shy Boys" - one of my favorite recordings of this decade. I was sure that Miss Mercier just had to be a Louisiana Cajun – after all, she is a longtime close pal of Lucinda Williams – but the truth is she grew up in Connecticut, honed her musical skills in New York and San Francisco (and eventually New Orleans), and did not arrive in Austin until 1980. And found her home at the Armadillo and Threadgill’s – becoming a regular on Champ Hood’s Wednesday Sittin’ and Singin’ for Supper Sessions (which also featured Christine Gage, Jimmy Dale Gilmour, and Marvin Dykhius – and many others). Mandy once told me she was the one who stayed up all night playing music and having fun, but unlike most of her guy friends got up the next morning and went to work. As either girlfriend or just good buddy, she probably kept bunches of our heroes alive and able to make the music we still revere (while nearly killing herself in the process). Blaze Foley was one of her buds, as was Ray Wylie Hubbard, whose "Run Out of Darkness" is the title track on her brand-new CD -- and, yes, the song is a great duet! "Shy Boys" showcased Mandy’s songwriting and even her fiddling skills, but there is not a fiddle in sight on this serious blues album and only one of the songs is Mandy’s own. That song - "Get There" - Mandy wrote on her way to Nashville to Walter Hyatt’s funeral. Tying strings together, this version features Uncle Walt’s bandmate and Austin legend Champ Hood on guitar – just one more memory for those who loved him to share. For good measure, we also get Dana Cooper and Shake Russell singing backing vocals on the track. Austin insiders will be pleased to know that the band for this recording is Tommy Taylor on drums, Andy Salmon on bass, Chip Dolan on organ, Marvin Dykhuis and Ben Cocke on guitars, plus Dan Earhart on piano and James Fenner on percussion – and Paul Skelton plays guitar on "You’ve Got to Move," the old standard (but as arranged by Mandy and Blaze) which closes out the CD. There is also Willie Dixon’s "Spoonful," Sippy Wallace’s "Special Delivery Blues," John Sebastian’s "Sportin’ Life," and Tom Pacheco’s "Wild Heart" – which is killer! But the show stopper – and as a veteran of Mandy and band on Janis’ birthday – we get the Mandy Mercier version of Big Mama Thornton’s "Ball & Chain." No - Mandy does not sound "like Janis" – she just makes you feel the same way Janis did when she sings. It’s in her phrasing, it’s in her vocal power – but what makes all the difference is that Mandy is maybe the ONLY woman who has walked in Janis-like shoes and paid her dues – and survived [which is an amazing thing in itself given that our gal will admit herself that she has not always been her own body’s best friend]. And among living white woman blues singers, Mandy to me ranks right up there with my all-time favorite Tracy Nelson (Mother Earth) and maybe ahead of Mandy’s own girlhood idol - Maria Muldaur. Several members of the Hood family drove over from Lake Charles to celebrate the release of Mandy's new CD at her two-set show at Guero's beautiful garden -- and her very hot band included Taylor, Salmon, and Dolan -- plus the left-handed Mark Viator on lead guitar and Mandy herself on acoustic and electric guitar -- and fiddle in the second set. http://flanfire.blogspot.com - Austinite Duggan Flanakin tells of his travels and observations on life in central Texas and things in general.