Deeper Digs in Rock: Maria Muldaur
The Rock N Roll Archaeologist sits down with the impishly sweet Maria Muldaur! With a new album of traditional blues and a recent Grammy nomination, Christian and the Greenwich Village born Ms. Muldaur discuss her upbringing, THAT song, her forty one solo albums to date and all the great musicians she has had the pleasure to work with in her career.
Maria Muldaur is best known world-wide for her 1974 mega-hit “Midnight at the Oasis,”which received several Grammy nominations, and enshrined her forever in the hearts of Baby Boomers everywhere; but despite her considerable pop music success, her 50+ year career could best be described as a long and adventurous odyssey through the various forms of American Roots Music.
During the folk revival of the early '60s, she began exploring and singing early Blues, Bluegrass and Appalachian “Old Timey” Music, beginning her recording career in 1963 with the Even Dozen Jug Band and shortly thereafter, joining the very popular Jim Kweskin Jug Band, touring and recording with them throughout the '60s.
In the 40 years since “Midnight at the Oasis,” Maria has toured extensively worldwide and has recorded 41 solo albums covering all kinds of American Roots Music, including Gospel, R&B, Jazz and Big Band (not to mention several award-winning children’s albums).
She also did a stint in the Jerry Garcia Band and is on the only studio album, “Cats Under the Stars”, released in 1978
She has now settled comfortably into her favorite idiom, the Blues. Often joining forces with some of the top names in the business, Maria has recorded and produced on-average an album per year, several of which have been nominated for Grammys and other awards.
In 2018 she released her latest, “Don’t You Feel My Leg: The Naughty Bawdy Blues of Blue Barker” an album paying tribute to a heroine of Maria’s Blue Lu Barker. It was nominated for a 2019 Grammy, making that the sixth for Maria.