Page 23 - Poze Magazine--Volume 40

"If You don't dig The Blues.....

There's a Hole in your Soul"!

A longtime staple of Chicago's West Side blues circuit, singer Mary Lane was born November 23, 1935 in
Clarendon, Arkansas. After honing her skills in local juke joints in the company of Howlin' Wolf, Robert
Nighthawk, Little Junior Parker and James Cotton, Lane relocated to Chicago in 1957; backed by Morris Pejoe,
she soon cut her debut single "You Don't Want My Lovin' No More" for the Friendly Five label. A favorite
among peers for her dulcet tones, she nevertheless did not record again for several decades, remaining virtually
unknown outside of the Chicago blues faithful; finally, in the early 1990s, Lane recorded a handful of tracks for
the Wolf label, leading to 1997's full-length Appointment with the Blues.

"I've been a black woman scuffling out here for a long time," says Lane. "Life has been hard. It ain't been easy.“
Even with a fine new album, "Appointment With the Blues," on the fledgling Noir label, the West Sider
sometimes ponders giving it all up to devote her talents to the church.

It's amazing that "Appointment With the Blues" is Lane's debut album. The singer recorded a single back in 1963
for the obscure Friendly Five label (both sides are redone on her new CD), but recording opportunities generally
proved elusive. Moreover, the new disc is filled with attractive originals (another rarity these days, especially
among local blueswomen). Lane looks deep within herself for songwriting inspiration.
"It's all about things that are happening in your life," she says. "Things that happened to you, and things that you
do and things that you don't do. You think about all those things most of the time -- especially if you're a country
girl."
The Arkansas-born Lane began singing blues barely into her teens. Soon she was working with slide guitar
master Robert Nighthawk.

"I was about 16 or 17 when I did a few shows with him in a place called Marvell, Ark.," she says. "It was fun to
me. It was beautiful. I was just out there being wild!“

Lane came north in 1957, settling in north suburban Waukegan. There she met guitarist Morris Pejoe, who had
recorded for Chess and Vee-Jay. She moved to Chicago in 1961, playing the West Side, and she and Pejoe had
three daughters (including singer Lynne Lane, who shares Saturday's bill at the Zodiac). Their relationship
ended, but Lane stuck with her music even when the going got rough. She was a regular attraction at Theresa's
Lounge during the early 1980s and briefly fronted Mississippi Heat earlier this year (Lane's reluctance to fly
scuttled the partnership).

Despite being disappointed that her CD hasn't turned more heads, Lane remains dedicated to the blues.