Name: Margaret Slovak and Chris Maresh
Start: 2024-12-21T20:00:00-06:00
End: 2024-12-21T22:00:00-06:00
Location: Sessions On Mary

Join us for a special Sessions On Mary Holiday Show with Margaret Slovak and Chris Maresh!
Margaret Slovak & Chris Maresh - CD Release Concert for A Star's Light Does Fall
Guitarist Margaret Slovak and bassist Chris Maresh will celebrate the release of their unique new Christmas CD, A Star's Light Does Fall, an album of 11 enchanting instrumental jazz interpretations of holiday classics such as "O Come O Come Emmanuel" and non-traditional Christmas songs such as "Infant Eyes" by jazz legend Wayne Shorter and "Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen.
All are welcome; BYOB or enjoy house drinks. Advance tickets are $15 and will soon be available HERE.
Advance tickets and/or reservations are encouraged. Doors are at 7:30 pm; concert begins at 8:00 pm. This show will be set up listening room style with seating available for all.
Coincidentally, this is also the Winter Solstice; there will be magic and beauty in the air!
Your generosity is what keeps the music flowing.
Inside at 604 W Mary St
BYOB or enjoy the house drinks. There'll be mixers, lemons/limes, and olives too. Light snacks provided. Feel free to bring some but definitely not expected.
Special thanks to Tito's Handmade Vodka.
Margaret Slovak
Guitarist and composer Margaret Slovak was born and raised in Denver, Colorado; she began playing the guitar at age 11 and composing at age 14. In 1986, Margaret received a BFA in Music (with honors) from the Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, Washington. Her teachers included guitarists John
Abercrombie, Dale Bruning, Dave Peterson and Ralph Towner; she also studied at the Banff Centre Jazz Workshop in Alberta, Canada. Margaret’s deeply emotional and visually inspired music blends elements of jazz and classical styles.
Margaret has performed throughout the US, as well as in Canada, Germany and the Czech Republic. She moved to Austin, Texas in 2012 from New York, where she lived from 1988 -1993 and again from 2008 - 2012. While in NYC, Margaret had the opportunity to perform and record with legendary pianists Fred Hersch and Joel Weiskopf, bassists Michael Formanek and Harvie S and drummer Michael Sarin. While living in Portland, Oregon, she toured the Pacific NW and Canada with her quartet, which included
drummer Bob Moses.
In addition to public performances, Margaret plays for patients in chemotherapy infusion centers, hospitals and hospice; she also performed for wounded combat veterans at the Bronx VA Hospital in NYC from 2009 - 2012. Margaret is also a visual artist, creating images which reflect her musical compositions; her colorful artwork appears on her CD packages.
Margaret has released 5 CDs featuring her original music: Undying Hope, New Wings, For the Moment, Ballad for Brad and A Star’s Light Does Fall. Margaret’s albums have received extensive airplay, and her music has been used in several documentary films. Margaret is also included in Scott Yanow’s 2013 book The Great Jazz Guitarists: The Ultimate Guide.
www.margaretslovak.com
Chris Maresh
Virtuoso bassist and composer Chris Maresh was born in Beaumont, Texas and raised in San Antonio, TX. He began his professional music career in Austin, TX in 1984. In 1990, Chris received a BM in Applied Double Bass Performance with an Emphasis in Jazz from the University of Texas at Austin. His
lyrical, soulful and tasteful playing has established him as one of the most in-demand studio and live performance musicians in Austin.
Chris has performed and recorded with numerous jazz and blues artists, singer-songwriters and musical organizations including Eric Johnson, Mike Stern, Mitch Watkins, Ellis Marsalis, Johnny Nicholas, Pinetop Perkins, Marcia Ball, Amanda Rose Shires, Monte Montgomery and The Austin Symphony. In 2002, 2005
and 2006 Chris was named “Bass Player of the Year” at the Austin Chronicle Music Awards at the SXSW Music Festival.
Chris has performed on more than 200 albums. A major career breakthrough was his 10-year association with guitar legend Eric Johnson and his side project, Alien Love Child, where Chris’s composition “Rain” was nominated for Best Pop Instrumental Performance at the 44th Grammy® Awards in 2002. Another
highlight was Chris’s appearance on Eric Johnson and jazz guitarist Mike Stern’s lauded 2014 album, Eclectic. In addition, Chris has released two solo albums of his unique original compositions, Tomorrow and Side Street.
Chris appeared on Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Festival DVD and Eric Johnson’s Live at the Grove DVD. He also played on many movie soundtracks including Spy Kids 2, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Michael, Happy Texas and Sliding Doors. Chris was also interviewed in 2011 in a promotional video as part of the 60th Anniversary of the Fender Precision Bass.