Mary Ann McSweeney

Teaches at New York Jazz Workshop

Mary Ann McSweeney was born and raised in Aptos, California. She began playing the piano at age five, and began studying the violin when she was eight. She performed the Haydn Piano concerto, the Grieg piano concerto and Rhapsody in Blue on piano while playing concert master on violin and taking up jazz bass. She was chosen to perform at the Monterey Jazz Festival at age 16 with the All Star Big Band fronted by Thad Jones and Mel Lewis.

She has performed with Dizzy Gillespie, Lee Konitz, Joanne Brackeen, Dave Liebman, Lewis Nash, Holly Hoffman, Larry goldings, Gil Goldstein, Rick Margitza, Mike Wofford, Frank Wess, Dennis Makrel, Renee Rosnes, Bucky Pizzarelli,Vic Juris, Mike Le Donne, Bucky Pizzerelli, Victor Lewis, Howard Alden, Ken Peplowski, Stacy Rowles, Diva and Maiden Voyage. She also has worked with famous conductors such as Leonard Bernstein, John Williams and Lalo Schifrin.

She has recently traveled to Europe performing at the Sexial Jazz Festival in Portugal with her Quintet. She just completed a 10 day tour with Lee Konitz in Spain. She has also traveled throughout Europe with David Krakouer’s “Klezmer Madness.” Mary Ann McSweeney’s Quintet was invited to play for the Mary Lou Williams Jazz Festival at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C.

McSweeney can be seen playing bass with vocalist Lea Delaria on the PBS special Live at the Newport Jazz festival. On Lea Delaria’s Warner Bros. latest C.D.release McSweeney’s arrangement of the Patti Smith song “Dancing Barefoot,” is the first track.

Avenue Q Swings was recently performed at Birdland and the Lucille Lortel Theater to raise money for the Jazz Foundation and the Greenwich Music school. These were songs from the Tony award winning musical Avenue Q arranged by McSweeney. Mary Ann McSweeney has two C.D.‘s Thoughts of You and Swept Away on the Sparky 1 Record Label.