Mid Mitten 15 From Harvest Canteen: 003-Special Edition with Mary Lee Kortes: The Songs Of Beulah Rowley 2-19-24

Michigan Music History Podcast -- MMHP989

Heads up Michigan Music Fans: It’s been a year since I did my last Mid-Mitten ‘15’ From Harvest Canteen as a bonus episode for the MMHP—and while you patiently await Part 2 this Thursday for Zydeco Ziggy, I am prepping a one-on-one phone conversation with the one and only Mary Lee Kortes. 100% Portland, Michigan, by way of Brooklyn, New York (since a move in the early ‘80s) Mary Lee was on fire with Mary Lee’s Corvette in the ‘90s and ‘00s. Some of you may recall her bills with Joe Jackson over the years. Or maybe made it to the gig when she opened for Bob Dylan? Having her youth piano bench pried open at the age of 10 to find the music and lyrics of one Beulah Rowley (written at the turn of the last century), MLK spent years awaiting for the moment to release this haunting, stark and coveted set of gems onto the world. Teamed up with the late, great, genius producer Hal Willner (Lou Reed, Mingus, Disney fans take note), Will Anybody Know That I Was Here: The Songs Of Beulah Rowley ring true today and offer a glimpse at a young Michigan songwriter who perished in a fire. Or was it something else? Three anecdotes adorn the liner notes where this April 22, 2023 on Record Store Day epic appeared on Vinyl for the first time. Mary Lee was able to bring her dreams to life from one Michigan songwriter to another, giving a voice to a lost one. Tune in next Monday for this amazing hour-long episode where we hear about Beulah, MLK’s Corvette history, her dreams of Bob Dylan and the book that she wrote, and so much more. By the way—bonus points if you can catch her gig in NYC tomorrow night https://www.maryleescorvette.com/ https://maryleekortes.bandcamp.com/.../will-anybody-know...