Mary Foster Conklin

Consummate Jazz Vocalist and Archivist

Mary Foster Conklin won her third Bistro Award in 2007 for Tribute Recording. Blues for Breakfast—Remembering Matt Dennis was a passion project, post-9/11, which set her on the path to becoming a true archivist of 20th century popular song. Her shows are a mix of old and new music, with an emphasis on lesser-known material and tunesmiths that deserve a second listen, such as Matt Dennis, Bob Dorough, Beat poet Fran Landesman, and the dark art songs of rock-and-roll icons Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. A New Jersey native who came to New York to pursue theatre work, her transformation from actor to jazz singer began when she joined jazz drummer Art Lillard’s Heavenly Band and the music naturally shifted from show tunes to blues, Latin, and bebop.

In New York, Conklin’s talents have earned her a place on the stages of Mezzrow, Pangea, Birdland, The Blue Note, Zinc Bar, Jazz at Lincoln Center, and the Iridium.  When the Highline opened, she made news singing from various fire escapes as “The Lady in the Red Dress” with the Renegade Cabaret. Her weekly radio show, now in its tenth year, is based at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, NJ. A Broad Spectrum – the Ladies of Jazz celebrates women composers and lyricists and streams online at WFDU.FM every Sunday. Her fifth recording, These Precious Days, a heartfelt collection of popular and jazz tunes penned primarily by women, was released in 2023 to critical acclaim and worldwide airplay. www.maryfosterconklin.com