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New York Monthly Herald. May 2006 Issue P. 16  Beginning of the article  Continued from page 15    Continues on page 17

NEW.YORK'S.DIVAS 

MERCEDES HALL REVOLUTIONIZED BLUES. SHE BLENDED IT WITH  CLASS AND ARISTOCRATIC FLAIR...AND IT WORKED!

Would you believe the outcry of blues could resonate like Monte Carlo bubbly champagne? Listen to Mercedes Hall's voice and you will be drunk! Classy, classy, classy, silky voice with a bursting passion for life. Oui Monsieur, Yes Contessa, class and style are so important in showbiz. Unless you want to be remembered as a fading shadow of Mae West. Mercedes Hall symbolizes refinement and elegance in an arena, usually molded with life drama and frightening reality. I am talking about BLUES, the bleeding whispers of the underprivileged, the suffering soul and shadows of people in the corn fields... But Mercedes Hall nourished the Blues dramatic human emotions by pouring drops of joy, elegant vocal bursting, and most unique personal originality. Her stage presence is melodramatic, yet her stunning face, refined mannerism, stylish vocal interpretation blend perfectly with the inner vibs of a melancholic Jazzy Blues. Quite a revolutionary approach and monumental accomplishment. This woman will enchant you, mesmerize you and confuse the hell out of you. She is a dominant force with this "un je ne sais quoi" untouchable class. Class and finesse of her own. In other words, Mercedes Hall is the femme fatale par excellence. The looks certainly help. Physical beauty is de facto an asset. But blend those two with unmatched talent and stage presence, and you get the perfect formula of a diva. Mercedes is that kind of diva.

Mercedes knows a lot about "Voice", for she is also a voice teacher in Manhattan. Did I mention that Mercedes managed the successful acting career of her son Michael who worked with Burt Reynolds and Chevy Chase, and became the youngest member of "The Brat Pack". Michael Hall  is one of the producers of "The Dead Zone". He is doing just great. Thank mamma! She is a manager/impresario extraordinaire!

In  Cape Code Times, Candace Hammond wrote: "For many years, Hall's career took a back seat to that of her son, actor Anthony Michael Hall ("The Breakfast Club," "Sixteen Candles," and now, USA television's, "The Dead Zone"). She says making sure he was well taken care of was always her priority. Hall says she was often asked how she managed to keep her son, who became a big movie star at 15 years old, grounded. "I told them it was because when he was home his name was Anthony Take-Out-The-Garbage-Hall," she jokes. "But, seriously, I told him, 'Don't believe in the hype; it's a business, a glamorous business, but it's still just a business."

MERCEDES HALL IS AN ANOMALY! A PHENOMENON!

Critics are raving about Mercedes Hall. Some called her a queen, others a goddess, and a third group compared her to Judy Garland and Edith Piaf...And Oh Yes! waves of adoring fans strew roses, and roses and roses around  her feet.

In the Hollywood Reporter, Will Tusher wrote: "Mercedes Hall, a white robed golden goddess...who sings just about the purest soul...She is a wicked generator of moods has superb phrasing and musicianship...has a dramatic, insinuating style...the impact of her personality is strong...". WQXR - FM's Lloyd Moss wrote: " It's always exciting to be in on the discovery of a new talent...a pop singer with remarkable vocal and artistic range and a presentation that should propel her onto the top ranks once word of her star quality gets around..." In the L.A. Times, Legendary Jazz Critic, Leonard Feather stated: "Mercedes Hall is an ANOMALY...she is unmistakably caucasian, yet her sound, quality and feeling are more likely to conjure up memories of Dinah Washington or Aretha Franklin...Record company executives looking for a star to build would be well advised to check her out; she is more than just another pretty voice." New York Post's Bob Harrington wrote: "Electric, lustful rhythm and blues". "There is a new spelling for the word excitement: M-E-R-C-E-D-E-S...She is a singer from the blue-eyed soul school of music. She takes a classic American pop standard and gives the tunes her own unique spin.", wrote Cabaret Review's Robert M. Goodman. And Susan Mellen from Nightlife crowned the whole deal. She wrote: "How long since you've seen an audience strew roses around a performer's feet? ...everyone loves her with a fervor rarely seen anymore...it's the kind of feeling Judy Garland and Edith Piaf evoked...they give her ovation after ovation. "

Continues on page 17

 

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