MASON DARING and JEANIE STAHL
@1978, At the filming of The Return of the Secaucus Seven, by John Sayles
My love of music began as a child with piano, singing and guitar and crossed over, after graduating from Wellesley, an all women’s college in the Boston area, to the professional life of a folk singer and interpreter of the American Songbook. In addition to solo recording and projects, my forty-year collaboration with Mason Daring has included a variety of musical projects - albums, performances, film, television, and musical theater.
DARING AND STAHL
At the Orson Welles, Cambridge 1970s
Mason and I met at a Cambridge Club in 1973, or maybe it was 1974. Mason was performing and I was auditioning. He was attending law school, driving a cab and performing at night. I was in the backstretch of college, managing the college coffee house, putting on rock concerts and performing in area coffee houses. We decided to get together and play some tunes. We clicked musically and now, here we are, 45+ years later, still collaborating.
Our more rock n’roll years performing with a band
We recorded two albums together, appeared on national and local radio and TV, won area newspaper readers’ polls and were dubbed by the Boston Globe the "darlings of the folk scene" and by the New England Folk Almanac, “the best the era had to offer.”
Somehow two albums and a best of album, yes, we had the nerve to do a “best of” of only two albums, and forty years later we released a third album, entitled 40. In between I recorded three solo albums on the Daring Label.
PASSIM ALL STARS
Drawing by Guy Van Duser
In the mid-70’s Mason and I began performing at the legendary Club Passim (the old Club 47) in Cambridge, MA and crossed paths with some great musicians - Bill Staines, Billy Novick and Guy Van Duser, and Stuart Schulman, who plays violin and bass with Mason and me. Bob and Rae Anne Donlin were the heart and soul and owners of Passim at the time. They were enthusiastic about the idea of all of us performing together and so was born the Passim All Stars. Though we have missed a few years, we have continued to perform annually at Passim.
I was lucky to be introduced to Joan Wilson, former Executive Producer of Masterpiece Theatre. In the early 1980’s the show aired a series called, Love in a Cold Climate, about the Mitford Sisters. There were eight episodes that ran short of the hour and needed fillers. They decided on music and Joan asked me if I was interested. Of course! I was lucky to be introduced to Joan Wilson, former Executive Producer of Masterpiece Theatre. In the early 1980’s the show aired a series called, Love in a Cold Climate, about the Mitford Sisters. There were eight episodes that ran short of the hour and needed fillers. They decided on music and Joan asked if I was interested. Of course! The band and I recorded eight music videos with songs from the American Songbook. What an experience - the band in black tie, a different gown and hairdo for me for each video. It was a blast. We had our buddies with us. Stuart Schulman on violin, Billy Novick on clarinet and sax and horn arrangements, Dave Whitney on trumpet, Paul Socolow on bass, Mark Soskin on piano, Bob Weiner or drums, with Mason as music producer. Those videos were the catalyst for my album, I’m Just Foolin’ Myself, mostly songs from the 30’s and 40’s.
Return of the Secaucus Seven launched writer John Sayles’ film career as a director. Mason started out as the lawyer for the film and soon got hired as the music producer. The budget was tight and so pre-recorded songs from Mason and my first album were used in the film.
Lianna was the second film John Sayles wrote and directed. I got to sing the title song, Nevertheless, one of my all time favorite songs. Mason has continued to compose and produce the music for most of John’s films.
Another important partnership has been with Harriet Reisen, author and lyricist. We co-produced a musical theater piece - her memoir and memories of her Aunt Rita, one of the first women in advertising during the “Mad Men” years.