Mary Ann McSweeney Bassist/Composer/Arranger.



Services: Composing scores and recording for commercials, T.V Show's and Documentaries



Mary Ann McSweeney was born in Aptos, California. She started playing piano at the age of five and then began studying the violin at age 8. In high school she fell in love with the acoustic bass while watching Ray Brown perform at the Concord Jazz Festival. She was chosen to play at the Monterey Jazz Festival at age 16 with the All Star band fronted by Thad Jones and Mel Lewis.

McSweeney has played with jazz legends Dizzy Gillespie, Joanne Brackeen and Lee Konitz, Gil Goldstein and Bucky Pizzarelli. She has also played for famous conductors, Leonard Bernstein, Lalo Schifrin, and John Williams. McSweeney has performed with Renee Rosness, Vic Juris, Ken Peplowski,Dennis Makrel, Lewis Nash and Larry Goldings. She has performed with the Maiden Voyage and Diva Big Bands and performed with her quintet at the Sexial Jazz Festival in Portugal and the Mary Lou Williams Jazz Festival at the Kennedy Center. She has arranged for and recorded with Warner Bros. Artist, Lea Delaria. She has toured Europe and performed with David Krakouer’s Klezmer Madness and three time Tony award winning vocalist Audra McDonald. Her orchestrations can be heard on Chita Rivera’s new Cd entitled “Now I Swing.” Along with being full time professional bassist in New York City, McSweeney is on the faculty for the Middle School Jazz Academy at Lincoln Center. She also was elected board chairman of the Topia Arts Center in Adams, Massachusetts. She has produced two CD’s under her own name and is currently working on her third release of Fado inspired pieces.