Natalie Maines & Patty Griffin - "Mary"

from Songs for Tsunami Relief: Austin to South Asia

"Mary," probably an allusion to Our Virgin Mother, originally appeared on Patty Griffin's sophomore effort, "Flaming Red." But in terms of impact, it was done best on her recent live effort, "A Kiss in Time," where Griffin really owns the song of a mother who works tireously behind the scenes while the world adores her offspring.

I picked up this version, intrigued by the (again) live setting and the addition of Natalie Maines, a Dixie Chick with an amazing way to melt your heart with her powerful voice. But, as I soon figured out, Maines doesn't take a prominent role in this cameo effort, providing doubling of Griffin's main vocal.

For her part, the native Austinite sounds tired, almost succumbing to Maines' quiver more than once. It's a pretty straightforward interpretation of the original, and one almost gets the sense that Griffin was merely going through the motions.

It's a dissapointing duet for sure. Did I mention I hate tsunami relief efforts/charity?

2/5