The Sweet Maries—Amy Shoemaker and Susie Lofton—are a harmony forward, female fronted singer-songwriter acoustic band that plays original songs and select covers from the ’60s and ’70s. The genres touched upon include Americana, Gospel, Folk, Jazz and Rock.
Very acoustic, very much listening music, very heavenly altogether.
Amy Marie Shoemaker
Amy Shoemaker
Amy ‘Marie’ Shoemaker is an artist by every definition: painting beautiful songs with her colorful lyrics, she blends musical genres together as a singer-songwriter, poet, producer, and musician. With a background in theatre including MFAs in Acting and Directing, it’s no wonder that she inspires others with her classic songs and music, bringing that familiar sense of playfulness and stage presence to the concert hall. She has performed across the US, Ireland, and Canada with several bands: The Rolling Mothers, Ladies View, Fizgig, Earl Fly, The Shoemakers, and Amy and the Rhinos.
Amy is self-taught on the guitar and also plays piano and bazouki. Amy has played at many of the Chicago area’s finest establishments including a residency at SPACE in Evanston with Amy and the Rhinos, Pick-Staiger Concert Hall, and her musical compositions have been performed at Chicago’s Symphony Center.
Susie Marie Lofton
Susie Lofton
Susie ‘Marie’ Lofton is a vocalist and recording artist. Her vocal timbre has been remarked to be smooth, soulful, strong and beautiful. Her collaboration in The Sweet Maries as vocalist, percussionist, writer and recording artist has been a blessing to her.
Some of Susie’s recording credits include Chicago Recording Company w/ engineer Matt LeJune & her band SPYDER MONKEY, Doug McBride & Gravity Studios for the song "Tomorrow Comes", by John Kopp and most notably with Grammy nominated producer Jeffrey Wood for The Sweet Maries self-titled album, their holiday release “Hark”, sophomore recording "Tall Trees & Riverbeds" and their latest release “Love Hurts”
Susie has performed at notable venues including Chicago’s Double Door, House of Blues Chicago, Evanston’s SPACE and the 12 Bar Club in Soho, London. She has also performed live on WFMT’s classical radio station.
GUEST ARTISTS
Don Stiernberg (Mandolin) has been a professional musician for nearly 50 years. Along the way he has been involved in performing, writing, recording, producing, and teaching, but is best known for his mandolin playing. His path was set very early on as he grew up north of Chicago. Emulating his older brother, he experimented with playing various stringed instruments, finally landing on the mandolin. Things got serious when an ad played on the radio: “Study Mandolin with the great Jethro Burns”… At his first lesson he discovered what he wanted to do: play the mandolin, be a musician, and try to be as cool as Jethro Burns! Within a few short years he was playing professionally, first in a bluegrass band with his brother, later standing right next to his hero in The Jethro Burns Quartet. There was no turning back, and thanks to encouragement and mentorship from his family and hero he is still out there trying to achieve those early goals.
Jim Cox (Bass) grew up in Champaign Illinois where he also attended and graduated from the University of Illinois in 1979. He has worked as a full time professional musician since then based out of Chicago. He toured with Earl "Fatha" Hines from 1979-82. He also worked regularly with Marian McPartland for almost 20 years. Jim continues to free lance locally and globally, performing and recording in various musical genres including jazz, klezmer, bluegrass, pop, cabaret and classical. Some of the artists he has worked with include Rosemary Clooney, Michael Feinstein, Debbie Boone, Liza Minelli, Ann Hampton Callaway, Christine Ebersol, Wesla Whitfield, Phil Woods, Don Stiernberg, Judy Roberts, Ray McKinley, The Maxwell Street Klezmer Band, Lyric Opera of Chicago and the Chicago Sinfonietta, Shari Lewis and Lamb Chop.
Chuck Wasserburg grew up near LA and picked up the guitar as a kid. Along with listening to the usual rock & roll suspects in high school, he discovered blues through Jimmy Witherspoon's late night radio show and through a group of troubled youths (did he just say "yutes"?) who introduced him to Albert King, Johnny Winter, Duane Allman and other hair-raising guitarists.
He moved to Chicago almost 20 years ago, and he knew he'd come to the right place. Influences include Muddy Waters, J.B. Hutto, Ry Cooder, Fred McDowell, Blind Willie Johnson. He has many musical groups past and present that he lends his extensive slide and electric guitar talents to. Some of those, but not limited to include Cypress Groove Project, White Wolf Sonic Princess, The Christina Trulio band, Doug James & The Pocket, Kent Rose & The Remedies, to name a few.