Maria Muldaur's musical roots run deep. Born and raised in New York City's Greenwich Village, Muldaur was surrounded by bluegrass, old-timey, jazz, blues and gospel music, but her very first musical influences were from the records of country and western singers Hank Williams, Kitty Wells, Hank Snow and Ernest Tubb. At age five, she would sing Kitty Wells' "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels" while her aunt accompanied her on the piano. As a teenager, Maria tuned into early rhythm and blues and was an avid fan of Fats Domino, Little Richard, Clyde McPhatter and Ruth Brown. She became interested in the girl groups coming onto the scene and formed her own, The Cashmeres, while in high school.

On a visit to New York City, Maria had a chance encounter with Mo Ostin, the president of Reprise Records. Upon learning that she and Geoff were no longer together, Ostin offered Maria the opportunity to make her first solo album. Maria Muldaur went platinum in two years and forever enshrined Maria in the minds of baby boomers the world over. "Midnight at the Oasis" remains to this day a staple song on multi-format radio. Four albums on Warner Brothers followed including her acclaimed second disc, Waitress in a Donut Shop, which contained her next hit single, a remake of "I'm A Woman." She invited her friends and musical heroes to join her musical adventures and the list is a who's who of the true lasting greats in American music: Dr. John, Ry Cooder, Paul Butterfield, Lowell George, Linda Ronstadt, Stevie Wonder, Jr. Walker, James Booker, Benny Carter, J.J. Cale, Kenny Burrell, Doc Watson and Hoagy Carmichael to name a few.