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By ALAN K. STOUT; Times Leader Staff Writer
Friday, July 08, 1994     Page: 3C QUICK WORDS: MINTZY BERRY PERFORMS
SATURDAY AT RIVERSTREET

he lady sings the blues tomorrow in Wilkes-Barre.
   
No, the lady’s not Diana Ross; she’s Mintzy Berry, who will perform at the
Riverstreet Jazz Cafe with The Forcasters.
    The New York-based Mintzy and the Forecasters, consisting of Berry, John
Enrico, bass; Larry Simon, guitar; Big Brother Don, drums; and Yasico,
keyboards, were formed 2 years ago.
   
Now a resident of Harlem, Berry originally hails from North Carolina, where
she discovered her love for singing through gospel hymns in church.
   
“I sang my first song when I was six years old,” says Berry. “I never had a
voice lesson. It’s just a gift. My first songs that I ever sang were gospel.”
   
The group’s set-list is comprised mainly of R&B and a few jazz numbers.
Berry names Aretha Franklin, Dinah Washington, Gladys Knight and Patti LaBelle
as artists featured in the show — with Franklin and Washington standing out
as personal favorites.
   
“I like their style and their feeling,” she says. “Their inner spirit —
it’s like they lived every word of the music that they sing.”
   
There’s also an original composition titled “Tear Drops,” a blues number
which Berry wrote and will perform at the show.
   
Berry says that, because of the timeless themes of the music the group
performs, the show is enjoyed by all ages, many of whom are couples.
   
“My audience is a mixed crowd,” she says. “They’re young and they’re old,
but most of all, they’re in love. I noticed a lot of people in the audience
relate to a lot of the ballads I sing.”
   
Berry believes it’s her own conviction and love for the songs, as well as
her fun-loving manner which involves the crowd.
   
“When I sing, I feel good,” she says. “They can relate to what I’m feeling.
I feel when I sing, and I project it to them. They’re clapping and dancing,
and when I cry, they cry. When I’m messing with someone in the audience, they
can relate…. when I’m jiving or being playful with the audience –it’s a
very positive feedback.”
   
And why the name The Forecasters?
   
“Because we’re hot,” she says, laughing. “No matter what the weather is
outside, we’re hot.”
   
Berry chooses songs for the show based mainly upon lyrics. Recognizing the
universal appeal of the blues, she believes that if she can relate to the
song, the audience will as well.
   
“They all relate to the same things. It’s the inner feelings that I get
from them. I give it to them and they give it back to me.
   
“I feel and I live what I sing.”
   
Editors’ Note: “Music on the Menu” appears each Friday in The Times Leader.
Local and out-of-town artists wishing to be profiled may contact Alan K.
Stout, The Times Leader, 15 N. Main St., Wilkes-Barre, 18711, or call (717)
829-7131.