Amy Black Band and Danielle Miraglia at the me \& thee coffeehouse

Amy Black Band:
Genuine storytelling is a time-honored custom, passed down through generations, shared with passion and imbued by honesty. For singer/songwriter Amy Black, storytelling and true Southern tradition is in her blood, arriving with an undeniable sense of history, an irrepressible passion for performing, and a whole lot of authentic soul. And with her new album One Time, the Boston-based performer takes her shot, makes a stand and delivers one of the most evocative new Americana discs of the year.
"I believe that we get one chance in life." Amy says. "Every day, with everything we do and every decision we make, we've got to make it count. Part of making it count is facing up to the truth. That's what the characters in my songs are trying to do tell the truth." One Time is ruled by the truth, a disc that shares tales of hard times, strong women, and even stronger faith in the things that matter.
The album's sound crafted by producer Lorne Entress, best known for Lori McKenna's Bittertown, as well as his work with such Roots artists as Ollabelle and Catie Curtis is fueled by a rich mix of folk, blues, classic country and gritty soul that embodies Amy's distinctive and powerful vocals. But it's her gift for conjuring flesh and blood characters and emotions that leaves an indelible mark. "Real American Roots music is born from adversity," she says with a laugh. "Loving, lying, drinking, dying and going to heaven not necessarily in that order. Sounds kind of sad, but that level of honesty can be refreshing."
Black's background is as refreshingly honest as her music. "My parents are from Northern Alabama," Amy explains. "But my dad is a preacher so we moved around a lot when I was a kid. I grew up in Missouri, moved back to Alabama when I was 14, and then to Boston when I was 16. I think part of my outgoing nature comes from being in a different school almost every year from 13 on. With all the changes, two things I could always count on were singing with my family and visiting my grandparents in Alabama."
Her success at local open mic nights quickly led to a growing following. Before long, Amy had put together a band of some of the area's most accomplished and eclectic musicians and become one of the region's most popular Americana acts. In 2009, her debut album Amy Black \& The Red Clay Rascals paid tribute to her favorite songwriters while featuring two impressive originals. "Don't be fooled by the fact that their set list is mostly covers," hailed The Boston Globe. "Black and her band put their own rootsy Americana stamp on everything from country (Emmylou Harris's "Red Dirt Girl'') to soul (Bill Withers's "Ain't No Sunshine'') to rock 'n' roll (Big Mama Thornton's "Hound Dog''), all highlights from their new self-titled debut."
With One Time, Amy's powerful voice and presence are now matched by the commanding range of her own writing. Through it all, the tracks glow with a mix of traditional acoustic instrumentation including guitar, fiddle, mandolin, dobro, upright bass, accordion, and a touch of harmonica along with tasteful accents of electric guitar, lap and pedal steel. The all-star cast of musicians includes the guitar playing of New England favorites, Tim Gearan, Lyle Brewer and Mark Erelli with Roger Williams on dobro, Jesse Williams on bass and Nashville's legendary Stuart Duncan on fiddle and mandolin. Producer Lorne Entress provides most of the percussion and members of Amy's original live band, Bob Sevigny (guitar), Andy Sicard (bass) and Eric Pohl (percussion) also make appearances on the CD.
"I may not be telling my own stories," Amy says, "but I'm connecting and empathizing with every character and emotion I'm writing about. Life isn't always what people hope it's going to be, and that's everyone's reality on some level." For Amy Black, that reality is captured on One Time. And truly, her time is now.