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 Reprinted
from the September 1995 issue of'Folkfare'...
Those frequenting folk and
bluegrass festivals across New England the past two years have most likely encountered Amy
Gallatin and her band Stillwaters. Their mix of folk, western swing, Bluegrass and country
sounds has made them popular with festival directors who have an ear for tight
musicianship and a desire to add an eclectic musical unit to the line-up of usual
suspects.
Amy was born in Muscle Shoals, Alabama but raised in the west, where
after studying journalism at the University of California at Davis, she worked as a radio
news reporter. When the station switched formats and she was out of a job she decided to
travel the northwest, a decision that led her to her two loves; horses and music. For the
next ten years she worked as a riding instructor, backcountry cook, and campfire musician
at guest ranches in Washington, Montana and Idaho. Then, while wintering over in the
somewhat less formidable climate of Connecticut, she answered a notice for musicians
posted by Dobro player Matt Nozzolio. It was a fortuitous meeting and, with the addition
of mandolin & guitar player Kevin Lynch, the core of what would become Stillwaters was
born. Kevin offered to produce an album for Amy resulting in the 1993 release Northern Girl.
Along the way, the band added bass player Tara Rickart and has just
released a New CD, Sweet Gatherings. The album is a fine collection of songs, most of them the works of
relatively unknown western writers. As with the earlier album, the synergy created by the
combination of Amy's compelling but tender vocals and the band's obvious musical rapport,
makes for a first rate album by a group that in just two years has established itself as
an important presence on the New England music scene. |
