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Amy Black Music Update
"Roots music is good for the soul"
July 2008
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Dear ,
Welcome to first issue of the new Amy Black Music Update newsletter! Here's what you can expect to receive from me: My goals for this newsletter is to keep you updated on what Amy Black and The Red Clay Rascals (RCRs) are up to and to help you discover other opportunities to see and hear talented musicians in the roots music genre.My biggest news (you can read about it below) is that the band and I have been booked to play at the Bull Run in Shirely, Mass. This is a pretty big deal--our biggest show yet. I hope you can make it! Thanks for reading and for your continued support! All the best,  P.S. If you didn't see my recent interview in the Lowell Sun, you can read it here.
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What is American Roots Music? |
The music I sing is American roots music, also known as Americana. It includes a number of genres that originated in the United States, including bluegrass, country (more classic country than contemporary), folk, gospel and blues. Well-known artists who sing this music (and whose tunes I cover in my shows) include Gillian Welch, Emmylou Harris, Keb Mo, Bonnie Raitt, Alison Krauss and Union Station (pictured here), and Johnny Cash. There are many others, well-known and lesser-known, who also play this music. Roots music has depth and feeling and many times tells stories. Common themes include love, death, drinking, loss, broken hearts, betrayal, heaven, hell, family, automobiles, scenes and symbols of the American landscape and the struggles of live in general. Clearly not the most positive topics, but they speak to the realities of our lives and the lives of Americans who came before us. And while the words can be sobering (not always) the melodies and instrumentation get your feet tapping.For more information (better than what I can give) on roots/Americana music, visit the Americana Music and American Folk pages on Wikipedia.
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Upcoming Shows
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July 18 -- Stagecoach Inn
128 Main St., Groton, MA
8:00 p.m. $7 cover
Bob Sevigny on guitar and Andy Sicard on bass and mandolin, plus special guests
Aug. 15 -- Stagecoach Inn
8:00 p.m. $7 cover
with Andy and Bob
NEW! Sept. 26 -- Bull Run
215 Great Rd., Shirley, MA
$12 advance, $15 door
Amy Black and The Red Clay Rascals with special guests, Fred Bement on Harp, Jon Cumming on banjo & dobro,
Rick Burgess on fiddle and Corrie Jones on vocals. |
Not on this mailing list?
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Featured Artist
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Red Molly
My husband and I saw the female trio, Red Molly, at Club Passim this past weekend. What a great show! These ladies' excellent three-part harmonies are joy to listen to. And their songs, including covers and originals, go straight to the heart.
They recently released a new CD, Love and Other Tragedies. Visit their MySpace to hear them, see where they are playing, and get their CD.
www.myspace.com/redmollyband
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| Welcome New Members of Red Clay Rascals
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I've been working to solidify the members of my band, The Red Clay Rascals, and I'm thrilled to welcome three new members, who at this point make up the core of the band.
Bob Sevigny
on guitar -- Bob is an accomplished acoustic rhythm guitar player. He
was a member of the critically acclaimed bluegrass band Goodtime
Charlies and is currently a member of The Stillhouse Jammers
a five piece bluegrass band of talented musicians from Central New England.
 Andy Sicard on bass and mandolin -- .Andy is a multi-instrumentalist who has been performing with regional roots music and bluegrass bands for the past ten years. His most recent musical projects have included the Goodtime Charlies and Hard Times bands. Andy was the recipient of a 2007 New Hampshire State Council on the Arts grant for traditional arts studies in bluegrass mandolin. He has a "black belt" (though not the karate kind) and is a lover of domestic light beers.
 Eric Pohl on drums and percussion -- Eric has played for a variety of rock, blues,
jazz, and reggae ensembles in greater Boston and southern New
Hampshire. In addition to playing with the Red Clay Rascals, he performs with Bees Deluxe, a Boston-based acid blues band.
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New Show! Headlining at the Historic Bull Run in Shirley
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Please save the date, Friday, September 26 for the Amy Black and The Red Clay Rascals show at the Bull Run in Shirley.
The venue is a historic restaurant that was established in 1740. They have a mean line up of musicians who come from all over the U.S. (and beyond) and offer shows in two rooms--one that seats less than 100 and another that seats 300. Can you guess which one we will be playing in? That's right; the big room! So, to have a full house we need all of our fans to come out and join us for a night of music. The restaurant encourages you to come for dinner at 6:00 and then enjoy the show. For more details visit the Bull Run website. I'll be there with the band, plus a number of special guests on harmonica, banjo, dobro, and fiddle. The night is going to be a blast. I will make sure to remind you as we get closer. The prices are $12 for advance ticket sales and $15 for the door. It's an honor to play at the Bull Run. And it will be an honor to have you there!
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Local Summer Folk Festivals to Enjoy
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Here are some upcoming outdoor festivals that promise to be excellent. 11th Annual Prescott Park Folk FestivalJuly 19 in Portsmouth, NHFeaturing Chris Smither (he wrote Love Me Like a Man!), the Jason Spooner Trio and Cheryl Wheeler The 22nd Annual Lowell Folk FestivalJuly 25-27 downtown LowellEach year, the Festival transforms downtown Lowell for three days -
that's the last full weekend in July. Six music stages are prominently
placed across the city, offering varied settings and styles of
performances. Nashua River Valley Folk FestivalAugust 10, Lancaster, MALori McKenna, Richie Havens and other artists The 2nd Annual Nashua Folk FestivalAugust 30 and 30, Greeley Park, Nashua, NHThis looks great! Many of the performers are regulars in the Boston scene, including Avi and Celia, Brendan Hogan and Danielle Miraglia. The 11th Annual Boston Folk FestivalSeptember 13 and 14, University of Massachusetts, BostonPerformers will include Kathy Mattea, Henry Butler, Susan Werner, John Gorka, Eliza Gilkyson, Ciff Eberhardt and many more
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