Born: August 18, 1957 Primary Instrument: Vocal
Things you should know about Amy Barlow
She’s performed everywhere - NYC, Puerto Rico, LA, Bermuda, Buffalo, and even that hotspot of hotspots, Binghamton, NY (OK, it’s her hometown). Caroline's Comedy Club (opening for Leno, Seinfeld, and Pee-wee Herman, her personal favorite), the Plaza Hotel, Carnegie Hall, The Angry Squire. Was Artist in Residence at the Princess Hotel in Bermuda for two years.
She’s worked as a singer and pianist with great musicians, like Rickie Lee Jones; Joe Turano; the cast and crew of Santa Monica's legendary Great American Food & Beverage Co., Buffalo theater troupe O’Connell & Co.; and the late, great cult icon Michael Greer.
She’s cool. She answers emails. She writes in many styles: some intensely romantic songs; some quirky; some, downright pee-your-pants funny. And she knows about 200 standard jazz tunes off the top of her head. She loves and honors the legends of jazz.
Amy's dedicated. Once she had a car accident on the way to a gig - her car was totaled, but she demanded police drop her off and proceeded to sing for four hours straight (technically, she in shock, but she made A LOT of tips). The person who hit her? An 80-year-old nun, whose ’69 Buick trumped her beloved ’62 Volvo. The Church payed for her ticket to L.A.
She’s gay-friendly. “Straight, But Not Narrow.” If you’re straight and that doesn’t mean anything to you, try walking a mile in a drag queen’s pumps and then losing about a million friends in the space of ten years. Just give a listen to her song, “The Day I Saw An Angel Fly,” based on the last days of a dear friend who was dying of HIV/AIDS.
She’s been called “White Chocolate,” and “a gay man trapped in a straight woman’s body.” That's a trip, huh?
She is every bit as good live as she is “on Memorex.” And you get to hear studio and live cuts on her CD.
She came up with old-school jazz musicians who treated her like a daughter - a throwback to the days of big bands.
She’s a third-generation professional - mom sang; grandpa played clarinet - and her daughter is a pro drummer (baby makes fourth). At 21, Amy was the only girl on the bandstand, the only white musician, and the only one under 60. (Her mother sang with a multiracial group in the 40s. When they got to the gig and told the black musicians to enter the venue through the kitchen, she followed them. Manager told her she could go in the front door with “the rest of your people.” She replied, “These ARE my people, and if the kitchen is good enough for them, it’s good enough for me.”)
She’s self-published. She hand-assembles every SINGLE CD in her living room, from label to exacto-knifing the covers and folding over the lip with a “Rocky Horror Picture Show” guitar pick. Pops open the cases, loads the covers, the whole shebang.
Amy’s a game girl, quick-witted, a social justice activist who walks the walk, and (curveball!) the wife of a pastor! Rhinestones on Saturday nights, pearls on Sunday morning… “The Hannah Montana of the United Church of Christ.”
Awards:
Nominee, Artvoice "Artie Award" for co-writing musical political satire, BUFFALO ZINGS! with O'Connell and Company, Buffalo, NYDisclaimer: All About Jazz is not responsible for the accuracy of the discographical data at the website(s) provided. If a link is no longer valid, please contact discography@allaboutjazz.com. Thank you.
