Photo by Larry Bilansky


Amy Gallatin, born in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, lived in several states before settling in the West, where she was raised. During her ten years in Idaho and Montana, she had had the good fortune of being able to work at two of her loves in life: horses and music; Amy helped to organize the horseback riding programs and was the featured entertainer at various guest ranches. Her performing background had been as a solo artist out West prior to her meeting some Connecticut musicians while wintering in New England in 1992.
With that Connecticut connection came the opportunity to tour as a working unit, so Amy packed her guitar and moved east in the fall of 1993 to pursue her music. Four albums later (including a live album and a project recorded in Nashville with ace producer Rich Adler), Amy Gallatin and her band Stillwaters have taken the stage at some of the most prestigious venues in the U.S., Mexico, and Europe. They were invited in 1996, '98, and 2003 to tour several European countries. Their most recent performances in The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland and Denmark drew extremely enthusiastic crowds at house concerts, music clubs, theaters, country & bluegrass festivals, and National Radio, as well as representing the United States as the featured performers at the European World of Bluegrass convention in The Netherlands.

Amy is at home singing various musical styles -- country, folk, bluegrass or western swing--branding each song with soulful sincerity. Her influences are diverse, ranging from old and contemporary cowboy tunes learned out West, to great country artists like Emmylou Harris, Merle Haggard, Loretta Lynn, and the Everly Brothers, with even a dash of blues influence thrown in--Koko Taylor, Katie Wilson, BB King, and Shemekiah Copeland.

Photo by Larry Bilansky
Roger Williams started playing the resophonic, Dobro style guitar in1963, when he was just a young teenager. Within the first year, he had already debuted with The Lilly Bros. and Don Stover at the Hillbilly Ranch in Boston, Mass. where they had performed for nearly two decades. Since then he has gone on to perform and/or record with many well respected Bluegrass and folk acts on the national and international circuit, including Don Stover,White Mountain Bluegrass, Hazel Dickens, Joe Val, Bill Harrell, Wyatt Rice, Delia Bell & Bill Grant, Southern Rail, Ray Legere, Mark Schatz, Mac Wiseman,The New England Bluegrass Band, Salamander Crossing, Amy Gallatin and Stillwaters, Slavek Hanzlik, Mark Erelli, Hiro Arita and others. Career highlights include nine overseas tours with various artists, including a performance at the prestigious Dobro Festival in Slovakia, and teaching workshops during Bluegrass Week at the Augusta Heritage Center in Elkins, WV. Roger has recorded three solo projects: 'Fireball', 'Rt. 2 To Amherst', and 'River Of No Return', a collaboration with long-time friend and musical associate Ray Legere. Most recently, Roger has been involved in CMH label's 'Pickin' On' series, where different musical genres are interpreted in the bluegrass vein. About Roger, Bluegrass Unlimited magazine has said: "Williams, like all great acoustic slide players, can be mellow and lingering or crisp and jaunty. He's also a very fine singer (with) more than a little of Merle Haggard in voice and emotion."

"Roger Williams is one bad-ass Dobro player."--Jim Chapdelaine, Engineer/Composer/Producer/Guitarist

Stillwaters is...


Photo by Larry Bilansky

John Urbanik, a seasoned acoustic bassist from Salem, CT, blends his husky baritone in harmony with Amy's soprano and Roger's tenor, making for some great country and "brother-style" duets. John's musical experience and tastes span a wide range of genres and instruments, beginning with guitar at age 8, jamming to old time bluegrass with family members, then as a drummer at age 14 with the rock-and-roll group Davy and the Dolphins. He played percussion in a jazz group, the Jimmy D Trio, while he was in the Air Force, a country band in the 80's, and then bluegrass bass in the Eight Mile River Band with local legend (and cousin) Dave Liska in the late 80's and 90's. John has fond memories of his Air Force days of playing clubs six nights/week until 3 am, going to breakfast and then straight to work! For many years John, with his brother Don, owned and operated Cardinal Sound, providing professional sound reinforcement for music festivals and concerts. He is an invaluable and experienced resource for those engagements for which Stillwaters provides sound.


Photo by Gerry Urbanik

Ben Pearce is rapidly making a name for himself in the New England acoustic music scene not only with his prowess on the mandolin but with his luthier skills. Now making his home in Rhode Island and working at Karl Dennis Violins in Warren RI, this recent Rhode Island School of Design architecture graduate pegs the AG & Stillwaters rhythm section. Whether it's crafting a guitar, a structure, a webpage, or busting moves on the mandolin with his signature style, "designing things is what I do," says Ben. We're happy to have him with us!



Photo courtesy Northern Lights Band

Dave Dick (banjo, guitar, mandolin, harmony vocals) is joining Stillwaters for the spring season. Dave and Roger go 'way back to the 80's, when they gigged together in a group they formed called The Alternative. Dave has played with many other bands including Southern Rail, the acclaimed folk-bluegrass group Salamander Crossing (both with Roger), and most recently the contemporary bluegrass group Northern Lights. He is also a member of the Blackstone Valley Bluegrass Band with his brother, acclaimed bassist and former Front Range member Bob Dick, who has also played bass for Stillwaters on numerous occasions. Dave is a staff producer for CMH Records' Pickin On series, producing and perfoming on "Pickin' on Jack Johnson", "Pickin' on Brad Paisley", and "Pickin' on Dwight Yoakam". When not gigging or in the studio, Dave is the stringed instrument repairman at Union Music in Worcester, MA. For a peek at Dave and Roger in the old days, surf on over to Roger's Gallery on his website: http://rogerreso.net/rwgallery.htm

Photo courtesy www.mikebarnettfiddle.com

Mike Barnett Also joining Stillwaters for selected shows will be talented fiddle prodigy Mike Barnett. At 17, this high school junior is already a seasoned veteran, having toured with Jesse McReynolds (Jim & Jesse), including dates on the Grand Ole Opry. He is the youngest instructor (at age 15) ever to teach at the Blair Music School Fiddle Camp at Vanderbilt University, and he released his own CD, Lost Indian, in 2004. Reversing the trend, this Nashville native moved from there to New England, making his home with his family in Longmeadow, MA. We're lucky to have him right in our own backyard.

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