Featuring Amy Black and Sarah Borges
Few recording venues are more synonymous with a specific sound than the legendary environs of Muscle Shoals Studios.
Nestled in the hills of northern Alabama, situated just outside Sheffield (population 9039, 2014 Census) and the town seat of Colbert County, the music that has emanated from its walls reverberates throughout the world.
Founded in 1967 as the core of Fame studios and immortalized in the 2013 documentary which bears its name, Muscle Shoals the studio and Muscle Shoals the musicians have hosted artists ranging from Otis Redding and Wilson Pickett, The Rolling Stones, Aretha Franklin, and Bob Dylan. And, while the studio’s heyday may have passed, in recent years The Black Keys and Band of Horses have furthered its legacy by recording albums there.
So how does one pay tribute to a studio and the songs recorded therein? For performers Amy Black and Sarah Borges — both of whom are noted for their powerhouse vocals and devotion to “old school” music — the obvious thing is to form a seasoned band, select classic songs originally recorded there, and rehearse like blazes. Black and Borges include material from a wide range or artists and wrote a few originals that embody the heart and soul of Muscle Shoals.
By her own admission, Amy Black has “Southern soul and storytelling in her blood.” With a pair of critically acclaimed albums of original music to her name, she was inspired to create this revue show after recording a four-song EP at Muscle Shoals which happens to be her family’s homeland. Aided by Rock-n-Roll Hall of Famer, Spooner Oldham, she later returned to Fame Recording Studios with an all-star band to turn that EP into a full-length album, featuring Oldham, Charles Rose of the Muscle Shoals Horns, Regina and Ann McCrary of the McCrary Sisters and Alabama born Will Kimbrough.
The “Muscle Shoals Sessions” album, which includes classic covers and new originals, was released a few months back. In support of the record, Black and her sometimes musical partner Sara Borges, whose credentials easily stand on their own, and whose latest album was produced by Steve Berlin of Los Lobos, embarks on an extensive national tour “A Muscle Shoals Music Revue.”
In advance of their December 16, 2015 show at The Grey Eagle, Amy Black kindly took some time to answer a few questions.
James Cassara: As I understand it, you grew up in close proximity to Fame Studios and Muscle Shoals. Were you aware of its almost mythic importance to the music world? How much does Muscle Shoals influence the area around it, and how did it directly influence you?
Amy Black: I didn’t grow up in the Muscle Shoals area, but my parents did and that’s where both sets of grandparents lived all my life. I spent a lot of time there. Amazingly, I did not know the history growing up. I remember passing Fame many times as it’s on a main road. I was curious about it, but never got the full story.
Honestly, I’m not sure I would have appreciated the history as a kid because I wasn’t familiar with the music recorded there. I became a big Aretha fan in college and would have been thrilled to know she recorded in that little brown building with yellow lettering.
JC: A lot of musicians I speak with came from families in which music was a central element, singing in church or at family gatherings and such. Was your own upbringing particularly musical?
AB: It was, in that we sang a lot at home and at church. My dad was a minister and we were very involved with the congregation. But it was a denomination that didn’t allow instrumentation so we only had our voices. In hindsight, this was probably a good thing as it helped me to develop my voice and ability to sing a-cappella, which I know some performers are intimidated to do.
My parents weren’t big music people, so I wasn’t exposed to classic rock or pop through them. I started to appreciate non-church music when I began listening to the radio in 5th and 6th grade.
JC: How did you come to work with Spooner Oldham? And few years back I had the pleasure of interviewing him and for someone whose credentials are so extensive I was struck by his utter lack of ego. He was as down home and unpretentious as could be.
AB: My producer, Lex Price, suggested booking him for our first sessions at Fame. And yes Spooner is incredibly humble. He is one of the kindest people I know. He’s got great stories, but he never places himself at the center of them. I’m grateful to count him as a friend.
JC: So walk us through this in detail. You cut a four track EP but later expanded it to a full-length album, correct? Was the EP a way of first testing the waters?
AB: I wanted to record a few tracks from my second album at Fame and my producer booked a day for us. He suggested getting Spooner out for the session, which I thought was a great idea. We booked him, but by the time we were ready to record, I had already completed the album and decide to do something totally different and dig into some old Muscle Shoals songs. I found four that I was up for singing and we did the EP. That was what got this ball rolling.
I really didn’t know I was capable of singing this music. It went so well, and the live shows I did to support it went great, so I decided to turn the EP into a full album a year later. It’s been an amazing experience that has majorly influenced me as an artist and altered my direction.
JC: How did you and Sarah meet up? She’s a Bostonian, but I assume she shares your passion for Southern music.
AB: I got a late start to a career in music and Sarah was one of the first few people I opened up for in the Boston area. She’s a rocker. Our influences are very different, but she’s a fan of all good music and enjoys the tunes that came out of Muscle Shoals. She’s also game for trying new things and when I brought this idea to her she was excited to join. She’s adventurous. This project was very different from her original music and usual live show and she’s made it her own and does a fantastic job.
JC: Talk a bit about The Muscle Shoals Music Revue. Do you have a set band you’re touring with or has it evolved over time? Given how in-demand they are as studio musicians, not to mention their own solo work, I assume the folks who were on the album aren’t tagging along. Although that would be nice!
AB: This summer, we did 35 shows across the country with the same band, and no, it’s not the guys who played on the album, but a bunch of young guys recently out of music school. They brought a lot of great talent and energy to the project. The band for the Asheville show will include two of these fellas, Sam Smith on guitar and Mike Murray on keys, plus some new faces—Asheville’s own, Michael Rhodes on drums and Nashville bassist Chris Autry.
JC: So what can we expect at the show?
AB: Great music, excellent band and vocals, humor and lots of energy. It’s a great show. It leaves people dancing and with big smiles.
JC: So I’ll close by putting you on the spot. Is there any one album recorded at Muscle Shoals you’d want to be buried with? Out of all the great music recorded there, do you have a few favorites?
AB: I’d have to say the songs on my iPhone are the ones I’d be buried with instead of the album. Ha! The Staples Singer’s “I’ll Take You There” is my number one, which interestingly I don’t do in the show, along with “Never Loved a Man” by Aretha, and “Tell Mama” by Etta James following right behind… Mmm mmm good.
If You Go: The Muscle Shoals Music Revue, Wednesday, December 16, 2015. Doors open at 7 p.m. for this all ages 8 p.m. show. Tickets are priced at $12 in advance and $15 day of. The Grey Eagle, 185 Clingman Ave., Asheville. Call (828) 232-5800 or visit www.thegreyeagle.com