"Wednesday night came, and sure enough Charles insisted I get my horn to go to Cafe Brasil. We parked nowhere near the club. There was a crowd spilling over into the streets blocks away. There were camera crews filming the frenzy. The doors were closed, the club was full beyond capacity and the doorman was blocking the entrance. But as we approached (Charles, being a famous celebrity from a family defining New Orleans) we were let in. Squirming our way through the overstuffed crowd we made our way to the side of the stage. Jimmy was playing with a small band (Mike Utley, Greg 'Fingers' Taylor, Peter Mayer, Jim Mayer and Roger Guth), but eventually looked over at Charles. Charles pointed at me, Jimmy nodded and then Charles said, 'Get out your horn.'
At last, Jimmy called me up. I can't even remember the tune they started playing, because the scene was blowing me away. Fingers soloed, and then Peter, then Jimmy turned to me. I blew a solo for about a chorus, then looked back at Jimmy, giving him the visual cue, 'I'm through.' He was thrashing at his guitar, grinning ear-to-ear and yelling, "No! Keep going!" I remember thinking - cool! I really let it go then."
"Afterwards, Jimmy came up to me and casually asked if I was doing anything that summer. He said he was about to go on tour, and that he'd love to have me join him. Three weeks later, I was off to San Diego to begin rehearsing for the Outpost Tour. I had no idea how drastically my life and career were about to change. Nine tours later, I must say that now I'm officially a Coral Reefer."
Amy's first major label release was a song on Margaritaville Café, Late Night Menu, writing and recording her reggae instrumental "Sugartown Shakedown". She co-wrote "Bob Robert's Society Band", "Fruitcakes" and "Delaney Talks To Statues" with Jimmy Buffett.
Amy has worked extensively in the studio as a performer, arranger and writer for major albums as well as radio and TV commercials. She has also has worked with gospel-recording artist Luther Barnes & the Sunset Jubilees, the rap group, Yall So Stupid, and the Grammy-nominated Richard Smallwood Singers.
In 1999, Amy released her debut solo jazz CD titled Inside The Outside under her publishing company/record label Publick Ptomaine Music.
-bio from the CD Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, Mailboat Records
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