Danielle Miraglia comes armed with a strong steady thumb on an old Gibson and an infectious stomp-box rhythm with tunes ranging from heart-felt to socially conscious that will move both your heart and hips. Her latest “Bright Shining Stars” debuted at #15 on the Billboard Blues Charts. Cascade Blues Association calls it “… tough as rawhide, but smooth as blended whiskey.” Released Oct 2020 with Vizztone Label Group, it’s a solo acoustic folk/blues record that highlights the one-woman-band live sound she’s honed over the years, featuring guest appearances by talented friends Laurence Scudder, Peter Parcek and Richard “Rosy” Rosenblatt. It includes originals as well as a collection of songs she’s been covering at live shows over the years, paying homage to influences like Big Bill Broonzy, Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin and more, plus the title track “Bright Shining Stars,” written by her husband, Tom Bianchi.

“Americana and blues practitioner Danielle Miraglia wisely avoids fuss and clutter on her latest album, Bright Shining Stars. Fingerpicking and strumming on acoustic guitar are central to her sound, with percussion frequently provided by the infectious stomp of her foot. Three of the 11 tracks here are solo recordings, reinforcing a truism that the artist frequently has proven on Boston-area stages: A charming voice and fluid guitar prowess are all an artist needs to keep a listener rapt.” – Bobby Reed, Downbeat Magazine

“Straddling the line where folk/roots meets rock/blues, Miraglia has a voice that can go from a raspy come-hither purr to an Etta James-esque powerhouse belt, although she may be best known for her lead thumb — a heavy, thumping strike on her Gibson that’s backdrop percussion in itself.” – Lauren Daley – The Boston Globe

“Danielle Miraglia is like a musical butterfly who’s been granted unlimited creative metamorphoses. Even her musical chrysalis stage was a surprise emergence. Unlike so many Boston artists who attended one of the city’s many music schools, Miraglia went to Emerson College, graduating with a creative writing degree. Though she owned an acoustic guitar she seldom played anywhere but at home, she hadn’t given any thought to making a career as a singer-songwriter until one fateful night at the famous, now-defunct Kendall Cafe. She went to an open mic at the Kendall just to watch and absorb. It didn’t take long for it to register with her: “I thought, ‘That’s what I want to do: Get on stage to do my storytelling that way.’” Voila!

Her evolution as a songwriter and performer since then has been remarkable. She quickly won great acclaim and a faithful national and regional following after beginning as a “folk-blues” picker, and it’s a persona she still skillfully embraces in solo shows, but to hear her musical storytelling with such a fine backing band as the satirically named Glory Junkies (Laurence Scudder, viola; Erik White, guitar; Chris Anzalone, drums; and Jim Larkin, bass) is an entirely different dimension. That soul of a creative writer thrives in a vast range of musical styles. Danielle now rocks an electric guitar with equal aplomb, and all with a rocking and soulful energy that pays homage to top influences such as Janis Joplin, Prince and the Stones. No matter how Danielle Miraglia’s stories unfold on stage, they are a joy to hear.

She and the Glory Junkies wowed the sellout crowd during their live-stream taping at the Fallout Shelter, playing tunes from the band’s second album, “All My Heroes Are Ghosts ” — now billed under the moniker “Danielle M & the Glory Junkies (sparing DJs the quandary of the pronunciation of her last name). Those stories she dreamt of telling musically on stage are now like butterflies of their own.” – Nate Dow – https://asheardhere.com/

“Danielle is a dynamic and captivating musician; her rich soulful voice and blues guitar mastery resonate in a performance both rare and unforgettable.”
– Paul Patchel, State Street Blues Festival – Media, PA

“The genius of Glory Junkies is that Miraglia successfully pokes fun at a proverbial “selfie nation,” while also fully owning that tendency. Glory Junkies offers up deeply narrative lyricism and carefully crafted compositions…Glory Junkies boasts a song about reality TV, and one (the title track) that pokes fun at immortalizing one’s own image. Others stray into more personal territory, hitting close to home on Miraglia’s family dynamic, but the concept of the album remains a mainstay throughout.” – Liz Rowley, BestNewBands.

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Abbie Gardner is a fiery dobro player with an infectious smile. Whether performing solo or with Americana darlings Red Molly, her tales of love and loss, both gritty and sweet, are propelled by her impeccable slide guitar chops. As an award-winning songwriter, captivating vocalist, and a world-class lap style dobro player, she has an unmistakable sound all her own. This is masterfully captured on her 2022 CD “DobroSinger.” The record made it to #11 on the Billboard Blues Charts and #2 on the Folk DJ Charts, receiving rave reviews in Bluegrass Unlimited, Acoustic Guitar Magazine and American Songwriter. It’s a raw intimate recording full of blues, ballads and the ache of the unknown. It’s quite a contrast to her previous CD, which featured a co-write with Chris Stapleton and leaned on full band production. Abbie stands strong as a solo act and has opened for Lori McKenna and Martina McBride.

Acoustic Guitar Magazine says, “sheer brilliance and power … her evocative guitar is a second voice throughout, sometimes singing in unison, in harmony other times, or answering as in a conversation with the singer. The playing and singing are both impeccable and loaded with personality. You can hear every nuance of the slide, smooth one moment or rattling slightly at the end of a phrase like punctuation; and her intimate, pitch-perfect vocals—wistful, playful, confessional—sound like they’re dancing with the guitar.”

Her background is as varied as the songs she writes. Her father, Herb Gardner, is a stride pianist and dixieland trombonist. Abbie didn’t get into music school on her original instrument (flute), but graduated summa cum laude with a degree in Occupational Therapy. She gradually found her way back to music in Boston’s folk music scene.

During the pandemic, Abbie started teaching free Woodshed dobro lessons in her backyard and posting them to YouTube. Helping other people fan the flames of their creativity has always been a nice balance to performing. She has taught in person at Nashville Dobro Camp, ResoSummit, Kaufman Kamp, Rockygrass Academy, and Roots Music Camp. Then for Songwriting, she’s taught at New England Songwriters Retreat, Swannanoa Gathering, Summer Songs, and Moab Folk Camp. Students can check out her month-long, small group virtual songwriting classes and her downloadable “Dobro from Scratch” course.

“Not only a first-rate Dobro player but a songwriter to be reckoned with.” –John Platt, WFUV.

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