Tue Apr 1
Amanda Gardier - DCFM Women in Jazz Series
7PM / $30 | $7 Fees Get Tickets
Amanda Gardier
Amanda Gardier - alto sax/flute
Charlie Ballantine - guitar
Kweku Sumbry - drums
Grant Le - bass
Saxophonist, woodwind specialist, and composer Amanda Gardier returns to Blues Alley with a star-studded quartet to perform an eclectic set of deeply melodic original music, cherished jazz standards, and popular covers
Saxophonist, woodwind specialist, and composer Amanda Gardier is a dynamic new voice in the DMV jazz scene. Described as “an artist with a distinctive voice and vision" (Jazziz), Gardier is an alto saxophonist who juxtaposes the calmness of lush harmonies and cyclical melodies with the intensity of complex rhythms and fiery improvisation. Her 2024 recording, Auteur: Music Inspired by the Films of Wes Anderson, puts forth a "propulsive show" (Downbeat) that features deeply melodic original compositions that "use cinema as a starting point and [run] with it" (Nashville Scene). Before the release of Auteur, Gardier “claim[ed] a space among rising saxophonists” (Downbeat) with her 2020 release, Flyover Country, and made “a debut with a lot of something for everyone” (All About Jazz) with 2018's Empathy. In addition to her work as a bandleader, Amanda is a current member of the US Navy Band Commodores jazz ensemble in Washington DC, where she is regularly featured as a soloist and woodwind doubler.
As a side musician, Gardier has performed with Ingrid Jensen, Dave Stryker, Jon Cowherd, Dan Weiss, Wayne Wallace, Dave King, Wes "Warmdaddy" Anderson, Jamie Baum, the Glenn Miller Orchestra, DIVA Jazz Orchestra, the Buselli-Wallarab Jazz Orchestra, and the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. She has also been a featured performer on five releases by the Charlie Ballantine Group—Vonnegut, Life is Brief: The Music of Bob Dylan, Where is My Mind?, Providence, and Green.
7PM / $30 | $7 Fees Get Tickets
1. Final sale, no refunds, not transferable.
2. $15 food/beverage minimum per person not included in ticket price.
3. Seating first come at the door. Doors open 6 PM & 8:45 PM respectively.
4. Photography or Recording of any kind is prohibited during the performance.
5. Keep conversation to a minimum during the performance.