Hilary Gardner

Nebraska-born, Brooklyn-based vocalist Hilary Gardner is known for her sweet and urbane take on jazz and Broadway standards, country, and folk. She debuted with 2014's The Great City, followed by 2017's The Late Set with pianist Ehud Asherie. She is also a co-founder of the Duchess vocal trio and appeared on Broadway in Twyla Tharp's Come Fly Away. Following her 2019 covers album of songs by the Bird and the Bee, Gardner returned to her country roots with her 2024 singing cowboy-themed On the Trail with The Lonesome Pines. Growing up in Wasilla, Alaska, Gardner began singing at a young age and was a member of the Alaska Children's Choir. By her teens, she was performing in local clubs, primarily singing country music. Early on, she drew broad inspiration from singers like Patsy Cline, Ella Fitzgerald, Joni Mitchell, and Tom Waits. She took vocal lessons and performed with the Anchorage Opera. In 2003, she moved to New York City, where she studied classical voice and pursued a singing career while working as a waitress. As a solo artist, Gardner debuted in 2014 with The Great City, an ode to her adopted home. It featured contributions by pianist Ehud Asherie, guitarist Randy Napoleon, trumpeter Tatum Greenblatt, and others. She and Asherie again paired for the intimate duets album The Late Set in 2017. Along with her solo work, Gardner appeared in a 2010 Broadway production of Twyla Tharp's Come Fly Away and portrayed a jazz singer in director Errol Morris' 2017 documentary Wormwood. She also co-founded the close-harmony trio Duchess with vocalists Amy Cervini and Melissa Stylianou. Together, they have released three albums and won Vocal Group of the Year in the 2021 and 2022 Jazz Journalists Association awards and were named Best Vocal Group in the 2021 Jazz Times Critics' Poll. In 2024, Gardner revisited her love of country & western swing with On the Trail with the Lonesome Pines, interpreting classic Western-themed standards, including "Cow Cow Boogie," "Jingle Jangle Jingle (I Got Spurs)," and "I'm an Old Cowhand (From the Rio Grande)." The album featured her band led by guitarist Justin Poindexter.
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