Coming five years and three Red Molly albums after her last solo CD, Hope is Abbie Gardner’s latest solo recording. The CD features her versatile voice backed by 3 types of slide guitar (dobro, lap steel, and National bottleneck) and a band comprised of not only her father, Herb Gardner (piano), but also her sister, Sarah Gardner, on organ. Ben Wittman (the drummer on Red Molly’s James) locks in with upright bassist Craig Akin, who is featured on the first instrumental Abbie has ever recorded (a bass and dobro duet). The songs range from heartache to hope, from gritty lap steel to singing cellos, courtesy of Emily Hope Price. Folk sweetheart Robby Hecht lends his voice to three tracks and fellow member of Red Molly, Laurie MacAllister, is heard throughout. Longtime friends and collaborators Fred Gillen, Jr. and Beaucoup Blue also lend their voices.  ”I feel like the songs revolve around Hope, both the song and the idea. Rather than having all hopeful songs, this CD reflects the glimmer of hope we all look for when in the midst of darkness.”- Abbie Gardner

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The latest CD with Red Molly, featuring special guest Herb Gardner (my dad!) on piano, Ben Whitman on drums, Fred Gillen Jr. on vocals and Mike Weatherly on bass.   I sing and play Dobro, lap steel and Kirkman’s vintage Duolian on this one.   Two of my originals are included: Troubled Mind and Jezebel.   Early review says, “On  James, Red Molly has beautifully captured  what their fans love about the band: dark and heart-wrenching one moment, fun and uplifting the next.”

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These are two songs that only belong together because they’re both about Christmas. We Need a Little Christmas is a happy duet (co-written with Anthony da Costa). This song was #5 on the Folk DJ charts for December 2009.   The other song, Let’s Burn Down the Christmas Tree, is just like it sounds… (co-written  with Mark Berube).  Click here to order.

Raw, real, and recorded in 3 days, “Bad Nights/Better Days” is Abbie’s duo release with Anthony da Costa. No gloss, no polish, no “feel good hit of the summer”.   Over the course of this record, in the tradition of an old-school concept LP, love is found, confused, lost, rediscovered, and redefined. It’s a record that Richard Cuccaro of Acoustic Live! Magazine (NYC) calls “a work of staggering emotional power.”   Click here to order.

First full-length studio album.   Produced by Ben Wisch, this CD is the band’s first with upright bass and fiddle. Songs written by Laurie, Abbie, and Carolann mingle admirably with songs by well-known contemporary writers Gillian Welch and Susan Werner, traditional American gospel tunes, and standards from the bluegrass and jazz worlds.

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In July 2006, Red Molly’s first full-length CD, Never Been to Vegas (2006), was released. Recorded on a December evening before a studio audience of fans and friends, Never Been to Vegas climbed into the Top 30 on the Radio & Records Americana chart. Listeners of WUMB radio Boston voted the CD one of the Top 10 CDs of 2006.  Click here to order.

This solo release is all-acoustic, featuring Abbie on vocals, Dobro, and guitar through the 8 originals and 3 covers.  ”Leaning heavily on bluegrass sounds and instruments, Gardner yodels and mourns with the best of them. She’s a John Lennon Songwriting Contest winner, and her craft and skill are evident throughout the record.”- American Songwriter Magazine, Top 12 DIY Picks (Sept/Oct 2006)

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Red Molly’s very first recording, made just a few months after the formation of the band, features the signature Red Molly sound: three voices in harmony, uncluttered arrangements, and timeless songs.

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Abbie’s first full-length CD is a father-daughter effort, featuring Herb Gardner, on piano and consummate and in-demand NYC musicians Dan Levinson (reeds), Robbie Scott (drums) and Mike Weatherly (bass). Recorded live in just one session, the magic of old-time vintage 1930′s jazz is really captured on this disc.  Click here to order.