AWARDS (SOLO):

• 2006 Independent Music World Series Northeast Finalist
• 2006 Rocky Mtn. Folks Festival New Song Contest Finalist
• 2004 John Lennon Songwriting Contest Winner
• 2003 Hank Williams Songwriting Competition Finalist

AWARDS (with RED MOLLY):

• 2006 NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR, WUMB FM Boston
• 2006 WINNERS, Falcon Ridge Folk Festival Emerging Artist Showcase
• TOP 30, Radio & Records Americana Chart, Sept-Oct 2006, Never Been to Vegas
• TOP 10 CDs of 2006 (#6), WUMB FM Boston, Never Been to Vegas

REVIEWS OF HONEY ON MY GRAVE:
Performing Songwriter | Chronogram | Good Times | Steppin’ Out Magazine | Poetic Leanings

REVIEWS OF MY CRAZIEST DREAM:
All Music Guide | Cadence Magazine | JazzNow
The Ectophile’s Guide to Good Music | The Love Dungeon | Rambles

OTHER RELEASES:
Folkwax | Go Girls Music | The Ectophile’s Guide to Good Music | The Muse’s Muse | Rambles | Sound 420

RED MOLLY:
Second Saturday Concert Series | Circle Of Friends
WKZE 98.1 FM/1020 AM | Michael Scott Cain

The twang of a Dobro is your first indication that Abbie Gardner is not your typical New York–based folksinger. Leaning heavily on bluegrass sounds and instruments, Gardner yodels and mourns with the best of them. She’s a former John Lennon Songwriting Contest winner, and her craft and skill are evident throughout the record. In the title track she advises, “Sister don’t you mourn me, from heaven I will wave / I don’t need no wailing wall if I get honey on my grave.” In “I’m a Fool” she laments waiting for “something we had to turn from love into sadness,” as acoustic and slide guitars dance a slow, country waltz.
An ode to chocolate-covered coffee beans (“Caffeine”) and a well-placed cover of “Ain’t Misbehavin’” lighten the mood without breaking the spell that Gardner’s mixture of New York smarts and Appalachian sounds will surely cast over you. 

-by Mare Wakefield

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Honey On My Grave is a bittersweet blues pattern played with a gentle hand. The easy tone and tempo come from Gardner's consistently strong Dobro, guitar, and vocal performances. She slides and picks her way through the Fats Waller classic, "Ain't Misbehavin'," and growls and purrs the Ray Charles chestnut "Hit The Road, Jack." She is personal and honest when she sings country ballads, and, here, the song "One Love" is a great example. Her sense of humor percolates in the tune "Caffeine," a gritty tribute to everyone's favorite addiction. Although it's a solo disc, Gardner doesn't do it alone. Matt Munisteri, Peter Carr, Benny Rietveld, Laurie MacAllister, and Pat Wictor play and sing alongside. Abbie Gardner is an inspired musician, whether she's singing with her dad, jazz piano stalwart, Herb Gardner, or doing harmonies as a member of Red Molly, the powerhouse Americana trio.
 
Sweet but serious, Honey On My Grave ends with the classic gospel blues nugget, "You Got To Move." In a duet, Abbie slides the Dobro with Pat Wictor, and they do Mick and Keith proud. Check out her website, www.abbiegardner.com, for liner notes and lyrics.
 
- J. Spica

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Good Times Magazine
Westbury, NY
June 20- July 3, 2006

Abbie Gardner
Honey On My Grave
Gimmie Some Ribs Music

Gardner, last seen on these pages with her jazz release My Craziest Dream more than a year ago, returns with this solo release that’s ore akin to the sound of Red Molly, the acoustic folk trio she leads that seems to gain popularity by the day.

The vocalist’s voice is as silky as ever, bringing surprising life to some originals and covers one might not suspect would work in this type of acoustic setting.  Gardner has always had a way with a song, and her sly renditions of “Ain’t Misbehavin’” and “Hit The Road, Jack” are what we’ve come to expect from this outstanding singer.  Gardner’s own humorous “Caffeine” will resonate with every coffee lover, and the title track is so fully realized you’ll be checking the liner notes to see what blues legend wrote it- before finding it was Gardner herself.

One thing is certain: Gardner may be the finest slide Dobro player in the region today.  Her solos and melody lines are expert and melodic without being showy or overly traditional. And, as with the Red Molly and Dream releases, the recording is pristine, as are the liner notes and cover art. Gardner remains a major artist just seconds away from being discovered as a true national treasure.  Pick up on this new disc and you can tell them all you read about her here long before they jumped on the bandwagon.

For more on the artist or to purchase a copy of Honey On My Grave, log on to abbiegardner.com.  The disc is also available at CDBaby.com.

- Syl Nathan

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Steppin’ Out Magazine
June 7th, 2006

Even if country music isn't your cup of tea, listening to Abbie Gardner may just change your mind. On her first full-length solo album, Honey On My Grave, she plays the guitar and dobro to mix bluegrass, jazz, blues, and folk/pop for a combination you won't be able to resist. Gardner will capture your attention with her soulful voice that becomes irresistible almost instantly. The lyrics, like those in "Dreams", are about situations that everyone can relate to in one way or another. "So I'll sit right here with you tonight, forget about all I've done wrong and all I've done right, Cause I know you will love me even if I never catch up to these dreams I've been chasing." Also on her CD, she covers the Ray Charles song, "Hit the Road Jack" and pairs up with Pat Wictor for "You Got To Move." Along with pursuing a career as a solo artist, Abbie Gardner is also a member of the New York female trio Red Molly. Check out www.abbiegardner.com to find out more information about this talented musician that doesn't leave room for disappointment.

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Poetic Leanings
April 23, 2006

Honey On My Grave - Abbie Gardner
Abbie Gardner has released a collection of songs on "Honey On My Grave" that puts on full display a degree of complexity and range of musical influence that is rarely equaled. Gardner, also a member of the Appalachia-based group Red Molly, blends together multiple genres throughout the CD, and it is that mixture of styles that becomes her greatest strength. "Honey" finds a voice in pop, blues, Appalachia, torch songs, bluegrass, and folk. It is impossible not to be excited as each new track approaches, wondering what Gardner will do next.
 
Some songs will sound familar to everyone, such as "Ain't Misbehavin'" and "Hit the Road Jack," the former sensually alluring and the latter done with a poignant simplicity and fortitude. Gardner's vocal range comes forth on "Ain't Misbehavin," but also on songs such as "Honey On My Grave," and "Breath Again" in unique and interesting ways. All her efforts provide the listener with a sense of passion, intensity, heartfelt emotion, and a bit of the rascality so evident in Gardner's live shows.
 
The playfulness that comes out in those live shows is most clearly revealed in Gardner's fan favorites "Caffeine" and "Ohio." You don't get any of Gardner's jokes on this CD(come on Abbie, tell us the one about the antenna wedding!), but her clever charms are wide open for viewing on these songs. What makes "Ohio" particularly fun is in the knowing that it was inspired by the first word Gardner came upon while watching TV - a song was born from a seeming nowhere.
 
Abbie Gardner is an accomplished musician as well, and her trademark dobro can be found throughout the various tracks of "Honey On My Grave." However, Gardner has also surrounded herself with an array of skilled artisans that are up to the task of keeping pace with her. Matt Munisteri, guitar, Peter Carr, banjo, Benny Rietveld, bass, and fellow Red Mollyer, Laurie MacAllister, background vocals, shine in support. Pat Wictor joins in on a duet to end the CD,"You Got To Move," that is a wonderful closing number to a great eleven songs.
 
Abbie Gardner is an incredible talent, vocally, instrumentally, as a songwriter, and through her presence. "Honey On My Grave" is a testament to all of those marks of skill that she possesses. I have my copy. Why don't you have yours?

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All Music Guide
Review by Scott Yanow
Rating: 4/5 stars
www.allmusic.com

A young singer, Abbie Gardner has a pleasing voice and swings while sticking close to the vintage lyrics and melodies that she interprets. Clearly, her most important inspiration is her father, veteran swing pianist Herb Gardner, who also contributes background vocals on a few numbers. They perform 13 tunes that are mostly from the late 1920s and early '30s, assisted greatly by the fluent and creative playing of Dan Levinson on clarinet (where his sound is just a little reminiscent of Tony Parenti) and tenor. Some of the numbers are warhorses but a few others "("Happy Feet," "Under a Blanket of Blue" and "Your Mother's Son-in-Law" in particular) are not performed all that often. Clearly, father and daughter had a fun time performing this music. The final two numbers ­ a tribute to Herb's home ("Staten Island") and the humorous "Gunshots and Sirens" ­ feature Herb on a pair of good-time vocals. This CD is easy to enjoy and shows that Abbie Gardner is a singer with strong future potential.

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Cadence Magazine
JUNE 2004 ISSUE
www.cadencebuilding.com

Abbie Gardner has a strong throaty voice that's reminiscent of Wesla Whitfield's. On My Craziest Dream, which appears to be her debut, she uses it to render evergreens from the 1920s and 1930s with a crew of guys who play like they were around when this music was the cat's pajamas. I assume the pianist Herb Gardner is her father, but her starring role has nothing to do with nepotism. She has the chops to carry this off. She delivers these songs enthusiastically as if they were new. She takes them head on, on their own terms, and embodies their insouciant spirit. Pianist Gardner supports her with four-square stride piano and reedman Dan Levinson offers up solos that never stray from the truisms of traditional swing, yet never sound archaic. This sounds like music that would be perfectly at home in some local watering hole, the musical equivalent of homecooked comfort food.

Tacked onto the end of the session are two pieces featuring originals written and sung by Herb Gardner. They mine the same stylistic territory musically, but the subject matter is more personal. "Staten Island" is a rollicking Broadway-like celebration of "Staten Island," complete with rat-a-ma-tat drum solo climax. "Gunshots and Sirens" is better, a humorous tribute to the city life. Gardner claims he'd rather put up with "gunshots and sirens" instead of "deer in the woods carrying Lyme disease." It's all good fun, and I expect goes over well live. I know this CD whets my appetite to hear the Gardners and company in the flesh.

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Abbie Gardner
My Craziest Dream
Review from: JazzNow Interactive

Abbie Gardner, lead vocals; Herb Gardner, piano, vocals; Dan Levinson, clarinet, saxophone; Robbie Scott, percussion; Mike Weatherly, upright bass

There's a bright opening to Abbie Gardner's debut Jazz album with "Happy Feet"; in fact the CD remains bright throughout. Dan Levinson with his clarinet and sax gets through a load of work, and helps to lift the album with the freshness of his playing. Abbie shows some of the nuances of Billie Holiday, and with the help of Abbie's pianist and arranger Dad, Herb Gardner, they put together a lively and swinging set of mostly standards. Herb has a full and swinging sound on "Under A Blanket Of Blue", on which he conjures some great piano, and Abbie's voice is sweet, silky and expressive. "Your Mother's Son In Law" allows Dan Levinson to let fly on clarinet, and Herb joyfully thumps the ivories. Occasionally Herb and Abbie duet. "Please Don't Talk About Me" allows us to notice character against sweetness. These are straightforward arrangements, and Abbie sings them all with a smile (one imagines). There is a lightness about her that is very appealing. From a player's point of view, there must be something special when performing with your daughter. This is a jolly and light-hearted CD; enhanced even more by the splendid clarinet and sax playing of Dan Levinson, and the solid work of bassist Mike Weatherly and Robbie Scott on percussion. Thirteen standards, and the two originals by Herb Gardner, continue in the same vein. A thoroughly enjoyable CD.

by Ferdinand Maylin

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Abbie Gardner - My Craziest Dream
Review by Sophia Gurley from The Ectophile’s Guide to Good Music

I'm not usually a huge fan of jazz standards, but Abbie Gardner's fine, lively, nuanced interpretations of this material really won me over. Frequently cover albums such familiar material can feel a little lifeless or simply repeats of other people's versions. Or worse, when listening to them you feel like once you've heard one verse you know exactly what the rest of the song is going to sound like. Abbie Gardner's versions are so definitely not like that each line she sings is alive and is just right. I found the songs commanded my attention and each verse drew out new elements in familiar songs. She's got a great sense of rhythm and the songs really swing. This album is a gem. (sophiagurley@hotmail.com)

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Abbie Gardner's My Craziest Dream
Review by Tavis Larkham

I've never been much of a jazz fan. To me, jazz has always seemed like that beautifully decorated room in your parents' house with the elegant furniture you're not allowed to sit on and the knickknacks and antiques that you're not allowed to touch: I appreciate it, but it seems so nice that I've never felt quite comfortable around it. But when my favorite folk singer decided to record a jazz album, I couldn't not buy it. Abbie Gardner's My Craziest Dream is a collection of jazz standards that even the most jazz-ignorant--like me--would recognize. It includes songs like "It's Only A Paper Moon," "Ain't Misbehavin'," and "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To."

I love this album. The combination of Abbie Gardner's warm, accessible voice and the energetic, toe-tapping arrangements of Herb Gardner make jazz an inviting and happy place for me, instead of that distant, intimidating place that my turtleneck-wearing, wine-tasting friends visit. From the jubilant and playful "Them There Eyes" and "Your Mother's Son-In-Law" to the easy, relaxin' "Mean To Me" and "Tuxedo Junction," My Craziest Dream is a such a pleasure to listen to. The album also includes two original bonus tracks--written and sung by Herb Gardner--that fit perfectly with the rest of this collection; they sound like they could have been written in the 30's.

For jazz lovers and the jazz-uninitiated alike, I highly recommend My Craziest Dream.

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Abbie Gardner - Abbie Gardner
Review by Wil Owen from Rambles

When I first popped in Abbie Gardner's CD My Craziest Dream, I was easily transported back in time to when jazz was great. I really enjoy jazz from the 1920s, '30s and '40s. Apparently, so does Abbie. This isn't surprising. Her father, Herb, is a jazz pianist. From a young age, Abbie sang along with Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald on the record player. Now, she claims, she was able to "live that dream" of singing some of these legendary tunes with the release of her own CD.

Abbie belts out 13 tunes on My Craziest Dream. Out of these jazz classics, perhaps one of my favorites is the first track, "Happy Feet." From the first sound of the fast-paced drum intro, your toes start tappin' to the beat. As the song suggests, "...when they hear a tune, I can't control my dancing gear to save my soul." The liner notes should contain a warning label not to play this track while driving.

Most of you are probably familiar with "Please Don't Talk About Me." The instruments make this track shine. I've always been amused at how upbeat and positive the melody is while the lyrics focus on the breakup of a friendship with both parties going their own ways. I choose to focus on the instruments as they play back and forth off each other. This is jazz the way it is meant to be played!

There are two bonus tracks on the CD. Abbie's dad, Herb, plays piano on all the tracks as well as providing backing vocals when required. Now, he performs lead vocals on "Staten Island" and "Gunshots and Sirens" -- both H. Gardner originals. You will quickly notice that his gravely voice is far from polished. On the one hand, Abbie has a much better singing voice. But Herb has something Abbie is missing on this CD; Herb's vocals have character. Like his piano playing, his scratchy voice adds some "oomph" to the songs. Most of the time, Abbie is simply singing a given song. The vocals are good, better than average even, but nothing overly special.

The highlight of My Craziest Dream is easily the clarinet and sax player, Dan Levinson. If this CD were a movie, Dan would be stealing each scene he is in! When Dan and Herb go to town, whether their instruments are dueling or complementing the other, My Craziest Dream is at its best. Rounding out the sound is Mike Weatherly on upright bass and Robbie Scott on percussion.

I like My Craziest Dream by Abbie Gardner. If you are a fan of early jazz, I think you will enjoy it, too. This is a collection of great songs. I will admit that I wasn't taken right away by Abbie's singing. Her singing is not bad, just simple. But the instruments begged me to keep listening. Abbie's vocals have now grown on me and I enjoy the package as a whole. If you give it a chance, you will hear what I mean.

- Rambles
written by Wil Owen
published 15 May 2004
 

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This is an excerpt of a review of Colin Brooks’ album “Chippin' Away at the Promised Land” that Abbie sang backup on.

"One of the simply most staggeringly purely beautiful songs on the record is ‘Cool Water,’ which features the killer line ‘You're like cool water for my thirsty soul.’ This song features Grammy-worthy, gorgeous harmony singing by Abbie Gardner. Just when this song's sweet chords lull you, along comes another goosebump-inducing soar. Again this song isn't even like a song almost. It's more like a caring but gruff embrace reaching out to you from your speakers." - review by P. Kellach Waddle

P. Kellach Waddle is a contributing editor at FolkWax. Based in Austin, he is also an award-winning composer and performer.

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Abbie Gardner
"Abbie Gardner "
Genre: acoustic
reviewed by Annie Lin from GoGirlsMusic.com

Seldom do photogenic musicians live up to their splashy album covers as well as Abbie Gardner does. This New York professional (and former high school band conductor) has a knack for creating four-minute snapshots of human interaction. Her rollicking, club-folk guitar riffs capture perfectly the tiny thrills--the lulls and the cadences--of everyday conversation. The lyrics aren't exactly high literature, but they keep the mood light in songs like "Violet" and "Temptation." Ever wonder what Paula Cole would sound like if she played guitar? I have no doubt that she would sound like Abbie Gardner on the album's last track, "Temptation." Bassist Greg Smith deserves a nod for bringing funk to folk on this slow-paced, deliciously dirty number.

Hit Picks: "Violet" and "Temptation"

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Abbie Gardner - Self Titled Demo
Review by Sophia Gurley from The Ectophile’s Guide to Good Music

Abbie Gardner has a strong guitar technique, solid songwriting, and a slightly nasal but lilting voice that can wring the best out of her lyrics. Her songwriting and style seems to me a kind of a cross between early Ani Difranco and early Michelle Shocked. This 3-song demo does demonstrate the range of Abbie Gardner's talent--she can be touching, wrenching, haunting, or bluesy, or all three at different moments in one song. Highly recommended for folkrock fans .

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Abbie Gardner - Self Titled Demo
Review by Ben Ohmart from Muse’s Muse

Abbie’s 3-song ep thunks to life like a 3-wheeled train dead in the middle of Kansas. Attituded folk or acoustic rock, the rhythm clap that Abbie wanks out of ‘Violet’ is a pleasantly confident approach toward attention grabbing. Singing of the violet sky, one can’t help but hear a girlie-woman that knows herself yet searches for the meaning in others. The sad solo of ‘Rosie Knows Something’ pulls as the heart’s strings as well as the slight skip among the guitar chords. It’s a beautiful voice. She’ll hold a note until it changes color, usually from blue to orange or the other way around. A little Janis, a little Alanis, a whole lot of soul that feels too much but wouldn’t have it any other way.

The delayed funk of end song ‘Temptation’ struts on like a leathered school girl who knows all brown eyes are glued to her back pockets. The slap of the bass swivels the hips, while Abbie’s story poses the old question, should I or shouldn’t I? Uh oh, she can’t say no. ‘And the stranger sitting next to me / lookin’ so much closer and sweeter than memory.’

However old Abbie may be, she’s got enough of a voice now to wow an audience of 100k if she had a Spice Girls producer behind her. What you’ll hear in her svelte-voiced, highly characterized grooves is great love for The Song, and an uncanny ability to get it hot and fried and on your plate with one adept flip.

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Abbie Gardner - Abbie Gardner
Review by Wil Owen from Rambles

(Gimmie Some Ribs, 1999)

Abbie Gardner has a self-titled three-song demo EP to introduce her brand of folk music to the world. Abbie's pleasant voice and decent guitar playing left me wanting more.

Abbie is joined by her father, Herb Gardner, on keyboards, plus Greg Smith on bass and Todd Martin on drums. They all play fairly well together, although the men definitely take a back seat to the prominence of Abbie's guitar and vocals.

The first song, "Violet," is a light song where violet refers to the color (vs. a person or flower). My favorite song of the three is "Rosie Knows Something." The song is a little depressing -- but that is just the way some good songs are! I like how the guitar and piano mix so well. "Temptation" finishes the demo off with a nice light rock-folk sound. Each song easily grabs you. You will undoubtedly find yourself singing and swaying along.

I think it is too bad that this is only a demo. I, for one, really was left wanting to hear some more from Abbie. She actually has two more albums -- Tea and a Cookie and Southern Rain, which may well be worth checking out.

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ABBIE GARDNER - 3 SONG DEMO
Reviewed by Mike SOS from Sound420

Abbie Gardner's three song CD is perfect for a quiet General Foods International Coffee moment. Her neo-hippie lyrics ("Violet") work very well with her Natalie Merchant styled vocals ("Rosie Knows Something"). If you like female fronted acoustic music that has top notch production and songwriting, check out Abbie's CD.

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Second Saturday Concert Series

"They rock!  Their musicianship is flawless. And their voices ... their harmonies sound like they've been singing together for years.  Their energy is intoxicating. Their show was our first ever sell-out.  For weeks afterward, people were asking, 'Are you getting Red Molly back for next season?'  YES!"
         Rick Widdekind
         Director, Second Saturday Concert Series
         (Frederick, MD)

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"Red Molly came and made us all so happy.  My only regret was that they only had one set; I could have listened to them all night! What they do is so NEEDED: keeping the old music alive, but making it refreshing, new, and unique."
         Lisa Wenzel
         Director, Circle Of Friends Coffeehouse
         (Pleasantville, NY)

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"Red Molly plays music the way I like it: unpretentious, straight from the heart, and way down deep in the old-time roots. It's true folk music that comes from the right place. They take me back to a purer time when people sang for one another just because of the love of music.  And they pack some power.  It’s purely delightful and inspiring. It warms the soul."
         Frank Matheis
         Roots And Blues Specialty Host, Music Writer
         WKZE 98.1 FM/1020 AM
         (Sharon, CT)

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"Red Molly has taste, talent, and voices to die for. They make music the way it should be made: raw, powerful, and beautiful. With this band, you hear and feel the soul inside the songs. It's music to make the spirit soar."
         Michael Scott Cain
         Author, "Midnight Train"

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All contents© Abbie Gardner.