On Thursday, September 4, The Mainstay in Rock Hall ushers in the Chestertown Jazz Festival with NYC-based Great American Songbook stylist/ jazz vocalist Hilary Gardner in her fourth return visit.
National Public Radio remarked that Hilary Gardner “evokes memories of another time and place.” In 2010 she appeared on Broadway in Twyla Tharp’s musical “Come Fly Away in which she sang solos and duets with the recorded voice of Frank Sinatra (with the blessings of the Sinatra Estate), backed by a 19-piece live big band. The performance was hailed by critics as “wonderful” (Huffington Post), “elegant” (USA Today), and “terrific” (New York Observer).
Hilary will be joined by pianist Steve Einerson in a program she calls “Old Friends,” a reference to the repertoire she’ll be performing from the songbooks of a host of “old friends,” i.e. singers and songwriters who have shaped and inspired her as an artist. The list includes but is not limited to Peggy Lee, Julie London, Dave Frishberg, Bob Dorough, Beverly Kenney, Dan Hicks, and more.
Hilary’s former Mainstay appearances have included a solo show (with piano accompanist), a program she calls “Trail Songs” that pays tribute to the familiar tunes associated with Hollywood’s musical Westerns from the 1930s through the 1950s, and with her vocal trio Duchess who performed a tribute to The Boswell Sisters and The Andrew Sisters, the legendary close harmony trios of the jazz and swing eras.
Showtime for the live concert event is 8 pm. Tickets are $20 in advance of the show and can be purchased online at mainstayrockhall.org. Phone reservations are accepted by calling (410) 639-9133 (tickets reserved by phone are $25 when paid at the door). The Mainstay is located at 5753 N Main Street in Rock Hall, Maryland. Its regular calendar of local, regional, and nationally touring artists features a live performance every week of the year (February through December) in a variety of music genres.
The programs of the Mainstay are supported with funds from the Maryland State Arts Council and the Kent Cultural Alliance. The Mainstay’s 2025 jazz series is also supported with a generous donation from Dick and Bets Durham.