Abbie Gardner
DobroSinger
Photo by Neale Eckstein
You may think that DobroSinger must be a typo, however rest assured it is not. Not only is it the title of Abbie Gardner’s new release, but it also serves as an excellent description of the style she has carved out for herself. Dobro is an instrument that is largely played by men, typically as part of a bluegrass lineup. That is not to say there are not notable women playing Dobro. Two well-known players that readily come to mind are Cindy Cashdollar and Sally Van Meter. However, Abbie is leaving her mark by trailblazing a new path. She has fused her Dobro playing, singing, and songwriting into a seamless vehicle of musical expression.
Abbie was born and raised in upstate New York. Her father is a swing jazz and stride pianist and Dixieland trombonist and her mother a professional photographer and longtime bluegrass fan. Abbie fondly recalls attending countless bluegrass festivals growing up. Her first instrument was flute which she began playing in the fourth grade. By the twelfth grade Abbie was serious enough about it that she set her sights on attending college as a music major. As sometimes happens in life, plans don’t work out and Abbie’s plans to study music in college did not materialize. In hindsight, she feels a deep sense of gratitude for the way things have turned out and believes she is where she was meant to be.
“The Long and Winding Road” is not only the title of a well-known Beatles’ song, it also aptly describes Abbie’s journey of determination and persistence in finding her musical footing. After her plans of majoring in music fell through, she moved to Boston to attend Boston University and along the way became an occupational therapist. While in college she led an a cappella group and transcribed and arranged much of their repertoire. She also joined the school’s gospel choir and learned how much power and emotion a singing voice can communicate. After graduation she picked up her father’s guitar and, being the focused and goal-driven person she is, committed to practicing 100 hours to determine if she liked it and if she had an aptitude for it. The result of her 100-hour investment in practicing guitar led to the purchase of a Taylor 510 which she fondly named Pops. Abbie now had the means to express herself through her own songs. She says she started writing songs as soon as she learned her first chord, which she remembers being an E7, and she has not looked back.
Abbie travelled to San Francisco and New Orleans to complete internships in Occupational Therapy. While there she made the most of her opportunities and soaked up the rich musical heritage those cities have to offer and spent many a night burning the midnight oil continuing to work on her music. She returned home to New York and found job working as…you guessed it…an occupational therapist. Abbie burned the candle at both ends for a year and a half working a day job and gigging at night. It was while she was on vacation attending the National Guitar Workshop in Connecticut that she came to the realization she could not put off her dream of being a full-time musician any longer.
She returned to New York, quit her job and began to focus all her time and energy on her music. If this were a movie script or a fairytale, it would most likely end here with Abbie Gardner becoming a musical sensation and living happily ever after. However, this is real life and as it turns out Abbie developed tendonitis in her wrist that made it too painful for her to continue playing guitar. As a result, she returned to work as an occupational therapist still determined to find a way to fulfill her dream of pursuing a career as a full-time musician.
Abbie’s epiphany occurred while attending the Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival in 2004. She heard Jerry Douglas playing Dobro and realized that the instrument would be easier on her left hand. She had heard various Dobro players over the years during her summer pilgrimages to various bluegrass festivals and she had always been drawn to the sound of the Dobro because of its melodic sound and vocal quality. She seized the moment and made a beeline to the booth of Beard Guitars, renowned for their resophonic guitars, also known as Dobros. She ordered one on the spot and a week later it was delivered, and Abbie’s dream was back on track.
Shortly after attending the Grey Fox Festival, she went to the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival and was camping with Laurie MacAllister and Carolann Solebello. The three knew each other from the New York City music scene. Each of them was at the end of, or between, projects and were open to something new. They were sitting around the campsite playing and singing together and it became readily apparent that they had something special. What really stood out is how their voices blended as one. They had a common cause, the desire to play music for a living and they enjoyed spending time together.
The three women would go on to form the fan favorite Americana group Red Molly. They took the name from a character in the Richard Thompson’s song “1952 Vincent Black Lightning.” Abbie had been playing Dobro only a short time when the group formed. She essentially learned to play through on the job training. Red Molly over the span of a decade would see Carolann Solebello replaced by Molly Venter, record seven albums and tour internationally adding new fans wherever they played. The group decided to take an extended hiatus in 2015 to pursue solo projects and other interests. They did reunite in 2017 for a short tour. What the future holds for Red Molly we will just have to wait and see.
Abbie has used the time away from Red Molly to focus on her solo career. She says she truly enjoys the freedom and flexibility she has to play with others or perform as a solo artist. She has the best of both worlds, and it keeps things fresh and moving forward. Over the years Abbie has worked diligently at perfecting her craft. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines triple threat as: a person adept in three different fields of activity. Abbie has evolved into a true triple threat as she weaves her songwriting, Dobro playing and singing into a rich tapestry of music that reflects her many influences and interests.
She is an accomplished songwriter having won the John Lennon Songwriting Contest and the American Songwriter magazine’s lyric contest in 2008 for her composition “The Mind of a Soldier.” As a result of her win, Abbie was given the opportunity to pick someone she would like to co-write a song with. She was thinking maybe Tim O’Brien or Darrell Scott but unfortunately, they were not available. When Chris Stapleton’s name came up as a possibility Abbie said, “Sign me up!” During the session they used Abbie’s notebook filled with lyrics and ideas as a catalyst. Brainstorming and bouncing different ideas off one another they came up with the song titled“Bad Leaver” about someone who knows the relationship is not working but who is just not good at leaving. Abbie looks back on the co-writing/recording session fondly and is grateful to have had the opportunity. When reflecting on songwriters she admires, besides Tim O’Brien and Darrell Scott, she lists Dolly Parton and Billie Holliday. When you listen to the songs Abbie has written and recorded over the years you hear the growth and maturity in her songwriting.
Since she transitioned to playing Dobro, Abbie has studied with such well known Dobro players as Sally Van Meter, Mike Witcher and Rob Ickes, to name just a few. However, she is quick to single out Mike Witcher for his continued support and encouragement for her vision of using the Dobro to accompany herself as a singer/ songwriter. Abbie is not the flashy, pyrotechnic player often associated with a Dobro in a bluegrass band format. Because these days she focuses more on playing as a solo artist, the Dobro must function as the entire band. She uses the Dobro to set the mood and rhythm of a song and to fill space. She plays whatever the song dictates from delicate arpeggios and sweet melancholy lines to toe tapping rhythms and greasy blues lines. She has the chops to do it all.
Abbie’s singing is something special and it reflects her many wide-ranging musical influences. An example of her depth as a singer is her first recording done in 2004 titled My Craziest Dream. It is an album of jazz standards featuring her father on piano. The album earned an entry in the 2009 Hal Leonard book The Jazz Singers: The Ultimate Guide. Just as with her Dobro playing, Abbie sings whatever it takes to breathe life into the song and connect with the audience. Sometimes the song may call for something in a blues vein, or sometimes it may be a ballad about longing and regret. She has that unique ability with her voice to transport the listener into the song.
Due largely to COVID the last two years has been a challenge for Abbie, as it has for everyone. She says, “My bank account has not grown…but my soul has.” However, she has put the time to good use by continuing to polish her skills. Additionally, she expanded her presence online by adding a Patreon account, streaming live shows and giving Dobro and songwriting lessons. The highlight of this trying time is the completion of a project she has wanted to do for several years but felt she just was not ready…until now.
May 13th marks the release date of Abbie’s new recording DobroSinger. It is just Abbie and her Dobro doing what she does best. It was recorded at home live in her closet studio and captures every nuance as the songs were being recorded…imperfections and all. There is nowhere to hide, no band or production to cover up any mistakes. I guess the best way to describe the recording in today’s vernacular is…keeping it real. There are nine originals, and she covers “Those Memories of You” written by Alan O’Bryant of the acclaimed Nashville Bluegrass Band and made popular by the recording by Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris from their 1987 album Trio. The second cover is the popular romantic ballad “You Belong to Me” from the 1950’s with the most popular version recorded by Jo Stafford in 1952. She breathes new life into both numbers with her unique interpretation and makes them her own. The originals run the gamut from a blues-based song called “Cypress Tree” to the gospel influenced, and my personal favorite, “Down the Mountain.” With the release of DobroSinger Abbie has elevated her art to new heights.
As life slowly gets back to something we recall as normal, Abbie is beginning to book dates to play live once again. Additionally, she will be teaching at the sold-out Nashville Dobro Camp in June along Mike Witcher, Ivan Rosenberg and Brandon Bostic and also at the 50th Annual RockyGrass Festival in July with Rob Ickes. If you have never seen Abbie live you owe it to yourself to do so… and if you have seen her live…you know what I am talking about. Abbie Gardner, DobroSinger…writing, playing and singing music you can believe in.
