Hilary Gardner and the Lonesome Pines
Birdland315 West 44th Street, New York 10036
Hilary Gardner brings the Lonesome Pines to Birdland Theater for a Christmas-on-the-range program of swinging, cinematic Western favorites and seasonal songs. Gardner sings with Justin Poindexter on guitar and vocals, Sasha Papernik on accordion and vocals, Noah Garabedian on bass, and Aaron Thurston on drums. It is a full-band take on cowboy-song material, with the holiday season folded into the group’s Old West songbook.
Alaska-raised and New York City-based, Gardner is a jazz vocalist and a founding member of the vocal trio Duchess. With the Lonesome Pines, she reworks songs from the 1930s and 1940s singing-cowboy era, a sound she describes as having a twang, “but it’s not country,” and “not exactly jazz.” Their album On the Trail with The Lonesome Pines brings Western trail songs into conversation with jazz and Americana. Gardner has worked with pianist Ehud Asherie, Charles Ruggiero and his trio, and singers Michelle Walker and Whitney James. The Wall Street Journal called the Lonesome Pines project “something new and wondrous,” while Jazz Lives praised Gardner as “a superb singer” with an understated, emotionally perceptive delivery.
Birdland offers a refined jazz experience in a room where the audience sits at tables close to the stage, allowing every note to reach you clearly. The venue features a full menu with dishes like New Orleans-style gumbo alongside a well-stocked bar, making it easy to enjoy a meal or drinks while listening. Each show is ticketed per set, encouraging focused listening as the music unfolds in roughly 45-minute segments. The club’s walls echo decades of jazz history, having hosted legends and continuing to attract top contemporary artists. Located in Manhattan’s Theater District, the space balances a serious music environment with the energy of a night out, where attentive audiences savor the performances without distraction. Booking ahead is essential, as the club fills quickly for its celebrated lineup.