We’re excited to partner with the Kentucky Theatre to bring saxophonist Amanda Gardier back to the Origins stage with her new quartet project Auteur, Music Inspired by the Films of Wes Anderson.
Will you be into it: Amanda’s songwriting pulls from a wide set of influences, including past Origins features Miguel Zenon and the Bad Plus, and pop artists like Bjork. This show will be supporting her new release Aueteur, where the interplay between guitarist Charlie Ballentine, drummer Dave King, bassist Jesse Wittman, and Gardier herself are evocative of the poise, whimsy, and repetition that are so key to filmmaker Wes Anderson’s style.
You can check out her album Aueteur here.
About the Artist:
Saxophonist, composer, and educator Amanda Gardier has been described as “a uniquely talented jazz composer and soloist” (Nuvo). Gardier is an alto saxophonist who juxtaposes the calmness of lush harmonies and cyclical melodies with the intensity of complex rhythms and fiery improvisation. Her first release with Green Mind Records, Empathy, was “a debut with a lot of something for everyone” (All About Jazz). With her second release, Flyover Country, Gardier “claim[ed] a space among rising saxophonists” (Downbeat). Her new project, Auteur: Music Inspired by the Films of Wes Anderson, "is a high point of her discography - she comes across as a seasoned leader, accomplished composer and masterful saxophonist." The project features original compositions inspired by the characters and imagery from Wes Anderson films, including The Grand Budapest Hotel, Moonrise Kingdom, The Royal Tenenbaums, The French Dispatch, and more.
As a side musician, Gardier has performed with Ingrid Jensen, Dave Stryker, Leni Stern, Wayne Wallace, Wes "Warmdaddy" Anderson, Jamie Baum, Sal Lozano, the Glenn Miller Orchestra, the Buselli-Wallarab Jazz Orchestra, and the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. She has also been a featured performer on releases by the Charlie Ballantine Group, Tucker Brothers Group, Jared Thompson & Premium Blend, and the Buselli-Wallarab Jazz Orchestra. In addition to her work as a bandleader and side-musician, Amanda is a current member of the US Navy Band Commodores jazz ensemble in Washington DC, where she is regularly featured as a soloist and woodwind doubler.
The lineup includes Charlie Ballantine on guitar, Cassius Goens III on drums, and Jesse Wittman on bass.