A four-person jazz group called the Amanda Gardier Quartet will perform at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at Bear’s Place.
The performance will serve as a release party for the quartet’s new CD “Flyover Country.” The album features nine original compositions by Gardier, leader of the group and a jazz saxophone instructor at Ball State University.
The quartet is of saxophonist and composer Gardier, pianist and IU alumna Ellie Pruneau, bassist Brendan Keller-Tuberg and drummer Carrington Clinton, stage name Clint Breeze. All members are independent jazz musicians who occasionally play together under the Amanda Gardier Quartet, Gardier said.
The majority of the band's performance will include original pieces from the album, including the song “40 Tattoos.”
This piece is one of Gardier’s favorites because it has a blend of jazz and rock influences, she said. The instrumentation resembles jazz, but some of the piano and drum patterns reflect those in rock or heavy metal music.
“I grew up listening to a lot of jazz, but I also listened to a lot of rock music and I have an appreciation for both,” Gardier said. “I think in that composition you can hear both of those.”
Gardier said this album is different from her first record “Empathy,” released in 2018, because she recorded it with a smaller group.
“It has a little bit more of an intimate feel to it,” Gardier said. “Because there are fewer people, you get some longer solos from each individual musician.”
People can only purchase the CD for $10 when they attend a show or for $15 if they order it from her website. The album will be available digitally on platforms such as iTunes and Spotify on Feb. 21.
Gardier is 32 weeks pregnant, but she said the pregnancy has not proved to be an issue while playing her alto saxophone. However, it was a driving factor in when she released the album.
“Usually, I take my time with the recording process and deciding when I’m going to release it,” Gardier said. “But I knew it would be easier to record and release it before the baby came.”
Gardier has performed at venues such as The Jazz Kitchen in Indianapolis, Andy’s Jazz Club in Chicago and the Palladium in Carmel, Indiana. Her festival appearances include The Indianapolis Jazz Festival and the Winnipeg International Jazz Festival.
This performance is part of the Jazz Fables series at Bear's Place, which features a different jazz group or performer at 5:30 p.m. every Thursday.
Tickets are $6 for students, $8 for general admission and are available at the door.
