Charlie Ballantine and Amanda Gardier: Midwest Jazz Auteurs Move East

Guitarist Charlie Ballantine and saxophonist Amanda Gardier are young, up-and-coming jazz musicians who are a rarity: they are married and perform together. Hailing from the heart of the Midwest in Indianapolis, they both began playing at a young age, influenced by both jazz and popular music. Together, they have recorded several exceptional albums.

Since 2014, Ballantine and Gardier have released a total of 12 unique and exciting jazz albums. They include projects as varied as Life is Brief (2018), an album of spot-on Bob Dylan covers, Vonnegut (2020), a tribute to the work of Kurt Vonnegut, and Reflections/Introspection ( 2021) a dynamic homage to Thelonious Monk—all on Green Mind Records.

In early 2024, they relocated to Baltimore after Gardier was accepted into the Commodores Navy Band. With a new life, new baby, and new prospects, they are settling into the East Coast jazz scene. Both have released new albums (mentioned below) and have two more set to release in 2025.

Their playing exhibits extraordinary musicality, their songs boast memorable hooks, and they possess a relaxed yet deeply compelling sound. They have absorbed a multitude of musical and cultural influences, emerging with a vibe that is distinctly their own.

Ballentine and Gardier spoke with All About Jazz by Zoom on a Friday afternoon after a busy week of gigs in Washington DC.

All About Jazz: Tell me a little bit about how you met and how you started playing together. How long ago was that?

Amanda Gardier: We met at IU (Indiana University). We were both going there, and we interacted a little bit. Then I graduated. We were in a cover band together in 2013. We started dating when I was still at IU and Charlie was up in Indianapolis working as a musician.

AAJ: When did you start and when was your first recording? How long had you been together when you recorded it?

Charlie Ballentine: Yeah, we'd been dating for a couple of years. That was probably like 2014 or something like that, maybe 10 years ago now.

AG: Yeah, two years into the relationship.

AAJ: Charlie, since 2015, starting with Green, you've recorded eight albums in nine years, which ain't bad! And Amanda played on six of them. Were all of those self-produced?

CB: Yeah, for the most part. I think Vonnegut (music based on the author's writings) had the arranger kind of produce it so that one was a little different. But the rest of them have been produced by me.

AAJ: And Amanda, you did two solo albums in that time as well. One of them Charlie played on. Tell me a bit about those albums.

AG: The first one, Empathy, I worked on while getting my master's degree. I wrote for a larger band with piano and Charlie on guitar, and on some of the tracks, multiple horns. The second one, Flyover Country, was more practical, just a quartet. It felt like it needed piano instead of guitar.

AAJ: Where did you record most of your albums? I've seen the studio in the YouTube videos in Indianapolis.

CB: All of our albums were recorded at a place called Postal Recording in Indianapolis.

AAJ: You played a lot at the Chatterbox and the Jazz Kitchen in Indianapolis for several years. Tell me about that, Charlie.

CB: I was at the Chatterbox at least two or three times a week for the last four or five years in Indianapolis. The Jazz Kitchen is a big dinner club, seats like 150. The Chatterbox is like Smalls, where all the musicians go after their gigs. It's all about the vibe and the hang. I feel like I really learned to play music at the Chatterbox.

AAJ: You did some very good live recordings there. The sound and ambiance are great. Twenty or thirty years from now, those might emerge as bootlegs!

CB: Who knows?

AAJ: You've written a lot of fantastic originals such as "Jones," "Hallways," "Strange Idea," "Zani" and "Snow Angel." Your new album, is it mostly originals?

CB: Yeah, Love Letters and Graffiti, that's all-original music.

AAJ: When I think of your style, I think of jazz, tinged with rock, country, folk, and blues. You don't sound like anybody else. How did that sound emerge?

CB: I think I just tried to copy a lot of different people that didn't sound anything alike. I had an eclectic background. I spent summers in Nashville as a teenager, which influenced me a lot. It was heavy rock and country, not a lot of blues, but I developed an affinity for country music and musicianship.

AAJ: Did you have opportunities to play publicly when you were in Nashville?

CB: No, I was probably 16 to 20 years old, just absorbing and mimicking everything I saw.

AAJ: Amanda, how did you get your start on saxophone?

AG: I grew up in the Chicago suburbs and started saxophone in fifth grade. I had good band directors and a great private teacher, Doug Stone, who lives in Baton Rouge now.

AAJ: So you played in a band throughout high school?

AG: Yep, concert band and jazz band in middle school and high school. In high school, I had friends who were serious about music, and we pursued little gigs at coffee shops and restaurants around town.

AAJ: And then you met in college?

AG: Yes, at I.U., Indiana University.

AAJ: So, how many years had you been playing before university?

AG: Eight years.

CB: She was a professional before she even got there! She wasn't in the jazz program, but they made her play in all the jazz bands because she sounded so good.

CB: Did you play together in college?

AG: Our freshman year, we played together in the Bottom Big Band.

AAJ: Was your intention to become a professional musician in college?

AG: I started as a music education major and planned to teach band and play gigs on the side. After my undergrad, I taught middle school band for three years and gigged, but now I just play.

AAJ: How about you, Charlie? Did you do any teaching?

CB : I've taught in every capacity, but Amanda is an even better teacher and very passionate about it!

AAJ: Here's something I'm curious about. At one point, Amanda, you decided to apply for the Commodores Navy Band. What was your reasoning behind that major career move?

AG: I was interested in the military jazz bands as a rare opportunity to have a steady paycheck and benefits while primarily playing music. It was also a chance to challenge ourselves and move to the East Coast, playing with different types of players.

AAJ: I understand you also went through basic training. Do you do any military things?

AG: We wear uniforms, and there are reminders that we're in the military, like always having to be available and officially being on leave if we leave the area. We sometimes play for military funerals and ceremonies, but otherwise, it's a fun and creative position.

AAJ: What's your day like? Do you go in every day to rehearse?

AG: We rehearse a few days a week and have public concerts or private events within the military. We get more days off than a typical nine-to-five, but practicing is part of the job. We also have the freedom to take other gigs when the band isn't performing.

AAJ: For a musician, it sounds like an ideal job. How did you feel about it, Charlie?

CB: I didn't know much about it and was confused, but once we got here, it made sense. Amanda's first gig was at the Vice President's house, which showed how important the position is.

AAJ: My dad was a military officer, so we lived on military bases all our lives. But you're not going to be posted in different places, are you?

AG: The Navy has fleet bands that move around, but the premier bands are permanently stationed in DC.

AAJ: Let's talk about your most recent album, Amanda. You recorded Auteur: Music Inspired by the Films of Wes Anderson. You were going to put it out earlier, but then the Navy audition came up and you put it out later, in January 2024.

I bought it the day it came out, downloaded it, and started playing it on my laptop. I found it wonderful and very moving. It blew me away. It's my favorite album in a long time. I play it over and over; it's just an astounding album on so many levels.

AG: Oh, thank you.

AAJ: Charlie, you play on it as well. The atmosphere you create is really special. How did you come up with the idea for this album? It's unique, like nothing I've ever heard.

AG: A lot of my previous compositions were inspired by characters from TV shows or movies, or people I knew in real life, but it was kind of random. For this project, I wanted a clearer theme. I chose Wes Anderson because I liked his movies and thought they had enough recognition for people to understand the inspiration.

AAJ: You watched all his movies?

AG: Yes, there were one or two I hadn't seen much before, like Rushmore and The Life Aquatic. I watched all of them, but the stop-motion animations didn't inspire any songs on the record.

AAJ: My favorite is The Grand Budapest Hotel.

AG: That's a great one.

AAJ: So, the theme and ideas and melodies emerged from that. It has a Wes Anderson-like feel to it. And you got Dave King on drums. He's quite an interesting drummer.

AG: Oh, totally.

AAJ: So, anything else about Auteur that stood out for you?

AG: Knowing Dave King was going to be on it influenced the tunes. Sometimes you write in a way that you know will sound good with the musicians you have. Dave brought ideas to the session that fit the music well.

AAJ: Jesse Whitman, the bassist, has played on a lot of your projects. Do you miss him?

AG: Definitely, but we still get to play with him and bring him out on the road sometimes.

AAJ: Charlie, let's talk about your brand new album, Love Letters and Graffiti, which features Jon Cowherd on piano, Tony Scherr on bass and Rudy Royston on drums. How did that band come together?

CB: I didn't know Jon personally, but we had the same manager for years. She kept suggesting him. Moving to the East Coast, I felt confident enough to call him. Jon plays with Tony and Rudy a lot, and they have a great rapport. It just happened naturally that we all wanted to record together.

AAJ: Where did you record it?

CB: In Brooklyn, at a studio called The Bunker.

AAJ: How was it different from your other recording sessions?

CB: It felt different because it was my first time not recording at Postal Recording. It was a reset, but having such world-class players took the pressure off. Every take had amazing energy.

AAJ: How long did it take to record?

CB: About a day and a half. We had two days booked, but we finished right after lunch on the second day. There were a lot of one-take songs.

CB: Are you sponsored by a label, or is this self-produced?

CB: I talked to a couple of labels, but it didn't work out. It's tougher to see the viability of signing with a label these days. It's more about using their publicist, but I like the publicist I use, so it didn't work out with a label this time.

AAJ: The album seems somehow more aggressive than your previous albums. How was it different for you?

CB: The players and being in New York brought a different energy. Even on tour, playing in New York is special. I was leaning into the atmosphere of the city.

AAJ: What are your plans moving forward? You now have a very steady gig, Amanda, but do you plan to continue recording?

AG: Yes, we recorded a new project right after the release tour for Auteur. It's all covers of songs by Björk. I'll take my time releasing it, maybe in a year or so.

AAJ: Will you continue to play with Charlie?

AG: Yes, whenever we can.

AAJ: You have a great simpatico playing together. Charlie, what are your plans for touring and gigging?

CB: I did an Eastern tour, covering half the country, and a few dates in Canada for the new album. I soon have some one-off out-of-town gigs booked. We'll be in Massachusetts and New England in the fall, but I don't have any extensive tours planned.

I also just recorded a new album with drummer Dan Weiss. We'll probably release it early next year and do a release tour around that.

AAJ: Does Amanda's steady gig take some pressure off?

CB: A little bit. But I've never felt that pressure. I always feel like I'm just doing what I want. It's great when the money comes in, and when it doesn't, that's okay too.

AAJ: I wish you the best of luck. You guys are great, really authentic, down-to-earth people and amazing musicians. Being from Indiana, there's something about that background.

CB: Definitely. We've noticed it more out here. There's a different shorthand to Midwesterners. It's nice to run into Midwesterners out here.

AAJ: I'm sure you'll bump into a lot of great people in the music business. Jazz is a whole culture unto itself.

CB: Yeah, it's a wide spectrum of personalities.

AAJ: You're going to meet some amazing people to play with and create astounding music over the next few years. Thank you very much for taking the time.

CB & AG: Thanks, Robert.

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