The Jazz Session #580: Duchess (Amy Cervini, Hilary Gardner, Melissa Stylianou)

Acclaimed vocalists Amy Cervini, Hilary Gardner, and Melissa Stylianou join forces and voices to become ‘Duchess’, a New York City-based vocal trio known for tight harmonies and big fun, carrying the tradition of the Boswell and Andrews Sisters into the 21st century. They’ve released four albums together, including their most recent “Live at Jazz Standard”, particularly poignant as the much-loved New York jazz venue did not survive the pandemic. We talk about the magic of hearing and seeing Duchess live, treading the fine lines of tradition and homage and modernisation in vocal groups, and much more. I’m also throwing in some gems from their 2018 holiday album “Harmony for the Holidays with Duchess” because, well, ’tis the festive season! Show Notes: Tracklisting: – Love Being Here With You – Joseph, Joseph – On The Sunny Side Of The Street – What Are You Doing New Year’s? – Santa Baby Buy “Live at Jazz Standard” here Find your copy of “Harmony for the Holidays with Duchess” here Theme music by The Respect Sextet Follow The Jazz Session on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook Subscribe to The Jazz Session’s YouTube Channel Support The Jazz Session by becoming a member at Patreon. For $5 a month you’ll get a weekly bonus episode called Track of the Week, plus early access to every show. For $10 a month you get all that plus an extra monthly bonus episode of “The Insider”, a spin-off interview series where Nicky chats to jazz industry insiders (broadcasters, artist agents, label heads, journalists) about the nuts and bolts of the business.