Hannah Gill, a small-town girl with a big voice, is coming home! This Eastern Shore native has been making waves in the jazz world, and on May 25th, she’s bringing her talent back to where it all began with a performance at the Oxford Community Center. It’s the perfect kickoff to their new “Jazz on the Stage” series.
Hannah in her younger days
Gill’s rise to becoming a respected jazz singer and songwriter has been fueled by passion and a lot of community supporting her from the start. Now signed to Turtle Bay Records, she’s a rising star with her debut album, “Everybody Loves a Lover,” released just last fall. The record has garnered widespread praise from critics and racked up millions of views from fans online and on streaming services such as YouTube and Spotify.
The Eastern Shore is more than just Gill’s hometown; it’s the fertile soil that helped her musical roots take hold. “I grew up right smack between Easton and St. Michaels,” she said. During her formative years, Gill’s love for music flourished, inspired by the likes of Ella Fitzgerald and the jazz greats she heard played at home.
When she was around 16 and 17, she started going to New York City, eager to “play shows and dip my toes in the water,” as she put it. And the support and guidance of her family and mentors gave her both the inspiration and confidence to pursue her musical ambition.
Her father, Robbie Gill, CEO of YMCA Chesapeake, made her a promise that as long as she didn’t fall behind in schoolwork, he would drive her or put her on a train to the City (surprisingly, Gill doesn’t drive): “I would get out of school at 2:45, immediately catch the train to make a 6 pm show on a Tuesday night, come back that evening, and with three hours of sleep go to school the next day. It was definitely crazy, but I loved it. It was an amazing opportunity.”
Another pivotal figure was Amy Effler, her choir teacher at St. Michaels, who also became a friend. When it became time to decide whether to defer college, the teenage Gill, fielding many opinions, went to Effler for guidance. “I remember she told me, ‘As your teacher, I don’t approve. As your friend, I think it’s a chance you have to take.’ I joke about it now—it’s been another year, and I’m still making music. We did it. We made the right choice.”
So it was that by the time she graduated from St. Michaels High School in 2015, Gill’s path was set. Although she assumed making a living from music would require becoming a teacher, she nevertheless took a leap of faith and made the big move to the bright lights of New York City that fall. She immersed herself in the local swing dance scene, connecting with seasoned musicians and attending live shows. What she experienced changed her perspective. “I always knew music was my path,” she says, “but New York opened my eyes to a whole new world of possibilities. I started seeing jazz performers being able to support themselves on live gigs throughout the City. If they can do it, I want to figure out how I can. And so I kind of got the bug at that point.”
Hannah’s first show in NYC
Since then, Gill has collaborated with respected artists and ensembles, including the renowned Postmodern Jukebox and famous jazz pianist Gordon Webster. These experiences have shaped her artistry and provided invaluable lessons. “Working with Postmodern Jukebox, my stage presence got well-honed because you can’t look nervous in front of 3,000 people,” Gill said. “And my endurance was something that I learned how to understand when I was touring with them because a lot of times it was five or six nights of shows in a row.”
Her partnership with Webster unlocked another skillset where she learned to give people what she calls the ‘razzle-dazzle.’ “With swing music, you can’t conform to a pre-written setlist,” she said. “Your audience may want to dance slower or faster. You’ve got to learn to read the room.”
Beyond just performing, Gill’s creative expression itself has continued evolving. “I think that my music has grown as I’ve become an adult, and there’s been a lot of growth,” she said. “If I look back on certain tunes. I wouldn’t sing that now as an adult, but as a teenager, I enjoyed it.”
But it was in 2017 when a medical diagnosis actually transformed her physical singing style. After repeatedly losing her voice due to polyp issues on her sinuses, she turned to a friend who gave her reconstructive vocal lessons to help figure out how to sing without damaging her voice. It changed her range. “When I listen to older recordings now, I can hear myself pushing and straining in ways I no longer have to.”
As for the inspiration behind her debut album, “Everybody Loves a Lover,” which is a cover of an old Doris Day song, it comes from when she worked with Glenn Crytzer Orchestra, which specialized in music from the 20s, 30s, and 40s. Gill was surprised at the depth of the music of that era. “I had never heard of some of those songs before,” she said. The songs on my record are a combination of tunes that I love and have discovered in my career over the past eight years. If I can do my part to ensure that beautiful songs aren’t forgotten, then I’m happy.”
As Gill prepares to take the stage at the Oxford Community Center, the excitement of returning to her roots is palpable. “I love anytime I get the opportunity to be a part of something that involves the Eastern Shore,” she says. “It makes me feel good. I love where I came from, and this show is one of the reasons why I’m so excited to come back.”
For this special performance, Gill has assembled a remarkable band featuring some of the finest jazz musicians in the City. “My friend Ben Zweig is going to be on drums, and he was on the record, as well as Sam Chess, who played trombone on the record, and Gordon Webster, who plays piano,” she said. “And then the guys that weren’t on the record, who I’m so glad are coming along, including Ricky Alexander on saxophone and clarinet, Mike Davis on trumpet, and Phillip Ambuel on bass.”
Even as Gill continues to captivate audiences with her unique blend of vintage jazz and contemporary flair, she remains focused on the future and her legacy as an artist. “I want to be remembered as somebody who just did what makes her happy musically,” she said. “If you look at my discography, it’s not simple. I’m jumping all over the place genre-wise, but I’m doing that because I just love performing and I love music so much. I want to do it all.”
And so, on May 25th, you can join her homecoming show, as it promises to be a night of unforgettable music and a celebration of an artist whose roots will forever be entwined with the Eastern Shore. Come for the music and stay for the ‘razzle-dazzle.’ Either way, you won’t be disappointed.
To purchase tickets for this special performance, go to: https://oxfordcc.org/jazz/ Need further encouragement? Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlZacyYybkA
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