Born in Torino, Italy, started taking clarinet lessons at age twelve.
Singing debut at age seventeen in jazz clubs around Northern Italy.
A year later she moved to Milan where she got national recognition.
Gambarini moved to the United States in 1998.
That same year, along with Jane Monheit and Tierney Sutton, she was a semi-finalist at the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Vocal Competition, finishing in third place and losing to Teri Thornton.
Since then, Gambarini performed with many major jazz artist such as Herbie Hancock, Christian McBride, and Toots Thielemans, touring worldwide.
In 2004, she started touring with the Dizzy Gillespie All Star Big Band, performing with James Moody, Frank Wess, Jimmy Heath, Paquito de Rivera, Roy Hargrove and others.
Early in 2008 Gambarini released a CD You Are There, a collaboration with Hank Jones on piano.