Derrick Gardner
Encyclopedia
Derrick Gardner is an American jazz trumpeter from Chicago, Illinois.
Gardner began playing trumpet at age 9 in his hometown of Chicago, IL. Throughout high school and college, Derrick was recognized by instructors as having “strong improvisational skills and a marvelous imagination.” In 1991, he moved to New York City and quickly began to make his mark on the local jazz scene, playing ith groups such as the Count Basie Orchestra
, Frank Foster
's Loud Minority Band, Harry Connick, Jr.
's Big Band, Roman Schwaller's European Sextet, and The Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra.
Gardner has gone on to work with such jazz notables as the late Dizzy Gillespie
, George Benson
, Jon Faddis
, Nancy Wilson
, Tony Bennett
, Joe Williams
, Rufus Reid
, Clark Terry
, Kenny Barron
, Stefon Harris
and James Moody
.
Critics have described him as "having a way of moving past the notes in a solo and getting into formal realms that make sense and heighten interest." Another critic describes him as "Soulful and Intelligent, a tremendous talent with a vivid and unusual imagination."
As a composer and arranger, Gardner's music has been featured with The Count Basie Orchestra.
Since 1989, Derrick has written for and led his own sextet, Derrick Gardner & the Jazz Prophets. In 2008, Gardner signed the group to Indianapolis jazz label Owl Studios
and has since released two albums on the label, 2008's A Ride to the Other Side, and 2009's Echoes of Ethnicity, which was the winner of the Best Jazz Album award at the 9th Annual Independent Music Awards "Echoes of Ethnicity"
As of July 2011, Gardner is associate professor of trumpet in the University of Manitoba's Jazz Studies program.
Gardner began playing trumpet at age 9 in his hometown of Chicago, IL. Throughout high school and college, Derrick was recognized by instructors as having “strong improvisational skills and a marvelous imagination.” In 1991, he moved to New York City and quickly began to make his mark on the local jazz scene, playing ith groups such as the Count Basie Orchestra
Count Basie Orchestra
The Count Basie Orchestra is a 16 to 18 piece big band, one of the most prominent jazz performing groups of the swing era, founded by Count Basie. The band survived the late '40s decline in big band popularity and went on to produce notable collaborations with singers such as Frank Sinatra and Ella...
, Frank Foster
Frank Foster
Frank Rowbotham Foster was a Warwickshire and England all-rounder whose career was cut short by an accident during World War I...
's Loud Minority Band, Harry Connick, Jr.
Harry Connick, Jr.
Joseph Harry Fowler Connick, Jr. is an American singer, big-band leader/conductor, pianist, actor, and composer. He has sold over 25 million albums worldwide. Connick is ranked among the top 60 best-selling male artists in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America, with...
's Big Band, Roman Schwaller's European Sextet, and The Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra.
Gardner has gone on to work with such jazz notables as the late Dizzy Gillespie
Dizzy Gillespie
John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie was an American jazz trumpet player, bandleader, singer, and composer dubbed "the sound of surprise".Together with Charlie Parker, he was a major figure in the development of bebop and modern jazz...
, George Benson
George Benson
George Benson is a ten Grammy Award winning American musician, whose production career began at the age of twenty-one as a jazz guitarist....
, Jon Faddis
Jon Faddis
Jon Faddis is an American jazz trumpet player, conductor, composer, and educator renowned for both his highly virtuosic command of the instrument and for his expertise in the field of music education...
, Nancy Wilson
Nancy Wilson
Nancy Wilson may refer to:* Nancy Wilson , American jazz singer and actress* Nancy Wilson , American singer and guitar player, member of the band Heart...
, Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett is an American singer of popular music, standards, show tunes, and jazz....
, Joe Williams
Joe Williams (jazz singer)
Joe Williams was a well-known jazz vocalist, a baritone singing a mixture of blues, ballads, popular songs, and jazz standards.-Early life:...
, Rufus Reid
Rufus Reid
Rufus Reid is an American jazz bassist, educator, and composer. He lives in Teaneck, New Jersey.-Personal history:...
, Clark Terry
Clark Terry
Clark Terry is an American swing and bop trumpeter, a pioneer of the fluegelhorn in jazz, educator, NEA Jazz Masters inductee, and recipient of the 2010 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award...
, Kenny Barron
Kenny Barron
Kenny Barron , is an American jazz pianist. He is the younger brother of tenor saxophonist Bill Barron, and known for his lyrical, adaptive style.-Biography:...
, Stefon Harris
Stefon Harris
Stefon Harris is an American jazz vibraphonist. In 1999, the Los Angeles Times called him "one of the most important young artists in jazz" who is "at the forefront of new New York music" and "much in demand as a star sideman"...
and James Moody
James Moody (saxophonist)
James Moody was an American jazz saxophone and flute player. He was best known for his hit "Moody's Mood for Love," an improvisation based on "I'm in the Mood for Love"; in performance, he often improvised vocals for the tune.-Biography:James Moody was born in Savannah, Georgia...
.
Critics have described him as "having a way of moving past the notes in a solo and getting into formal realms that make sense and heighten interest." Another critic describes him as "Soulful and Intelligent, a tremendous talent with a vivid and unusual imagination."
As a composer and arranger, Gardner's music has been featured with The Count Basie Orchestra.
Since 1989, Derrick has written for and led his own sextet, Derrick Gardner & the Jazz Prophets. In 2008, Gardner signed the group to Indianapolis jazz label Owl Studios
Owl Studios
Owl Studios is an independent record label, started in 2005 by J. Allan Hall, that concentrates on jazz, R&B, and jam band genres. It is based in Indianapolis, Indiana and operates from its downtown offices on Monument Circle.-Formation:...
and has since released two albums on the label, 2008's A Ride to the Other Side, and 2009's Echoes of Ethnicity, which was the winner of the Best Jazz Album award at the 9th Annual Independent Music Awards "Echoes of Ethnicity"
As of July 2011, Gardner is associate professor of trumpet in the University of Manitoba's Jazz Studies program.
Discography
| Year | Artist | Title | Label |
| 1992 | Count Basie Orchestra | Live at El Morocco | Telarc Jazz |
| 2000 | George Gee | Swingin' Away | Zort Music |
| 2001 | Craig Bailey | Brooklyn | Evidence Music |
| 2003 | Stefon Harris | The Grand Unification Theory | Blue Note Records |
| 2003 | Lizz Wright | Salt | Verve Music Group |
| 2003 | Derek Gardner & The Jazz Prophets | Slim Goodie | Impact Jazz |
| 2003 | Harry Connick, Jr. | Harry For the Holidays | Columbia Records |
| 2003 | Harry Connick, Jr. | Only You | Columbia Records |
| 2006 | Harry Connick, Jr. | Chanson Du Vieux Carre | Columbia Records |
| 2007 | Harry Connick, Jr. | Oh, My Nola | Columbia Records |
| 2007 | Brad Leali Jazz Orchestra | Maria Juanez | TCB Music |
| 2007 | Ron Di Salvio | Essence Of Green: A Tribute To Kind Of Blue | Origin Records |
| 2008 | Derek Gardner & The Jazz Prophets | A Ride to the Other Side... | Owl Studios |
| 2009 | Derek Gardner & The Jazz Prophets | Echoes of Ethnicity | Owl Studios |