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DERRICK GARDNER
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Jazz trumpeter, Derrick Gardner, inspired by the finest hard-blowing
funky bop bands of the 1960‟s, is working to extend that great tradition
as a composer, arranger, performer, leader and educator.
With extraordinary, creative natural talent, Derrick quickly made his
mark upon arriving on the New York jazz scene in 1991. There he
began a top-flight career that has taken him around the world
performing internationally with the Count Basie Orchestra, (1991-
present), Frank Foster‟s Loud Minority Band, Harry Connick Jr.‟s Big
Band, The Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra and Swiss tenor
player Roman Schwaller‟s European Sextet. Among his performance
locales are Europe, Scandinavia, Russia, Japan, South Africa and
Thailand as well as many premiere venues in the United States. Over
the last 18 years Derrick has worked with a tremendous litany of artists
that include late Dizzy Gillespie, George Benson, Frank Foster, Jon
Faddis, Nancy Wilson, Tony Bennett, Joe Williams, Rufus Reid and
Clark Terry just to name a few. Mr. Gardner formed his own sextet, The
Jazz Prophets, in 1991; it continues to be the primary vehicle of his
distinctive, hard-driving music. The band‟s three-man horn line,
consisting of himself, tenor sax player Rob Dixon and Derrick‟s
brother, trombonist Vincent Gardner of the Lincoln Center Jazz
Orchestra, has been together since the beginning. Derrick‟s recording
by The Jazz Prophets, A Ride to the Other Side, marked his Owl
Studios debut in the spring of 2008. Like Slim Goodie (his highly
regarded first recording as a leader on his own Impact Jazz imprint in
2005) it boils with the long-standing collective‟s sheer passion for the
soulful, funky jazz sound for which Cannonball Adderly and Horace
Silver built solid foundations with their 1950‟s and 60‟s ensembles.
The Prophets take that traditional straight ahead sound into new,
invigorating territory.
Derrick Gardner & the Jazz Prophets‟ second release on Owl Studios,
Echoes of Ethnicity, was heralded with rave reviews and received the
honor of being awarded „Best Jazz Album of the Year‟ by the
Independent Music Awards. Echoes of Ethnicity is a solid, dynamic
collection of excellence that highlights the deep talent and professional
sound being produced by this hard-driving group. In addition to his own
releases, Derrick has performed on multiple recordings with the Count
Basie Orchestra (including Grammy-winning The Count Basie
Orchestra Live at Manchester Craftman’s Guild), the New York Voices
in 1997 and four sessions with Harry Connick Jr. including 2007‟s
Hurricane Katrina inspired Oh, My Nola. In addition to recording and
touring with the Harry Connick Jr. Big Band (an affiliation that continues
as his schedule permits) Derrick was the feature trumpet soloist in the
Broadway musical Thou Shalt Not, for whichConnick wrote the music
and lyrics. As a sideman, Derrick has been on numerous recordings
by arranging mentor and close friend Frank Foster, Carlos Garnett,
Stefon Harris, Roman Schwaller and Liz Wright, among others.
_______________________________________________________
Jazz trumpeter, Derrick Gardner, inspired by the finest hard-blowing
funky bop bands of the 1960‟s, is working to extend that great tradition
as a composer, arranger, performer, leader and educator.
With extraordinary, creative natural talent, Derrick quickly made his
mark upon arriving on the New York jazz scene in 1991. There he
began a top-flight career that has taken him around the world
performing internationally with the Count Basie Orchestra, (1991-
present), Frank Foster‟s Loud Minority Band, Harry Connick Jr.‟s Big
Band, The Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra and Swiss tenor
player Roman Schwaller‟s European Sextet. Among his performance
locales are Europe, Scandinavia, Russia, Japan, South Africa and
Thailand as well as many premiere venues in the United States. Over
the last 18 years Derrick has worked with a tremendous litany of artists
that include late Dizzy Gillespie, George Benson, Frank Foster, Jon
Faddis, Nancy Wilson, Tony Bennett, Joe Williams, Rufus Reid and
Clark Terry just to name a few. Mr. Gardner formed his own sextet, The
Jazz Prophets, in 1991; it continues to be the primary vehicle of his
distinctive, hard-driving music. The band‟s three-man horn line,
consisting of himself, tenor sax player Rob Dixon and Derrick‟s
brother, trombonist Vincent Gardner of the Lincoln Center Jazz
Orchestra, has been together since the beginning. Derrick‟s recording
by The Jazz Prophets, A Ride to the Other Side, marked his Owl
Studios debut in the spring of 2008. Like Slim Goodie (his highly
regarded first recording as a leader on his own Impact Jazz imprint in
2005) it boils with the long-standing collective‟s sheer passion for the
soulful, funky jazz sound for which Cannonball Adderly and Horace
Silver built solid foundations with their 1950‟s and 60‟s ensembles.
The Prophets take that traditional straight ahead sound into new,
invigorating territory.
Derrick Gardner & the Jazz Prophets‟ second release on Owl Studios,
Echoes of Ethnicity, was heralded with rave reviews and received the
honor of being awarded „Best Jazz Album of the Year‟ by the
Independent Music Awards. Echoes of Ethnicity is a solid, dynamic
collection of excellence that highlights the deep talent and professional
sound being produced by this hard-driving group. In addition to his own
releases, Derrick has performed on multiple recordings with the Count
Basie Orchestra (including Grammy-winning The Count Basie
Orchestra Live at Manchester Craftman’s Guild), the New York Voices
in 1997 and four sessions with Harry Connick Jr. including 2007‟s
Hurricane Katrina inspired Oh, My Nola. In addition to recording and
touring with the Harry Connick Jr. Big Band (an affiliation that continues
as his schedule permits) Derrick was the feature trumpet soloist in the
Broadway musical Thou Shalt Not, for whichConnick wrote the music
and lyrics. As a sideman, Derrick has been on numerous recordings
by arranging mentor and close friend Frank Foster, Carlos Garnett,
Stefon Harris, Roman Schwaller and Liz Wright, among others.
O 2003-2012 all rigts reserved - chicago jazz orchestra association
| photo by John Broughton |