Home » Jazz Musicians » Derrick Gardner

Derrick Gardner

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.

Read more

Tags

1
Radio & Podcasts

Derrick Gardner: African Explorations

Read "Derrick Gardner: African Explorations" reviewed by David Bixler


Trumpet player Derrick Gardener recently retired from his position at the University of Manitoba in order to move back to Chicago and focus on playing, but instead he found himself as the head of Jazz Studies at Northwestern University. In this episode of LINER NOTES Derrick explains how that happened as well as sharing some of the details about his life changing trip to Africa that transformed him as a person and gave birth to his latest record Pan Africa ...

33
Album Review

Canadian Jazz Collective: Septology

Read "Septology" reviewed by Jack Bowers


The Canadian Jazz Collective is a septet comprised of several of that country's leading jazz musicians. Trumpeter Derrick Gardner, tenor saxophonist Kirk MacDonald and guitarist Lorne Lofsky certainly need no introduction to jazz fans, in Canada or most anywhere else, nor do pianist Brian Dickinson, bassist Neil Swainson, drummer Bernd Reiter and clarinetist Virginia MacDonald. Septology, a compendium of eight songs written by Gardner, Lofsky or MacDonald, was recorded at a studio in Germany's Black Forest during a European tour ...

1
Radio & Podcasts

Derrick Gardner, Lisa Sokolov, Ray Russell and More

Read "Derrick Gardner, Lisa Sokolov, Ray Russell and More" reviewed by Jerome Wilson


This eclectic show features African echoes from Derrick Gardner, moving vocals from Lisa Sokolov and Noa Fort, and ambient jazz fusion from Ray Russell. Playlist Henry Threadgill Sextett “I Can't Wait Till I Get Home" from The Complete Novus & Columbia Recordings of Henry Threadgill & Air (Mosaic) 00:00 Patricia Brennan “The Woman Who Weeps" from More Touch (Pyroclastic) 00:56 Ray Russell “Goodbye Svengali" from Goodbye Svengali (Cuneiform) 6:20 Host Speaks 14:33 Ellen Rowe Octet “The Guardians" from ...

8
Multiple Reviews

A Tasting Menu

Read "A Tasting Menu" reviewed by John Chacona


It says a lot for the current state of the music that some of the most interesting music hitting the market is being made by lesser-known artists who might never get a look from major labels. Here are four that have their own particular—and very different—charms. All are worth a spin for the sheer joy of discovery. Derrick Gardner & The Jazz Prophets Pan Africa Impact Jazz 2023 For many listeners, the ...

8
Album Review

Derrick Gardner & The Jazz Prophets: Pan Africa

Read "Pan Africa" reviewed by Mike Jurkovic


A big man with a big plan and a boisterous sextet at his back, trumpeter Derrick Gardner and his razor-fine Jazz Prophets unapologetically and unflinchingly blow the walls down with Pan Africa. Hyperbole? Not really. Just let Gardner and company free on Jackie McLean's hopscotching “Appointment In Ghana" (from Jackie's Bag, his first for Blue Note in 1960). And feel the fever, fervor, and drive. Long time Jazz Prophet's alto/tenor saxophonist Robert Dixon, and trombonist brother Vincent Gardner ...

Album Review

Jon Gordon: Stranger Than Fiction

Read "Stranger Than Fiction" reviewed by Angelo Leonardi


Più noto come eccellente sax contralto e leader di un apprezzato quartetto, Jon Gordon torna a incidere un disco orchestrale per la ArtistShare, dopo l'album Evolution del lontano 2009. Registrato nel mezzo della pandemia, con tutte le difficoltà e restrizioni che sappiamo, il nuovo lavoro rinnova la collaborazione col trombonista e arrangiatore Alan Ferber che partecipa al progetto nel triplice ruolo di co-produttore, arrangiatore di un brano ("Havens") e solista di trombone. Il medio organico include anche il clarinetto basso ...

7
Album Review

Jon Gordon: Stranger Than Fiction

Read "Stranger Than Fiction" reviewed by Hrayr Attarian


Saxophonist Jon Gordon's superb 13th release as a leader, Stranger Than Fiction, consists of 10 cinematic and captivating originals. Gordon leads a large ensemble of mostly Canadian musicians through his vibrantly textured compositions. The focus is more on dynamic interplay of different band members and orchestral segments than on individual expressions. There are, however, brilliantly virtuosic soloists who seamlessly emerge out of these vividly ebullient works making them even more electrifyingly alive. Opening with delightfully dissonant staccato woodwinds ...

Read more articles
190

Performance / Tour

Laff House Comedy Club brings Derrick Gardner to Philadelphia

Laff House Comedy Club brings Derrick Gardner to Philadelphia

Source: LaToya English

International jazz trumpeter Derrick Gardner & The Jazz Prophets to perform Sunday, August 14 at 7 p.m. at Laff House Comedy Club located at 221 South St. Laff House Comedy Club features live jazz on the first Sunday of every month in the Jazz on South Street series. Derrick Gardner & The Jazz Prophets will be performing on the second Sunday of August as a special feature. “The Jazz on South series is a way to bring local, regional and ...

154

Award / Grant

Derrick Gardner Wins Independent Music Award for Jazz Album "Echoes of Ethnicity"

Derrick Gardner Wins Independent Music Award for Jazz Album "Echoes of Ethnicity"

Source: Michael Bloom Media Relations

INDIANAPOLIS, January 26, 2010 - Echoes of Ethnicity, the most recent album by Derrick Gardner and The Jazz Prophets for Owl Studios, today was named by Music Resource Group (MRG) as a Winner in The 9th annual Independent Music Awards, the influential awards program for independent bands and fans, for Best Jazz Album. This prestigious award adds to the long list of accolades Echoes of Ethnicity has received in 2009. When informed, the nearly speechless trumpeter Derrick Gardner said, “That's ...

128

Award / Grant

Trumpeter Derrick Gardner Receives Two Independent Music Award Nominations

Trumpeter Derrick Gardner Receives Two Independent Music Award Nominations

Source: Michael Bloom Media Relations

INDIANAPOLIS - Owl Studios is proud to announce that bandleader and trumpeter Derrick Gardner has received two nominations from the Independent Music Awards. Derrick and his group The Jazz Prophets have been nominated in the Jazz Album Category for his 2009 Owl Studios release Echoes of Ethnicity. The second nomination for Owl Studios and Derrick Gardner is in the Jazz Song Category for the track 'Mercury Blvd.' Within the Jazz Category Nominations, Derrick Gardner and The Jazz Prophets is the ...

127

Recording

Derrick Gardner & the Jazz Prophets' Echoes of Ethnicity

Derrick Gardner & the Jazz Prophets' Echoes of Ethnicity

Source: Michael Bloom Media Relations

Derrick Gardner & The Jazz Prophets +2 ECHOES OF ETHNICITY Owl Studios / April 14 Release

Change is in the air these days, and change has come to Derrick Gardner’s long-standing group The Jazz Prophets. After over 20 years as a sextet with a firm front line of Gardner, trumpet, his brother Vincent on trombone and Rob Dixon on tenor sax, the lineup has been augmented by Brad Leali’s alto sax and Jason Marshall’s baritone sax, making this new Owl ...

Concerts

Mar 22 Fri

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

FOUR + Six

Jazz Hang Records
2024

buy

Pan Africa

Impact Jazz
2023

buy

Septology

HGBS
2023

buy

We Want All the Same...

Chronograph Records
2021

buy

Still I Rise

Impact Jazz
2020

buy

Each Hidden Joy

From: We Want All the Same Things
By Derrick Gardner

Videos

Similar

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.