# Derrick Gardner

Derrick Gardner, born on June 3, 1965, is a prominent African-American jazz trumpeter hailing from Chicago, Illinois. He began playing trumpet at the age of 9 in his hometown and through the years, established himself as a talented player and soloist. Throughout his high school and college years at Hampton University in Virginia, he earned a reputation as a creative and skilled improviser. Jazz journalist Ken Franckling notes in the liner notes for the album "A Ride to the Other Side" that Derrick is “a Clifford Brown disciple with tinges of Freddy Hubbard and Woody Shaw thrown in for good measure, all in service of a sound and a band that are extending the funky soul-swing evolution.”
Derrick's musical foundation was influenced by his father, Burgess Gardner, a composer, arranger, educator, and jazz trumpeter who toured with the Ray Charles Big Band in the 1960s. In 1991, Derrick joined the Count Basie Orchestra under the direction of Frank Foster, which led him to relocate to New York City. There, he performed, toured, and recorded with various esteemed groups, including the Count Basie Orchestra, Frank Foster's Loud Minority Band, Harry Connick, Jr.'s Big Band, The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, The Duke Ellington Orchestra, The Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, the Roy Hargrove Big Band, Mingus Dynasty Big Band, and The Carnegie Hall Big Band, among others.
Throughout his career, Gardner has performed with numerous jazz legends, including the late Dizzy Gillespie, George Benson, Jon Faddis, Nancy Wilson, Barry Harris, Tony Bennett, Joe Williams, Rufus Reid, Clark Terry, Kenny Barron, Stefon Harris, James Moody, Frank Foster, Muhaul Richard Abrams, Benny Golson, Oliver Lake, Nnenna Freelon, Lizz Wright, Tito Puente, Lyle Lovette, Johnny Griffin, and Bobby Short, to name just a few.
As a composer and arranger, Gardner's work has been showcased with renowned ensembles such as The Count Basie Orchestra, The Jazz Heritage Orchestra, The Brad Leali Big Band, and The John Brown Jazz Orchestra, in addition to various colleges and universities around the world.
Since 1989, Derrick has been the driving force behind his own sextet, Derrick Gardner & the Jazz Prophets. Their first album, “Slim Goodie,” was released in 2005 under the Impact Jazz label. In 2008, Gardner partnered with the Indianapolis-based jazz label Owl Studios, producing two albums: “A Ride to the Other Side” in 2008 and “Echoes of Ethnicity” in 2009, the latter of which won the Best Jazz Album award at the 9th Annual Independent Music Awards. During 2019-2020, Derrick received multiple artist grants from Canada Council for the Arts, FACTOR, the University of Manitoba, and Manitoba Film & Music to produce a big band recording that features his arrangements of ten original compositions. This project, titled “Still I Rise,” by Derrick Gardner & The BIG dig! BAND, was released in July 2020 on the Impact Jazz label and received widespread critical acclaim.
Derrick's fifth album as a leader, “Pan Africa,” by Derrick Gardner & The Jazz Prophets, was launched in January 2023 on the Impact Jazz label. This latest work is inspired by his tour of Ghana and represents a fusion of West African musical traditions and jazz.
In addition to his musical accomplishments, Derrick is a highly regarded educator, clinician, and guest artist at high schools and universities globally. He has served on the jazz faculties of prestigious institutions including The New School, Juilliard School of Music, Long Island University, The Ohio State University, Michigan State University, and the University of Manitoba. Currently, he is Director of Jazz Studies at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.

## Discography

| Year | Artist | Title | Label |
| 1992 | Count Basie Orchestra | Live at El Morocco | Telarc |
| 1997 | Frank Foster | Leo Rising | Arabesque |
| 2000 | George Gee | Swingin' Away | Zort |
| 2001 | Craig Bailey | Brooklyn | Evidence |
| 2003 | Stefon Harris | The Grand Unification Theory | Blue Note |
| 2003 | Lizz Wright | Salt | Verve |
| 2003 | Derrick Gardner & The Jazz Prophets | Slim Goodie | Impact Jazz |
| 2003 | Harry Connick, Jr. | Harry for the Holidays | Columbia |
| 2003 | Harry Connick, Jr. | Only You | Columbia |
| 2006 | Harry Connick, Jr. | Chanson Du Vieux Carre | Columbia |
| 2007 | Harry Connick, Jr. | Oh, My Nola | Columbia |
| 2007 | Brad Leali Jazz Orchestra | Maria Juanez | TCB |
| 2007 | Ron Di Salvio | Essence of Green: A Tribute to Kind of Blue | Origin |
| 2008 | Derrick Gardner & The Jazz Prophets | A Ride to the Other Side... | Owl |
| 2009 | Derrick Gardner & The Jazz Prophets | Echoes of Ethnicity | Owl |