# Derrick Gardner

Derrick Gardner (born June 3, 1965) is an American jazz trumpeter from Chicago, Illinois.
Gardner began playing trumpet at the age of 9 in his hometown of Chicago. In 1991, he moved to New York City and played with 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, The Jazz Heritage Orchestra, The Brad Leali Big Band, Michigan State University Jazz Ensembles, Ohio State University Jazz Ensembles, University of Manitoba Jazz Ensembles.
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.

## Discography

| Year | Artist | Title | Label |
| 1992 | Count Basie Orchestra | Live at El Morocco | Telarc |
| 1992 | Count Basie Orchestra | Basie's Bag | Telarc |
| 1993 | Count Basie Orchestra | "Live at Orchestra Hall" | Telarc |
| 1995 | Craig Bailey | "A New Journey" | Candid |
| 1995 | Tito Puente | "Jazzin’" | RMM Tropijazz |
| 1995 | Lena Horne & The Count Basie Orchestra | "Live at The Supper Club" | Blue Note Records |
| 1996 | The Count Basie Orchestra | "Live at Manchester Craftman’s Guild" | Jazz MCG |
| 1997 | Frank Foster | Leo Rising | Arabesque |
| 1999 | Joe Williams | "Triple Play" | Telarc |
| 2000 | George Gee | Swingin' Away | Zort |
| 2000 | Talib Kweli & Hi Tek | Reflection Eternal | Priority |
| 2001 | Craig Bailey | Brooklyn | Evidence |
| 2001 | Carlos Garnett | Moon Shadow | Savant |
| 2003 | Stefon Harris | The Grand Unification Theory | Blue Note |
| 2003 | Frank Foster | We Do It Diff’rent | Mapleshade |
| 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 |
| 2006 | Roman Schwaller Sextet | The Thurgovian Suite | TCB/Montreux Jazz Label |
| 2007 | Harry Connick, Jr. | Oh, My Nola | Columbia |
| 2007 | Brad Leali Jazz Orchestra | Maria Juanez | TCB |
| 2007 | Burgess Gardner & The Well Oiled Jazz Machine | Cabbage Juice | Lamarr Records |
| 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 |
| 2008 | Zen Zadravec | Coming of Age | Zen Zadravec Music |
| 2009 | Vincent Gardner Sextet | Three, Five | Steeplechase |
| 2009 | Derrick Gardner & The Jazz Prophets | Echoes of Ethnicity | Owl Studios |
| 2012 | Nnenna Freelon & John Brown Big Band | Christmas | Brown Boulevard |
| 2012 | Curtis Nowasad | The Skeptic and The Cynic | Know-a-sad Music |
| 2014 | Ron Di Salvio | Songs for Jazz Legends | BluJazz Productions |
| 2015 | Curtis Nowasad | Dialectics | Know-a-sad Music |
| 2018 | Craig Bailey & The Ohio Jazz Players | "Music a La Fleek" | Bailey & Bailey Music |
| 2019 | Zen Zadravec | Human Revolution | Zen Zadravec Music |
| 2020 | Derrick Gardner The BIG dig! BAND | Still I Rise | Impact Jazz |
| 2023 | Canadian Jazz Collective | Septology | HGBS Blue Records |
| 2023 | Derrick Gardner & The Jazz Prophets | Pan Africa | Impact Jazz |
| 2024 | Canadian Jazz Collective | Live at Le Vauban | Fresh Sound Records |
| 2024 | Rob Dixon/Steve Allee Quintet | Standard Deluxe | Indy Jazz Foundation |
| 2025 | Steve Allee Big Band | Naptown Sound | Indy Jazz Foundation |