derrick gardner and the jazz prophets

saturday, september 28

TIME: 5:45pm-7:00pm

VENUE: Wagner Stage. MIDWAY PLAISANCE AT SOUTH WOODLAWN AVE.

Derrick Gardner

Born in Chicago and inspired by the finest hard-blowing funky bop bands of the1960s, jazz trumpeter Derrick Gardner quickly made his mark on the New York City jazz scene after arriving there in 1991. He was a member of the Count Basie Orchestra from 1991-1996 and has traveled the world playing top-flight jazz with a tremendous litany of artists including Dizzy Gillespie, George Benson, Frank Foster, Joe Williams, Benny Golson, Rufus Reid, Kenny Baron, Stefon Harris, James Moody, The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, and Clark Terry. Additionally, he has recorded with the likes of the Count Basie Orchestra, Harry Connick, Jr., and Tito Puente.

Gardner’s sextet, The Jazz Prophets, has been awarded the Independent Music Awards’ Best Jazz Album, and Gardner himself has been the recipient of several artist grants from Canada Council for the Arts, FACTOR, The University of Manitoba, and Manitoba Film & Music. His fifth and most recent recording as leader—Pan Africa by Derrick Gardner & The Jazz Prophets—was released in 2023 on the Impact Jazz label and hit the top 10 of the JazzWeek charts for two weeks. This new recording draws its inspiration from Gardner’s tour of Ghana and is a blending of West African musical culture and jazz.

Gardner is a highly sought-after educator, clinician, and guest artist who has taught on the jazz faculties of The New School, Julliard School of Music, Long Island University, Ohio State University, Michigan State University, and University of Manitoba. He is currently Director of Jazz Studies at Northwestern University.

The musicians:

Derrick Gardner — trumpet
Vincent Gardner — trombone
Reginald Lewis — tenor saxophone
Reginald Thomas — piano
Ivan Taylor — bass
Clif Wallace — drums