June Gardner

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Albert "June" Gardner (born 1930 in New Orleans , †  November 19, 2010 in New Orleans) was an American drummer , composer and band leader in the field of jazz and rhythm and blues .

Life

“Gentleman” June Gardner, as he called himself, was part of the music scene in his hometown New Orleans for many years and played in various styles from rhythm and blues, bebop to traditional jazz. He began his music career right after high school, taking lessons from Professor Valmont Victor and touring with singer Lil Green . After his return to New Orleans in the late 1940s he played at the Club Dew Drop Inn with Edgar Blanchard & the Gondoliers, with whom the first recordings were made, then as a session and tour musician with many rhythm and blues artists, for nine years with Roy Brown and from 1960 until his death in 1964 with Sam Cooke . He can be heard on Cooke's albums At The Copa and Live At The Harlem Square Club (1963). Gardner also worked with Red Tyler , Lionel Hampton (whose band he toured Europe in 1956) and Lou Rawls . Gardner can also be heard on recordings by the brothers Cecil and Bobby Womack , who played the song " It's All Over Now " as Valentinos in 1964 , which was soon covered by The Rolling Stones . He also appeared on Lee Dorsey's hit single "Working in a Coal Mine" in 1966 and appeared regularly with Dave Bartholomew .

In 1965 he recorded his instrumental compositions “Mustard Greens” and “99 Plus One” under his own name for the Hot Line label ; In the following years he recorded more pieces in the Nola studio, but could only publish a few. George Davis (guitar), Walter Payton (bass), James Booker (piano / organ) and a ten-piece wind group, the Royal Dukes of Rhythm, took part in these sessions . In 1966 the album Bustin 'Out was released .

In addition to rhythm and blues, Gardner played traditional jazz with his own formation, June Gardner & the Fellas . So he had a seven-year engagement with his band in Las Vegas , then in Bourbon Street in his hometown, where he performed at Famous Door, La Strada and Maison Bourbon and played in the paddock with trumpeter Wallace Davenport . In 1980 he performed with Davenport at the Nice Jazz Festival. Under his own name, he presented some records, such as the album 99 Plus One , released in 2000 , which he recorded with a big band under the direction of Wardell Quezergue . He was active as a musician until shortly before his death in November 2010, most recently with the Preservation Hall Band.

Discographic notes

  • Bustin 'Out (Emarcy, 1966)

Web links / sources

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Obituary in Louisiana weekly
  2. ↑ At Cooke he replaced Leo Morris, who later became known as Idris Muhammad .
  3. ↑ Portrait by Per Oldaeus
  4. ↑ a b Portrait at Home of the Groove
  5. ↑ Jazzdisco Mercury Records
personal data
SURNAME Gardner, June
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Gardner, Albert
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American R&B and jazz musician
DATE OF BIRTH 1930
PLACE OF BIRTH New Orleans
DATE OF DEATH November 19, 2010
Place of death New Orleans