Gardner, Derrick
Owl Studios, 2023, CD
Instrument: Trumpet
Issue: 29.3
Jazz Ruler Type: Swing
Performance: 4
Sound: 3
Score: 78
O’s Notes: Trumpeter Derrick Gardner leads a sextet on Still I Rise, arranging and producing all the music. He also composed 5 of the 9 selections. The Jazz Prophets are Derrick with Vincent Gardner (tb), Robert Dixon (sax), George Caldwell (p), Obasi Akoto (b) and Kwakiutl Sumbry (d, perc). They open with “Djembe Kan” featuring Sumbry and setting the stage for a percussion rich set. “The Sixth Village” and “10,000 Ships” have crisp horn accents, the other key element of this recording. There is sweet brass harmony surrounding Derrick on “Blues For The Diaspora”, and Vincent comes into the spotlight on “The Sixth Village”. We also enjoyed “Assin Manso, The Last Bath”, a fitting finale!
Publicist: Lydia Liebman Promotions
