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Albert "June" Gardner (December 31, 1930 - November 19, 2010) was an American R&B and jazz drummer and bandleader from New Orleans whose professional music career spanned six decades.


Early life

Albert Samuel Gardner, Jr. was born in New Orleans, Louisiana to Albert, Sr. and Olivia Woodland Gardner, the youngest of their six children. He was nicknamed June, short for Junior. His brothers were Tom and Richard, his sisters Myrtle, Thelma, and Cleo. Gardner said his father was from McComb, Mississippi and his mother was from “across the river”, meaning the west bank of the Mississippi. They lived at 2909 LaSalle Street. When he was a young boy the family moved to 2620 St. Andrew Street, between Magnolia and Robertson streets, into a house with no electricity and an outdoor privy. His father worked for the Illinois Central railroad. The family attended the First Evangelist Missionary Baptist at Felicity and Willow Streets. By the time of a 1996 interview Gardner admitted he was no longer religious, but said, "I carry the Lord in my chest twenty-four hours a day." As a child, Gardner was aware of the celebrations taking place in his neighborhood on New Year’s Eve (his birthday), "I thought it was all for me", he remembered. "None of my family was in music", he said. After the family home got electricity they obtained a record player. Gardner remembered hearing Dr. Clayton and big band records. "We always had a piano and different musicians would come by and play", including
Tuts Washington Isidore "Tuts" Washington (January 24, 1907 – August 5, 1984) was an American blues pianist from New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. He taught himself to play the piano at age 10 and studied with the New Orleans jazz pianist Joseph Louis "R ...
and Papa Yellow.
Champion Jack Dupree William Thomas "Champion Jack" Dupree (July 23, 1909 or July 4, 1910 – January 21, 1992) was an American blues and boogie-woogie pianist and singer. His nickname was derived from his early career as a boxer. Biography Dupree was a New Orle ...
was a friend of the family’s and would play when he stayed with them on his visits to New Orleans. Gardner followed parades in his neighborhood as a child. "Everything passed on Magnolia (Street)", he said, including
Mardi Gras Indians The Mardi Gras Indians (also known as Black Masking Indians or Black Maskers) are African American Carnival revelers in New Orleans, Louisiana, known for their elaborate suits and participation in Mardi Gras. The Mardi Gras Indians subculture em ...
. "I could feel
Paul Barbarin Adolphe Paul Barbarin (May 5, 1899 – February 17, 1969) was an American jazz drummer from New Orleans. Career Barbarin grew up in New Orleans in a family of musicians, including his father Isidore, three of his brothers (including Louis), and ...
or Freddie Kohlman" coming in a parade, even before he began playing drums. Drummer
Ed Blackwell Edward Joseph Blackwell (October 10, 1929 – October 7, 1992) was an American jazz drummer, best known known for his work with saxophonist Ornette Coleman. Biography Blackwell was born in New Orleans on October 10, 1929. His career began ther ...
agreed, "New Orleans has this heritage of marching and parading. All of the drummers that are born there come up hearing that everyday.". Gardner would also go to vaudeville theaters, the Ritz and the Palace, to hear drummer Pickle Johnson. In 1944 when Gardner became interested in playing drums his parents paid for lessons with Professor Valmont Victor. "Twenty-five cents (a lesson) was a lot of money at the time, but they made arrangements for me to do it", he recalled. He also took music classes when at Booker T. Washington High School, and played in the school’s marching band. His parents could not afford to buy him drums, but the school had them for their students. He said, "The earlier you’d get to school (you) had the best chance of getting a better drum." His older brother Richard bought him his first drum set. During his childhood Gardner heard the
blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...
around his neighborhood. "We lived across the street from some juke joints, all night long they played the blues." He recalled hearing Blue Lu Barker, Alma Parnell, and
T-Bone Walker Aaron Thibeaux "T-Bone" Walker (May 28, 1910 – March 16, 1975) was an American blues musician, composer, songwriter and bandleader, who was a pioneer and innovator of the jump blues, West Coast blues, and electric blues sounds. In 2018 ''R ...
among others. He started playing at the Groove Room, a club within the Dew Drop Inn, at age fifteen. Both clubs were owned by Frank Painia. Gardner said Painia told him, when he complained to him about his pay, "You learning on my stage so I’m not gonna pay you as much as the other guys." The band consisted of
Edgar Blanchard Edgar Vernon Blanchard (August 17, 1924 – September 16, 1972) was an American R&B guitarist, bandleader and arranger who was prominent in the musical life of New Orleans between the 1940s and 1960s. He was born in Grosse Tête, Louisiana, t ...
(guitar), Stuart Davis (bass), Arthur Blackwell, (piano), and Gardner (drums). Gardner admitted, "I was scared to death playing”, but “it was a great learning experience for me." He was soon playing six nights a week, and made a decision to quit school for the life of a musician. Gardner pointed out local drummers Weedy Morris (
Idris Muhammad Idris Muhammad (; born Leo Morris; November 13, 1939 – July 29, 2014) was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. He had an extensive career performing jazz, funk, Rhythm and blues, R&B, and Soul music, soul music and recorded with musicians s ...
nee Leo Morris’s brother),
Earl Palmer Earl Cyril Palmer (October 25, 1924 – September 19, 2008) was an American drummer. Considered one of the inventors of rock and roll, he is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Palmer was one of the most prolific studio musicians of al ...
, Tenoo Coleman, and Ed Blackwell as influences, as well as Texas-born jazz drummer
Wilbert Hogan Wilbert Granville Thodore Hogan Jr. (January 16, 1929 – August 7, 2004)"Granville T Hogan"
Family Search.
.


Career

Gardner left the Dew Drop to go with Jay Johnson’s band, then playing at the Rhythm Club, later called Club Rocket, at Jackson Avenue and Derbigny Street. The band, including saxophonist August "Dimes" Dupont, opened for such acts as Andy Kirk,
Luis Russell Luis Carl Russell (August 5, 1902 – December 11, 1963) was a pioneering Panamanian jazz pianist, orchestra leader, composer, and arranger. Career Luis Carl Russell was born on Careening Cay, near Bocas del Toro, Panama, in a family of African ...
,
Lucky Millinder Lucius Venable "Lucky" Millinder (August 8, 1910 – September 28, 1966) was an American swing music, swing and rhythm and blues, rhythm-and-blues bandleader. Although he could not read or write music, did not play an instrument and rarely sang ...
, and
Erskine Hawkins Erskine Ramsay Hawkins (July 26, 1914 – November 11, 1993) was an American trumpeter and big band leader from Birmingham, Alabama, dubbed "The 20th Century Gabriel". He is best remembered for composing the jazz standard " Tuxedo Junction" ( ...
. In 1947 he joined Edgar Blanchard’s Gondoliers, with Blanchard on guitar and Gardner on drums, at Percy Stovall’s Pelican Club on Rampart Street. The venue was an early attempt to create a nightclub on
Rampart Street Rampart Street () is a historic avenue located in New Orleans, Louisiana. The section of Rampart Street downriver from Canal Street is designated as North Rampart Street, which forms the inland or northern border of the French Quarter (Vieux ...
to rival the Dew Drop Inn on Lasalle St. From 1949-1950 Gardner played with saxophonist and bandleader Otis Drucker at the Dew Drop Inn. Drucker said, "When I was at the Dew Drop, I used only four pieces: that was ‘Carter’ playing bass, June Gardner playing drums, Reveal Thomas was on piano, I was on alto saxophone." Gardner left the Gondoliers to go on the road with singer Roy Brown’s band The Mighty Men. Gardner was drafted into the Army in 1951. He did his basic training in Texas, and was sent to an infantry unit in Fairbanks, Alaska. There he auditioned for a service band, and spent the rest of his enlistment drumming for the Army in bands that included Louisiana sax man
Plas Johnson Plas John Johnson Jr. () (born July 21, 1931) is an American soul-jazz and hard bop tenor saxophonist, probably most widely known as the tenor saxophone soloist on Henry Mancini’s " The Pink Panther Theme". He also performs on alto and bar ...
. Gardner was discharged in 1953 and returned to New Orleans. He went back on the road with Roy Brown’s Mighty Men until 1955. Back in New Orleans he played in various bands, sometimes as bandleader, often with his friends Red Tyler and Chuck Badie. He worked at black bars including the Shadowland, the Nite Cap, the Haven, Big Time Crips, the Joy Tavern, and the Forest Inn, as many as nine jobs a week. In 1956 Chuck Badie recommended Gardner to
Lionel Hampton Lionel Leo Hampton (April 20, 1908 – August 31, 2002) was an American jazz vibraphonist, percussionist, and bandleader. He worked with jazz musicians from Teddy Wilson, Benny Goodman, and Buddy Rich, to Charlie Parker, Charles Mingus, an ...
to replace Rufus Jones, after an October 2, 1955 bus accident that killed or injured some members of Hampton’s band. The six-month tour included dates in Europe and Israel, along with a live recording from the Olympia in Paris. Hampton’s band recorded the “Jazz Flamenco” album in Madrid. A
Down Beat ''DownBeat'' (styled in all caps) is an American music magazine devoted to "jazz, blues and beyond", the last word indicating its expansion beyond the jazz realm that it covered exclusively in previous years. The publication was established in 1 ...
reviewer wrote that the diplomatic importance of Hampton’s tour and recording undoubtedly exceeded the value of the music itself. The band played
Cafe Society A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café (), is an establishment that serves various types of coffee, espresso, latte, americano and cappuccino, among other hot beverages. Many coffeehouses in West Asia offer ''shisha'' (actually called ''nargile ...
in New York City, backing guest star
Louis Armstrong Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...
on "
When It's Sleepy Time Down South "When It's Sleepy Time Down South", also known as "Sleepy Time Down South", is a 1931 jazz song written by Clarence Muse, Leon René and Otis René. It was sung in the 1931 movie ''Safe in Hell'' by Nina Mae McKinney, and became the signature song ...
". Following the Hampton tour, Gardner’s friend
David “Fathead” Newman David (; , "beloved one") was a king of ancient Israel and Judah and the third king of the United Monarchy, according to the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament. The Tel Dan stele, an Aramaic-inscribed stone erected by a king of Aram-Damas ...
recruited him for six weeks on the road playing behind
Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential musicians in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Gen ...
. Gardner said he left because “the money was funny”, and claimed Charles still owed him forty dollars. “When Earl Palmer left town in 1957 I took his place with Earl Williams at the Dream Room on
Bourbon Street Bourbon Street (, ) is a historic street in the heart of the French Quarter of New Orleans. Extending twelve blocks from Canal Street to Esplanade Avenue, Bourbon Street is famous for its many bars and strip clubs. Tourist numbers have b ...
”, Gardner remembered. The Dream Room was a whites-only venue, where black musicians were not allowed on the club’s floor. The bandstand was also segregated. “On Bourbon Street you (black and white musicians) couldn’t play together ,” Gardner said. The only black people allowed on Bourbon Street at the time were workers. Black musicians were considered hired help; some had to wait in storerooms between sets. After the passage of civil rights legislation some club owners resisted integration, and audiences on Bourbon Street were mostly white for years afterward. Studio work had no such limitations. Gardner was one of several drummers competing for the first call position at Cosimo recording studio on Governor Nicholls Street after Palmer’s departure. He said of that time,”They took advantage of my youth and inexperience”. New Orleans-born drummer Idris Muhammad recalled, “My first trip to New York was with
Sam Cooke Samuel Cooke (; January 22, 1931  – December 11, 1964) was an American singer and songwriter. Considered one of the most influential soul music, soul artists of all time, Cooke is commonly referred to as the "King of Soul" for his distin ...
. That was just an eye opener. We were workin' from the South, all the way up. We played the
Apollo Theater The Apollo Theater (formerly the Hurtig & Seamon's New Theatre; also Apollo Theatre or 125th Street Apollo Theatre) is a multi-use Theater (structure), theater at 253 125th Street (Manhattan), West 125th Street in the Harlem neighborhood of U ...
and then we went on. I came back to New Orleans. There was some kind of mix-up with Sam and the guitarist that played with Sam, and another drummer named June Gardner, from New Orleans. The guitarist wanted an older guy to play with him. But Sam hired me, so he couldn't do anything about it. So, he called June Gardner and offered him the gig. June took the gig, and told me I could have his gig in town. So I took his gig in town and he went out on the road with Sam." Cooke knew Gardner had come up through the New Orleans apprentice system. He had a driving rock-steady beat. He joined Cooke and his guitarist Cliff White in Richmond, Va. Gardner remembered,"We’d come into town, and have a rehearsal, and one of Cliff’s famous lines was, 'If you don’t play my music right, I’m gonna snatch your arm out and beat you with the bloody end!'" Gardner quickly learned to keep the rhythm the way Cliff wanted it. The two traveled as Cooke’s band. The common practice at the time was to use the house musicians in each town to supplement. Gardner recalled fondly the times when Sam would turn to Cliff in the middle of a song and say, “Tell them fuckers to lay out!” Then the other musicians would stop playing, and Sam would sing with just White and Gardner backing him. “We killed them,” Gardner said, “with just guitar and drums.” He added that Cooke kept him and Cliff White on salary when not on the road, with “a check every week”. Sam Cooke’s
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LP was recorded in Miami. Writer Bruce Eder said, "This is the real Sam Cooke, doing a sweaty, raspy, soulful set at the Harlem Square Club in North Miaimi, Florida, on January 12, 1963, backed by
King Curtis Curtis Montgomery (February 7, 1934 – August 13, 1971), known professionally as King Curtis, was an American saxophonist who played rhythm and blues, jazz, and rock and roll. A bandleader, band member, and session musician, he was also a musi ...
and his band, a handful of local musicians, and Cooke’s resident sidemen, guitarist Cliff White and drummer Albert 'June' Gardner. To put it simply, it’s one of the greatest soul records ever cut by anybody, outshining
James Brown James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, musician, and record producer. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th-century music, he is referred to by Honorific nick ...
’s Live at the Apollo and easily outclassing
Jackie Wilson Jack Leroy "Jackie" Wilson Jr. (June 9, 1934 – January 21, 1984) was an American singer who was a prominent figure in the transition of rhythm and blues into soul. Nicknamed "Mr. Excitement", he was considered a master showman and one of th ...
's live record from the
Copa Copa or COPA may refer to: COPA COPA may refer to: * Child Online Protection Act, a former U.S. law to protect minors from certain material on the internet * Canadian Owners and Pilots Association * Cirrus Aircraft, Cirrus Owners and Pilots Asso ...
." After Sam Cooke’s untimely death in 1964, Gardner went on the road with Cooke cohort
Lou Rawls Louis Allen Rawls (December 1, 1933 – January 6, 2006) was an American baritone singer. He released 61 albums, sold more than 40 million records, and had numerous charting singles, most notably the song " You'll Never Find Another Love like Min ...
for a month. He left due to “problems with the money”. Back in New Orleans he led bands on Bourbon Street and did numerous studio sessions. He played on
Allen Toussaint Allen Richard Toussaint (; January 14, 1938 – November 10, 2015) was an American musician, songwriter, arranger, and record producer. He was an influential figure in New Orleans rhythm and blues from the 1950s to the end of the century, descr ...
’s production of
Lee Dorsey Irving Lee Dorsey (December 24, 1924 – December 1, 1986) was an American pop and R&B singer during the 1960s. His biggest hits were " Ya Ya" (1961) and " Working in the Coal Mine" (1966). Much of his work was produced by Allen Toussaint, wit ...
’s “
Working in the Coal Mine "Working in the Coal Mine" is a song with music and lyrics by the American musician and record producer Allen Toussaint. It was an international hit for Lee Dorsey in 1966, and has been recorded by other musicians including Devo in 1981. Lee D ...
”. The
Amy Records DJ copy of Kinetic Energy 1969 Amy 45 Amy Records was a record label formed in 1960 as a subsidiary of Bell Records. Artists who had success on Amy included Al Brown's Tunetoppers with "The Madison" (Amy 804 charted #23), a dance tune in 1960, J ...
release entered the U.S.
Billboard Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100, also known as simply the Hot 100, is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), ...
on July 23, 1966, and peaked at #8, while reaching #5 on the Billboard Hot R&B chart. It also reached #8 on the UK Singles Chart. Gardner was also the drummer on
Aaron Neville Aaron Joseph Neville (born January 24, 1941) is an American singer renowned for his distinctively smooth, vibrato-heavy tenor and a genre-crossing career that spans R&B, soul, gospel, jazz, country, and pop. He gained national prominence with hi ...
’s “ Tell it Like It Is”, which peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Billboard Hot R&B chart. In the 1970s, Gardner led a traditional jazz band at the Famous Door on Bourbon Street. After that he joined trumpeter
Wallace Davenport Wallace Foster Davenport (30 June 1925 – 18 March 2004) was an American jazz trumpeter. Davenport has been one of the few traditional jazz musicians of the 1930s who later branched out into swing and bop styles, as well as backing gospel and ...
at the Paddock Lounge, also on Bourbon Street, and appeared regularly at
Preservation Hall Preservation Hall is a jazz venue on St Peter Street in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana. The building is associated with a house band, a record label, and a non-profit foundation. History of the jazz hall In the 1950s, art de ...
. Gardner, with his band The Fellas, made annual dates at the
New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (commonly called Jazz Fest or Jazzfest) is an annual celebration of local music and culture held at the Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans, Louisiana. Jazz Fest attracts thousands of visitors to New ...
, capping a career that began in the 1940s.


Recordings

New Orleans record label Hot Line released “99 Plus 1” b/w “Mustard Greens” by J. Gardner in 1965. The disc received local airplay and stirred up enough interest to be picked up by Blue Rock Records, a subsidiary of
Mercury Records Mercury Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group. It had significant success as an independent operation in the 1940s and 1950s. Smash Records and Fontana Records were sub labels of Mercury. Mercury Records released ...
. Gardner’s next single “It’s Gonna Rain” b/w “Last Night”, disappeared with little notice. Mercury released “Bustin’ Out”, an LP which collected Gardner’s singles output and more, on
EmArcy Records EmArcy Records is a jazz record label founded in 1954 by Bob Shad for the American Mercury Records. The name is a phonetic spelling of "MRC", the initials for Mercury Record Company. During the 1950s and 1960s, musicians such as Max Roach, Cl ...
. The tracks were produced by
Wardell Quezergue Wardell Joseph Quezergue ( ; March 12, 1930 – September 6, 2011) was an American composer, arranger, record producer and bandleader, known among New Orleans musicians as the "Creole Beethoven". Steeped in jazz, he was an influential musician who ...
, known as the “Creole Beethoven”, who also wrote four of the songs. The album bore the name Gentleman June Gardner. It failed to chart. In 1970 Gardner recorded "
Tennessee Waltz "Tennessee Waltz" is a popular country music song with lyrics by Redd Stewart and music by Pee Wee King written in 1946 and first released in January 1948. The song became a multimillion seller via a 1950 recording – as "The Tennessee Waltz" ...
" b/w “The Jolly Little Meget” on Hep’ Me Records for producer Senator Jones. In 2000 Night Train International put out "June Gardner 99 Plus One: Rare & Unreissued Jazzy Soul & Funk", a compilation of Gardner's EmArcy and Hep' Me recordings. June Gardner and the Fellas played the Economy Hall Tent at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival using musicians including bassist Chuck Badie, Gardner on drums, pianist Thaddeus Richard, trumpeter Leroy Jones, and trombonist
Lucien Barbarin Lucien Barbarin (July 17, 1956 – January 30, 2020) was an American trombone player. Barbarin toured internationally with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band and with Harry Connick Jr. He made his debut at the age of six, playing drums in the Onwar ...
. Barbarin had played rhythm and blues gigs around New Orleans, but an invitation to work with drummer Albert “June” Gardner at Preservation Hall drew Barbarin toward traditional jazz. His uncle Paul Barbarin, who Gardner heard as a child, was recruited by Louis Armstrong for his big band in the 1930s. A live recording of "Tin Roof Blues" by June Gardner and the Fellas from the 2001 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival was featured on radio station WWOZ's compilation CD "Sounds of New Orleans" 2002 release. It was released again on the 2011 WWOZ compilation CD "Play It Again".


Personal life

For a time Gardner had a drum studio where he instructed students because, he said, “As long as there’s New Orleans there will be drummers”. He had learned by imitating other drummers. “What you playing somebody else done played, you just added a little bit to it”. After hearing other drummers, Gardner said he would “add my little onions and garlic to it”. He stressed getting the bass drum going first—1, 2, 3, 4, then add the high hat on 2 and 4. “You have to know where 1 is at” with the bass drum. “Learn your timing”, he advised, “everything else comes in”. Gardner placed emphasis on practicing. “Everybody can mess up but the drummer-- piano or sax hit a wrong note nobody say nothing. Drummer does it he throws off the dancers and the whole band”. Gardner tuned his drums to his own ear, though he acknowledged, “Everybody tunes their drums different. After a while they become seasoned”. Gardner told young drummers it was important that their families understood the demands of a musician’s life. As a local bandleader, he'd encourage jittery younger players by telling them, "Hit 'em hard and wish 'em well.” Albert “June” Gardner died November 19, 2010 He and wife Rachel were the parents of four boys and one girl, seven grandchildren and eleven great grandchildren. "He was right on the ball," said drummer
Smokey Johnson Joseph "Smokey" Johnson Jr. (November 14, 1936 – October 6, 2015) was an American drummer. He was one of the musicians, session players, and songwriters who served as the backbone for New Orleans' output of jazz, funk, blues, soul, and R&B ...
, who had been friends with Gardner since he was 17 years old. "If he couldn't do it right, he wouldn't do it at all. He was a special dude and just like his record says, he was 'Gentlemen June Gardner.’"


Discography

*99 Plus 1 b/w Mustard Greens -(as June Gardner) Hot Line Records 118 (1965), (as J. Gardner) Blue Rock Records B4026 (1965) *It's Gonna Rain b/w Last Night -(as Gentleman June Gardner) Blue Rock Records B4050 (1966), EmArcy Records E4050 (1966) *Bustin' Out -(as Gentleman June Gardner) EmArcy Records LP MGE26014 (mono), SRE66014 (stereo) (1966) *Tennessee Waltz b/w The Jolly Little Meget -(as Gentleman June Gardner) Hep' Me Records 105 (1971) *99 Plus One: Rare & Unissued Jazzy Soul & Funk 1965- 1970 -(as June Gardner) Night Train International NTI LP 7103 (1999), Night Train International NTI CD 7103 (2000) *Tin Roof Blues -(as June Gardner and the Fellows) Friends of WWOZ CD The Sounds of New Orleans Vol.17 (2002), Friends of WWOZ CD Play It Again Vol.34 (2011)


References


External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gardner, June Jazz musicians from New Orleans American jazz drummers 1930 births 2010 deaths Rhythm and blues musicians from New Orleans 20th-century American musicians Rhythm and blues drummers 20th-century American drummers Drummers from New Orleans American male drummers