Impact Music Inc (2025)

15/01/2025

Original arrangements for The Big dig! Band‘s debut release are available for purchase now!
https://impactmusicinc.com/product-tag/big-dig-band/

29/11/2024

Natural Woman
(Carol King) As recorded by Derrick Gardner & The Jazz Prophets +2 on the Owl Studios release “Echoes of Ethnicity” (OWL00129), this is an arrangement of the Aretha Franklin hit from 1967. The chord progressions have been reharmonized and the feel of the tune departs from it’s original 12/8 gospel feel into a slow 4/4 durge-like feel. The soloists are Piano and Trumpet.
https://impactmusicinc.com/product/natural-woman/

28/11/2024

23/11/2024

If you’re in he Chicago area tomorrow night (Sunday, Nov. 24th) and looking for a unique and entertaining musical experience, you are welcome to attend the Heritage/Evolution concert at Galvin Recital Hall, Northwestern University Bienen School of Music at 7:30pm. This is the first ever collaboration between the Northwestern University’s Jazz Studies program and Classical Saxophone Studio, featuring music by Miguel Zenón, Melissa Aldana, Chris Potter, John Coltrane and also a saxophone big band rendition of Billy Strayhorn’s “Lush Life,” as arranged by Frank Foster.

Yes this isn’t a typo!! It’s a 16-piece Saxophone Big Band with rhythm section; trumpets replaced by 4 soprano saxes, 3 tenors, bari and bass saxophones replacing the trombones (the “Saxobones!!”) and standard sax section down front….DIG THAT!!

04/11/2024

Natural Woman: As recorded by Derrick Gardner & The Jazz Prophets +2 on the Owl Studios release “Echoes of Ethnicity” (OWL00129), this is an arrangement of the Aretha Franklin hit from 1967. The chord progressions have been reharmonized and the feel of the tune departs from it’s original 12/8 gospel feel into a slow 4/4 durge-like feel. The soloists are Piano and Trumpet.

(Carol King) As recorded by Derrick Gardner & The Jazz Prophets +2 on the Owl Studios release “Echoes of Ethnicity” (OWL00129), this is an arrangement of the Aretha Franklin hit from 1967. The chord progressions have been reharmonized and the feel of the tune departs from it’s original 12/8 go...

25/09/2024

DAAAYUUUM -
This is an original composition and arrangement recorded by Derrick Gardner & The BIG dig! BAND on the 2020 Impact Jazz release “Still I Rise.” It’s a slow blues (quarter note = 60) that features a 5-member trumpet section. The arrangement opens with the melody in muted trumpet followed by a one chorus muted trumpet solo, then the section trades fours. Variances of the melody are used throughout the arrangement as background figures for the solos. The arrangement features an explosive shout section with room for a “screech” trumpet solo. Solos: Trumpet section, 1st Alto Saxophone.

*Trumpet Section feature This is an original composition and arrangement recorded by Derrick Gardner & The BIG dig! BAND on the 2020 Impact Jazz release “Still I Rise.” It’s a slow blues (quarter note = 60) that features a 5-member trumpet section. The arrangement opens with the melody in mute...

17/09/2024

Tune in tonight, 7pm EST!!
https://www.facebook.com/sorcradio?mibextid=LQQJ4d

05/08/2024

Funky Straight - As recorded by Derrick Gardner & The Jazz Prophets on the Owl Studios release “A Ride To The Other Side” (OWL00121). This original composition has a funky straight eighth feel in the same manner as my composition “Slim Goodie” (from my Impact jazz release of the same name), Miles Davis’ “Eighty One” or Herbie Hancock’s “Blind Man, Blind Man.” The solo section is open.
https://impactmusicinc.com/product/funky-straight/

27/07/2024

Pan Africa, by Derrick Gardner & The Jazz Prophets is available now!
Order today on Apple Music - https://music.apple.com/us/album/pan-africa/1659800108

Album · 2023 · 9 Songs

24/06/2024

4NEWK - As recorded by Derrick Gardner & The Jazz Prophets +2 on the Owl Studios release “Echoes of Ethnicity” (OWL00129), this is a hard bop tribute to tenor saxophone legend Sonny Rollins that has been twice recycled from the original tune “Four” and then from Lee Morgan’s “Haina.” The solo sections for the Tenor Sax and Trumpet are complete with background figures. The Piano solo is unaccompanied and leads into an ensemble shout that features melodic references to “Four.”
https://impactmusicinc.com/product/4newk/

10/06/2024

"Still I Rise" Composed and arranged by Derrick Gardner, is the title track for the 2020 Impact Jazz release by Derrick Gardner & The Big dig! Band and is dedicated to the great African-American poet, singer, and civil rights activist Maya Angelou.

Composed and arranged by Derrick Gardner for the 2020 Impact Jazz release "Still I Rise" by Derrick Gardner & The Big dig! Band. “Still I Rise” is the title ...

05/06/2024

I am so grateful for the incredibly outpouring of support and well wishes on my birthday. You all truly made it a wonderful day.

30/04/2024

Jazz trumpeter Derrick Gardner has been appointed Director of Jazz Studies at the Bienen School of Music. He has served as Interim Director of Jazz Studies since September 2022.

24/04/2024

Still I Rise: Derrick Gardner & The Big dig! Band
“Derrick Gardner’s Big dig! Band is a classic jazz orchestra: spectacular sax, trombone, and trumpet sections studded with world-class musicians, and a rock-solid rhythm section to anchor all those flights of fancy. This band has weight, polish, sparkle, and drive. It swings without an ounce of apology, and at the same time feels current and fresh.”

9 track album

22/04/2024

Hello FB family, please join us tomorrow, Tuesday, April 23, 2024 at 7:30pm CST as the Northwestern University Jazz Orchestra presents the music of Frank Foster. Come hear a side of Frank Foster that many Basie fans may not be familiar with outside of his association with the Count Basie Orchestra.

We will focus on music he arranged and composed for his Loud Minority Big Band. This ensemble came into existence soon after he left Basie in the mid 1960’s and maintained its relevance until Foster’s death in 2011. The concert will be live-streamed at the link below.

https://www.music.northwestern.edu/live/galvin

Here is the link to the concert information.

https://www.music.northwestern.edu/events/northwestern-university-jazz-orchestra-16

We are looking forward to sharing the music of Frank Foster with all who are able to join us.

Derrick Gardner, conductor Frank Benjamin Foster III was a skilled tenor and soprano saxophonist, a composer and arranger of the highest caliber, and, later in his career, a successful bandleader. Principally known for his 11-year involvement with the Count Basie Orchestra, Foster contributed arrang...

17/04/2024

Another ancestor receives a musical tribute from Derrick Gardner—Kwame Nkrumah in NKRUMAH ’da RULAH. After serving as Ghana’s prime minister in 1952, Kwame Nkrumah became the first president of Ghana after successfully liberating the country from British rule in 1957.

Provided to YouTube by DistroKidNkrumah 'da Rulah · Derrick Gardner & The Jazz ProphetsPan Africa℗ Impact JazzReleased on: 2023-01-13Auto-generated by YouTube.

11/04/2024

Natural Woman: As recorded by Derrick Gardner & The Jazz Prophets +2 on the Owl Studios release “Echoes of Ethnicity” (OWL00129), this is an arrangement of the Aretha Franklin hit from 1967. The chord progressions have been reharmonized and the feel of the tune departs from it’s original 12/8 gospel feel into a slow 4/4 durge-like feel. The soloists are Piano and Trumpet.
https://impactmusicinc.com/product/natural-woman/

Impact Music Inc