Jazz Jottings: Spotlight on Herb Gardner

Music has been the driving force in Herb Gardner’s life and has carried over to his entire family. Growing up in Massachusetts, Herb took piano lessons at an early age, but gave up playing for a period. His interest was rekindled when he heard a rendition of a boogie woogie tune while he was in high school and decided that was something he would like to be able to do. Such was the start of a career as a free-lance, classic jazz musician that to date has spanned 66 years. Today, at the age of 84, Herb is still playing with local bands in the Greater Boston area (including the New Black Eagle Jazz Band) along with doing a weekly live online show on Facebook (FB/LiveJazzLunch) with his daughter Sarah, who gives children’s music classes and parties. Herb attended Harvard College where he was a member of the Harvard Band, Bach Society Orchestra, and the Royal Garden 6. Following two years in the Army, he faced that inevitable career decision and knew he wanted to be a professional musician. Believing that “if I don’t go now, I’ll never go,” he headed off to the Big Apple for a career that had him playing with all the jazz greats of that era. Big Break with Wild Bill “My first big break in New York was with Wild Bill Davison. I first heard Bill when I was about 12 years old when a friend of my uncle took me to hear him, and I immediately feel in love with his brash combi