Vincent Gardner & Jerome Jennings (NYC)

Join us for a very special evening featuring two international legends of jazz, Vincent Gardner and Jerome Jennings, performing with members of JMI's esteemed faculty. Touring Australia as part of the Essentially Ellington Down Under program, these two jazz titans will deliver a night to be remembered!

About Vincent Gardner

Vincent Gardner was born in Chicago and raised in Hampton, Virginia. He attended Florida A&M University and the University of North Florida, soon connecting with Mercer Ellington, who hired Gardner for his first professional job. After moving to Brooklyn, he completed a world tour with Lauryn Hill, then joined the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. Gardner has served as instructor at The Juilliard School, visiting instructor at Florida State University and Michigan State University, and adjunct instructor at The New School.

He serves as Director of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Youth Orchestra, and an instructor at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Swing University. In 2009, Gardner was commissioned by Jazz at Lincoln Center to write The Jesse B. Semple Suite inspired by the short stories of Langston Hughes. Featured on a number of notable recordings, Gardner has recorded five leader CDs for Steeplechase Records.

He earned first place as Rising Star Trombonist in the 2014 DownBeat Critics Poll, and has performed with The Duke Ellington Orchestra, Bobby McFerrin, Harry Connick, Jr., The Saturday Night Live Band, Chaka Khan, A Tribe Called Quest, and many others.

About Jerome Jennings

Jerome Jennings is a drummer, activist, bandleader, sideman, and Emmy Award winning composer. His debut recording ‘The Beast’ is a reflection of the every day joys and traumas of black life in the U.S. It was named one of the top three jazz releases by NPR, received a four star rating in Downbeat Magazine, and was nominated for the prestigious French ‘Grand Prix du Disque’ award for Album of the Year in 2016. Jerome’s sophomore recording, ‘Solidarity’, released November 2019 was recognized by NPR as best music that spoke truth to power of 2019. Currently, he performs and tours with his musical group, Jerome Jennings & iLL Philosophy.

To date, Jerome has performed, toured and recorded with legendary musicians like Sonny Rollins, Hank Jones, Gerald Wilson, Christian McBride, Ron Carter, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Wynton Marsalis (J@LC), The Count Basie Orchestra, Philip Bailey, Henry Butler, and countless others. He has been a member of piano master, George Cables’ trio since 2021.

FEATURING

Vincent Gardner - trombone

Jerome Jennings - drums

Ben Hauptmann - guitar

Joe Machen - piano

Nick Quigley - bass

PLUS some special guests....

GIG DETAILS:

Thursday 14th August 2025

$40 Entry (+GST & BF)

Doors open from 7:30pm

Music starts at 8pm

ALL AGES (people under 18 need to be accompanied by a guardian)

LICENSED BAR