Albert “June” Gardner was a drum set artist originally from New Orleans, Louisiana, in the United States. His nickname was an abbreviation of “Junior”, as his father carried the same name. He is best known for his work with jazz and soul artists.
He grew up in a golden era of New Orleans music, when legends such as Paul Barbarin and Freddie Kohlman were still marching in New Orleans parades, and future legends like Ed Blackwell, Idris Muhammad and Tenoo Coleman were still actively gigging.
He performed with legends like Lou Rawls, Ray Charles, Lionel Hampton and many others, but his work with soul legend Sam Cooke really stands out. At the time, it was common for touring artists to use house musicians on each tour stop, but until his death, Cooke would always bring Gardner and guitarist Cliff White to every gig. They developed a really tight chemistry that Cooke really enjoyed. As Gardner once recalled, Cooke would turn to White on the bandstand and say “Tell them fuckers to lay out“, at which time Cooke, White and Gardner would carry the show. “We killed them, with just guitar and drums” reminisced Gardner.
His son, drummer Albert “Lil’ June” Garnder Jr, also went on to perform with several prominent artists.
