Freddy Gardner

Who is Freddy Gardner?

Frederick James "Freddy" Gardner was a leading British jazz and dance band musician during the 1930s and 1940s.

His father sold artist's materials, while his mother was a dressmaker. Self-taught, he took up the saxophone at 15 to help to alleviate asthma. After minimal coaching he formed the semi-professional New Colorado Band in 1928, and a year later, while working as an office clerk, entered the band in a contest at Chelsea Town Hall, and won. He was spotted by the founding editor of Melody Maker magazine who was distributing the prizes, and a year later secured his first regular professional position. In 1933, now married to Kathleen, Freddy was taken under the wing of Ray Noble and recorded with the New Mayfair Orchestra.

He was a virtuoso not only on clarinet and alto sax but also on the whole saxophone family. He played in the top London clubs when working with Sidney Lipton's Orchestra; later with Bert Firman's band, and with Canadian-born Billy Bissett, who spent three years in England from 1936, playing at the Mayfair Hotel, London. Gardner became a prolific record session player, doubling on all the reeds, although his main instrument was alto sax. When Duke Ellington came to London for the first time, Freddy played to Ellington's accompaniment at a club in Wardour Street, to the admiration of the Duke's regular saxophonist, Otto Hardiwcke.