John Hardee (December 20, 1918 – May 18, 1984) was an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

tenor saxophonist. Hardee toured with Don Albert in 1937–38 while he was in college; he graduated in 1941. He directed a Texas school band and served in the

Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. In 1946 he played with

Tiny Grimes Lloyd "Tiny" Grimes (July 7, 1916 – March 4, 1989) was an American jazz and R&B guitarist. He was a member of the Art Tatum Trio from 1943 to 1944, was a backing musician on recording sessions, and later led his own bands, including a rec ...

and then recorded as a bandleader for Blue Note Records between 1946 and 1948, issuing eight releases. In the 1940s and early 1950s he played with

Clyde Bernhardt Clyde Edric Barron Bernhardt (July 11, 1905 – May 20, 1986) was an American jazz trombonist. Bernhardt was born in Gold Hill, North Carolina, and raised there and in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He started playing trombone at age 17, and in th ...

Cousin Joe Pleasant Joseph, known as Cousin Joe, (December 20, 1907 — October 2, 1989) was a New Orleans blues and jazz singer, famous for his 1940s recordings with Sidney Bechet and Mezz Mezzrow. Life He was born in Wallace, Louisiana, United States, an ...

Russell Procope Russell Keith Procope (August 11, 1908 – January 21, 1981) was an American clarinetist and alto saxophonist who was a member of the Duke Ellington orchestra. Before Ellington Procope was born in New York City, United States, and grew up in ...

Earl Bostic Eugene Earl Bostic (April 25, 1913 – October 28, 1965) was an American alto saxophonist. Bostic's recording career was diverse, his musical output encompassing jazz, swing, jump blues and the post-war American rhythm and blues style, which he ...

Billy Kyle William Osborne Kyle (July 14, 1914 – February 23, 1966) was an American jazz pianist. He is perhaps best known as an accompanist. Biography Kyle was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. He began playing the piano in school and ...

Helen Humes Helen Humes (June 23, 1913 – September 9, 1981) was an American singer. Humes was a teenage blues singer, a vocalist with Count Basie's band, a saucy R&B diva, and a mature interpreter of the classic popular song. Early life She was born on ...

Billy Taylor Billy Taylor (July 24, 1921 – December 28, 2010) was an American jazz pianist, composer, broadcaster and educator. He was the Robert L. Jones Distinguished Professor of Music at East Carolina University in Greenville, and from 1994 was the a ...

, and

Lucky Millinder Lucius Venable "Lucky" Millinder (August 8, 1910 – September 28, 1966) was an American swing and rhythm-and-blues bandleader. Although he could not read or write music, did not play an instrument and rarely sang, his showmanship and musical ...

. In the 1950s he retired from music and became a schoolteacher. In 1959, he played saxophone on Dallas R&B group

The Nightcaps (Texas band) The Nightcaps were an American rock and roll band formed in Dallas, Texas, in 1958 and were active, in varying lineups, until 2009. They became one of the most popular bands in Dallas and scored regional hits in the early 1960s with "Wine, Wine ...

LP ''Wine, Wine, Wine''. He was credited as "Jon Hardtimes" and, although he performed with them occasionally, was not an official member of the group.

Discography

Leader * John Hardee Swingtet & Sextet: ''Various Artists – The Blue Note Swingtets'' (Blue Note, 1946) with

Gene Ramey Gene Ramey (April 4, 1913 – December 8, 1984) was an American jazz double bassist. Ramey was born in Austin, Texas, United States, and played trumpet in college, but switched to contrabass when playing with George Corley's Royal Aces, The Moo ...

and

Sid Catlett Sidney "Big Sid" Catlett (January 17, 1910 – March 25, 1951) was an American jazz drummer. Catlett was one of the most versatile drummers of his era, adapting with the changing music scene as bebop emerged. Early life Catlett was born in Eva ...

* John Hardy Quartet & Quintet: ''The Tenor Sax Album – The Savoy Sessions'' ( Savoy Records) * ''Tired'' * ''John Hardee 1946–1948'' * ''Hardee’s Partee'' * ''The Forgotten Texas Tenor'' * ''Tenor Sax'' (Blue Note, 1946) * Al Haig, Coleman Hawkins, Wardell Gray, John Hardee: ''Al Haig Meets The Master Saxes, Volume One'' (Spotlite Records, 1977) * ''A Little Blue'' (Black And Blue, 1999) Sideman * Tiny Grimes: ''The Complete 1944-1950, Vol. 1 & 2'' (Blue Moon) * John Hardee mit ''

Big Six'' & ''Billy Kyle’s Big Eight'': ''Giants Of Small-Band Swing, Vol.1'' (OJC, 1946) * Helen Humes: ''1945–1947'' (Classics) * Billy Kyle: ''1937–1938'' (Classics)

References

* Scott Yanow, John Hardeeat

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hardee, John American jazz saxophonists American male saxophonists 1984 deaths 1918 births 20th-century American saxophonists Jazz musicians from Texas 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians Savoy Records artists Black & Blue Records artists