By Margit Resch
Robert Gardiner
“Fantastic group of musicians–sound great!! If you have a chance-go see them!!”
“The concerts are off the chain good.”
“World class for sure!”
These are just three of the many rave reviews posted by fans of Dr. Robert Gardiner’s ensembles. We will have a chance to see his quintet on March 16 on Fripp Island. And believe you me, those five musicians have impressive résumés. I have only enough space to list a few of their accomplishments as a group and as individuals.
Dr. Gardiner’s days must be a lot longer than our normal 24 hours, he has so many time-demanding responsibilities related to music, specifically to jazz—this globally celebrated, original American music genre. In summary, he is the jazz guru of South Carolina. He received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of South Carolina in Columbia in 2008, and he is now Professor of Music at Lander University, teaching saxophone, brass and woodwind methods, jazz improvisation, and music education courses. There he also leads the Lander University Jazz Ensemble and a variety of jazz combos. He is the founder of the South Carolina Jazz Foundation, created to build a network of support for jazz and jazz education in his home state.
The list of Gardiner’s musical entrepreneurship is endless. As a freelance saxophonist, he has shared the stage with a number of well-known artists such as Aretha Franklin and The Four Tops. He has also played with the Charleston Symphony. And he recorded original compositions released under the title “Soul of Confidence.”
Robert has been instrumental—in the various meanings of this word—in the establishment and direction of a wide array of ensembles, ranging from jazz to classical, R&B, salsa and top-40s, like the Palmetto Concert Band, the Columbia Jazz Orchestra, the Capital City Big Band (a group of 20 musicians playing jazz hits from the big band era as well as contemporary jazz arrangements), the South Carolina Jazz Masterworks Ensemble, and, last but not least, the Robert Gardiner Jazz Quartet, which is known to perform every week in some music venue in Columbia. The quartet is not always composed of the same musicians. But the members always perform at the highest artistic level. “World class for sure.”
Originally, his quartet was to come to Fripp. But Fripp Island Friends of Music just found out, to their delight, that Gardiner will bring an additional musician, i.e. he will bring a quintet composed of himself, saxophone; Tim Leahey, trumpet; Amos Hoffman, guitar and oud; Brendan Bull, drums; and Sam Edwards, bass.
Tim Leahey began studying the trumpet at the age of 6, performed with the Altoona Symphony and the Miss Pennsylvania Pageant Orchestra while still in high school. As a student of music at Youngstown State University, he was named Intercollegiate Musician of the Year and won first place in the International Trumpet Guild jazz improvisation competition. Since, Tim has performed with many famous artists and big bands such as The Temptations and the Tonight Show Orchestra. From 1994-2017, Tim was a trumpeter in The Airmen of Note, a jazz ensemble that is part of the United States Air Force Band and consists of 18 professional jazz musicians. For ten years, until 2018, Tim was also a member of the Shook Russo Quintet, and he has been a clinician/adjudicator/guest conductor at numerous educational events. He has been featured as a soloist on over two dozen CD recordings and has performed on the Alfred Publishing jazz improvisation series Approaching the Standards.
Amos Hoffman, an Israeli jazz guitarist and oudist, beautifully integrates Middle Eastern rhythms and melodies with western jazz. He started playing as a youngster, attended the prestigious Rubin Academy of Music in Jerusalem, traveled all over the world for new musical experiences ending up in New York. To date, Hoffman has recorded 5 solo albums: The Dreamer (1999), Na’ama (2006), Evolution (2008), Carving (2010), and Back to the City (2015). He has also contributed his amazing talents to dozens more recordings for artists in Israel, Spain, Poland—on and on. In 2013, Amos was awarded one of Israel’s most prestigious prizes: The Landau Prize for Arts and Sciences for Outstanding Achievement in the field of Jazz. Now Hoffman lives in the U.S., hoping for more exciting musical adventures and reaching an even larger appreciative audience.
Brendan Bull, drummer and percussionist, hails from Chapin, SC and graduated from USC in Columbia with a degree in Jazz Studies. In his words, he likes “throwing down with the boys” at Pearlz Oyster Bar in Columbia, getting “down witch bad selves for some serious swing and most righteous groovage and tuneage.” Few drummers have fans who follow them around. Brendan does. He has charisma, like Robert. He can be seen in various venues in Columbia with the Amos Hoffman Trio, which includes Sam Edwards, the fifth member of the quintet playing here on Fripp March 16.
Sam Edwards is an amazingly creative bassist who ignites his fanhood to loud applause in various venues in Columbia with his Sam Edwards Quartet, including Ben Eidson, sax, Greg Patterson, guitar and Brendan Bull, drums. But more often than not, he plays bass with other ensembles. Last year, he, Brendan and a bunch of other SC jazz musicians entertained the crowds at the annual South Carolina Jazz Festival in Cheraw, SC, the hometown of legendary Dizzy Gillespie. Sam calls Columbia, SC home, but he regularly travels to New York City to play in top clubs there. And in case you, too, fall in love with Sam, let me tell you: “The City of Cayce, SC is thrilled to announce the return of the Soiree on State, to be held on its new date, Saturday, March 22, 2025. Sam Edwards, a Columbia bassist, will be performing jazz in the City’s Art Lot all day!”
Come enjoy this amazing group March 16 at 5:00 pm, in Fripp Island’s Community Center, 205 Tarpon Boulevard. The concert is presented by Fripp Island Friends of Music and supported by the SC Arts Commission. Attendees get a free pass at the Fripp gate. Tickets at the door: adults $30 and free for students, thanks to the Peg Gorham Memorial Fund. You are invited to join the musicians at a complimentary reception after the performance, catered deliciously by Harold’s Chef Services. Do you have questions? Email or text Vanessa Peñaherrera at vandy116@gmail.com or (704) 807-0255. And go to frippfriendsofmusic.com.
