Herb Hardesty
| Herbert Hardesty | |
|---|---|
| Born |
March 3, 1925 New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Died | December 3, 2016 (aged 91) Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Instruments | Tenor saxophone, trumpet |
| Years active | 1939–2016 |
| Associated acts | Fats Domino, Dave Bartholomew |
Herbert Hardesty (March 3, 1925 – December 3, 2016) was an American musician who played tenor saxophone and trumpet. He is best known for his association with the New Orleans pianist Fats Domino and the producer Dave Bartholomew, beginning in 1948. He released six 45-rpm records as Herb Hardesty between 1959 and 1962. His first CD of these recordings and others made but not issued in 1958 were released worldwide in July 2012 by Ace Records (United Kingdom), entitled The Domino Effect.
Hardesty was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on March 3, 1925. He began trumpet lessons in school at the age of six and used a trumpet given to his stepfather by Louis Armstrong. He also took lessons from Professor Valmore Victor and began playing in a local Works Progress Administration big band. By 1939, he was getting paid to play with bands led by Papa Celestin, Sidney Desvigne, and others. Chick Webb also asked him to perform with his orchestra.
Hardesty enlisted in the military in 1941 even though he was two years below the minimum draft age. At the United States Army Air Corps base in Jackson, Mississippi, he volunteered to play saxophone in the band, and his commanding officer purchased an alto saxophone, which Hardesty learned to play in two days. His Army training continued at Tuskegee, Alabama, and he was a radio technician in the 99th Flying Training Squadron, stationed in Morocco, Italy, and Germany, making him part of what is now known as the Tuskeegee Airmen. When time permitted he played trumpet and alto saxophone with local European musicians. After the war ended, Hardesty returned to New Orleans and attended Dillard University.
...
Wikipedia