Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

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HARDEE, John

(b 20 Dec. '18, Corsicana County TX; d 18 May '84, Houston) Tenor sax, infl. by Chu Berry and Coleman Hawkins. From musical family; began on piano at an early age, then trumpet, other instruments; picked up his uncle's C-melody sax at age 13. Wrote music for college band; toured with territory bands; finished college, worked as school bandmaster, got married and drafted, all in '41. Sat in at a Duke Ellington concert at a USAAF base in New Jersey, jammed in NYC in uniform; first recorded on Signature label '46; three dates on Blue Note during the "swingtet' era, one led by Tiny Grimes; recorded with Earl Bostic on Gotham; in '47 backed Helen Humes on Mercury, recorded with Grimes on Atlantic, in '49 with Billy Taylor on Regal (later Savoy), but c'48-52 were perhaps the leanest years for jazz since the Depression. Hardee went back to Texas, taught in high schools, retired '76. Gigged in Dallas all the while; played Nice Jazz Festival '75, made quartet album for Black and Blue in France, not issued. First session at Blue Note had yielded regional hit "Tired' (instrumental version of Pearl Bailey's first hit) backed with "Blue Skies' on 78 issue; one of the few 78 albums issued by Blue Note was Hardee's, never forgotten by tenor fans. Blue Note sessions reissued in 4-disc limited edition with Ike Quebec's on Mosaic '84: a fine tribute to a man who enjoyed teaching music to young people for 25 years.