Jeff Gardner was born in New York and has lived in Brazil for the past 20 years. He studied jazz with Jaki Byard, Charles Banacos, Don Friedman, and John Lewis, classical piano with Ruth Schontal and Ivan Tcherepnin, and harmony with Nadia Boulanger. He has performed and recorded with Kenny Wheeler, Norma Winstone, Ndugu Chancler, Tony Dagradi, Johnny Vidocavich, Rosana Eckert, Eddie Harris, Steve Lacy, Freddie Hubbard, Julio Barreto, Anga Dias, Hein Van de Geyn, Karim Ziad, Bob Sheppard, Paulo Moura, Victor Assis Brasil, Nelson Veras, Leny Andrade, Robert Bonisolo, Carlos Bala, Teo Lima, Raul de Souza, Toninho Horta, Drew Gress, Anthony Pinciotti, and the Piano Quartet with Martial Solal, Jaki Byard, and Paul Bley.
Jeff has played in clubs and festivals on 5 continents with his own band and as a solo artist, performing his compositions – a mix of Brazilian and Latin rhythms with jazz and contemporary classical music. He has released a total of 22 CD’s as a leader, including “Sky Dance”, with Gilberto Gil, “Continuum”, with Eddie Gomez, Billy Hart, “Alchemy”, with Gary Peacock, and “Second Home”, with Rick Margitza. His latest CD’s include a compilation – “Stories”, “Night Flight”, with Rosana Eckert, and “Sintonia – Jeff Gardner Trio Plays Johnny Alf”, with Teo Lima and Adrian Barbet. Active in Jazz Education, Jeff is the author of 20 books on Jazz, Blues, and Popular Music, including Jazz Piano: Creative Concepts and Techniques (Editions Henry Lemoine, 500 pp.), and has given workshops in over 100 schools and universities worldwide.