Mourning the loss of mentor and friend Herb Hardesty 

Posted: December 6, 2016 

"Herb was an amazing musician who played both trumpet and tenor saxophone and was one of the original members of both The Fats Domino Band and Dave Bartholomew's Band. That's Herb's horn that you hear soloing on lots of Fats' greatest hits like 'I'm Walkin' and 'Ain't That a Shame'. Herb's masterful style has graced many a famous musician's shows and recordings, and during his long and illustrious career he's played with luminaries like Lloyd Price, BB King, Tom Waits, Little Richard, Tony Bennett, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Frank Sinatra, Dr. John, and Ella Fitzgerald.

To me, Herb was both a mentor and friend. When I was a young musician in Fats' band, Herb really took me under his wing and went out of his way to help me. In fact, Herb even showed me how develop black and white film to hustle extra money on gigs. He'd set up a dark room in his hotel room and take photos on stage during the first set of the show. Then he'd run to his room on set break, develop the film and then sell the pictures in the lobby after the show!

My deepest condolences to Marty, Herb's loving, longtime, life companion, his family, children and all who knew and loved him. Rest in peace, my brother."

Here's a great, live audio recording of Tom Waits that really showcases Herb's masterful trumpet playing, and Tom Waits' words seem poignant and appropriate today:

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