By the time O.G. Horny Horn RICK GARDNER (Bootsy’s Rubber Band, Parliament, et al) had reached his mid-20s, he was already a seasoned vet. After all, he had played with Kansas’ own Fabulous Flippers, a rockin’, blue-eyed soul outfit with a mean horn section famous for humbling Chicago at the Kansas City Rock Festival. Then, using his performance on the Flippers’ Something Tangible album as an audition, Rick had earned a top spot in Chase, blasting alongside his childhood idol, the legendary Bill Chase. So, when Rick found himself stuck in Los Angeles with badass drummer Melvin Webb after a gig had fallen through, he figured he already knew everything he needed to know about playing in a formidable band with top notch-brass.

Then came the call to Webb from the J.B. giant himself, trombonist/arranger extraordinaire Fred Wesley—after which Rick wound up at an audition of sorts in Fred’s living room in Hollywood. The young African Americans also present were mostly unknown to Rick, though he did notice that one of them was very skinny and very tall. Charts were put in front of Rick, seriously advanced stuff that would take a high-level set of jazz chops to sight-read. He put his trumpet to his lips and nailed it. Now everyone was laughing, especially the tall fella. But what the bleep was so funny?

That’s when Rick found out the lean dude was none other than Bootsy Collins, who along with Fred had never actually heard Rick play before, (though they definitely knew Chase). The laughter was from amazement and relief—this boy from Wichita was going to work out just fine. And that’s how Rick found himself rehearsing in Bootsy’s basement, then on the road to Detroit to work on a brand new project called Stretchin’ Out with BOOTSY’S RUBBER BAND.  

Rick wasn’t in Kansas anymore. But what started out as supreme awkwardness and culture shock soon became beautiful vibrations of brotherhood.  And as far as Rick was concerned, he was playing in the best band, period. The Rubber Band rhythm section were supermen, and he was hitting The One and trading solos with Wesley and another James Brown alum, the sax attacker known as Maceo Parker. But it wasn’t until about a year in—when yet another JB genius named Richard “KUSH” Griffith came onboard as 2nd trumpet—that the HORNY HORNS finally reached the peak of their superpowers. Now, not only were the HH the crème de la crème of funk brass, but Rick had also met his best bud for life. “Kush & Rick was definitely a thang,” Rick confirms.

Throughout the mid to late 70s, the Horny Horns put in double, triple, and sometimes even quadruple duty. “They bathed me in The Funk,” says Rick. His playing is all over such staples as Aah… The Name Is Bootsy, Baby! and Bootsy? Player of the Year, as well as some of the finest work that George Clinton and Parliament have ever done, including Motor Booty Affair, Funkentelechy vs. the Placebo Syndrome, and the almighty Clones of Dr. Funkenstein. Add to that albums by Brides, Parlet, Bernie Worrell, and even the Horny Horns themselves—all of which Rick, Kush, Maceo, and Fred had to support live, oftentimes in the same night! As Rick sums it up: “That’s quite a shower.”

After P-Funk, Kush & Rick bounced around for a while, notably touring with Marvin Gaye. But by the 90s, Rick saw that just being a gigging guy provided little stability. So he dug in and learned everything he could about laying down his own stuff. These days, Rick lives with his wife and biz partner Pat in Colorado, where he records and licenses original music, thus far amassing a catalog of 500+ compositions.

Rick is an absolute treat to interview, a clear-spoken man who can be rightfully braggadocious and lucidly humble in the same breath. In this ocean-deep, master class conversation, Rick opens up about the emotional highs and lows of his career, answers our technical questions about how The Funk was made, and relates touching personal stories about Glen Goins, Phelps “Catfish” Collins, and of course Kush—including Rick and his wife sharing Kush’s final days. Rick also raps about the arranging styles of Fred Wesley versus Bernie Worrell, Bootsy’s little-known musical gifts, why George would not tolerate a drummer messing with the beat, and that time Sade called Rick on the phone just to say “Hi.”

Produced & Hosted by Ace Alan
Cohosted by Jay Stone
w/ Content Produced by Pat Gardner, Rick Gardner and of course Jay Double You!
Website & Art by 3chards
Engineered by Nick “Waes” Carden at The Blue Room in Oakland, CA. He snapped in-studio pics, too.
…but we couldn’t have done it without Mawnstr

Intro track by the Funkanauts, “I Can Never Be” from the album Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. Get it now on Amazon, iTunes, CD Baby—wherever music is sold. 

This episode is dedicated with nothin’ but love to Richard “KUSH” Griffith.

More From Rick Gardner

Head on over to RubberHorn.com and get yourself lots of Rick Gardner’s music! Also available on Amazon, iTunes, Apple Music, Pandora, Spotify, I Heart Music, Google Play, and YouTube.