Biography
Terry Gibbs
Terry Gibbs began his career at the age of 12 after winning the Major Bowes Amateur Hour Contest and subsequently began touring professionally. He spent many years as a drummer and percussionist playing gigs until his affinity for bebop motivated him to turn down a scholarship to Julliard as a timpanist and return to the vibes. Six decades of inspirational vibe playing and technique, Gibbs is recognized as one of the best ever to grace the genre of bop.
After World War II, Gibbs toured with Chubby Jackson, Buddy Rich and Woody Herman. He co-led a sextet with Louie Bellson and Charlie Shavers; and in 1950, he formed his own band for Mel Torme's TV show. In 1951, he joined the Benny Goodman Sextet. Subsequently, he toured with his own band where he won acclaim as "# 1 Vibraphonist in the world," in both the down beat and Metronome polls from 1950 to 1955. Gibbs also played a role in breaking down the sex barrier in music, using pianists Terry Pollard, who he often featured in vibe duos, and Alice McLeod, who later married John Coltrane.
Settling in Los Angeles in 1957, he formed his big band known as "The Dream Band." Comprised of Mel Lewis, Joe Maini, Frank Rosolino, Conte Candoli and Richard Kamuca, they were named "Best Band in the World" in the Downbeat '62 Critic's Poll.
Gibbs returned to New York in the early sixties only to move back to LA to take a position as Music Director for the Regis Philbin Show. This gave him the opportunity to compose the music and conduct a sextet. He later served as Music Director/Composer for the ABC TV show, Operation Entertainment and for Steve Allen, building a substantial ASCAP rating. Gibbs also taught Steve Allen to play the vibes.
Gibbs, throughout his illustrious career has enjoyed world acclaim playing with greats such as clarinetist Buddy DeFranco, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Horace Silver, Max Roach, Art Blakely, Elvin Jones and Tito Puente. Co-leading a quintet, he had an unprecedented nomination in four categories of the Playboy Jazz Poll: Best Vibraphonist, Best Quartet, Best Big Band and Best Band Leader. His association with DeFranco has spanned 18 years and is still an invigorating collaboration today.
out five previous volumes of the Dream Band. So, here we are now, forty years on, listening to the sixth volume of what Gibbs and his crew put forth back when Hollywood's big hit was "Ben-Hur."
If "big band" makes you think of sweet dance music, and "Los Angeles" suggests laid-back cool jazz, forget it. Gibbs was - and at age 77, still is - a manic performer, and these tunes are filled with frantic energy of the white hipster variety. The personnel shifts slightly between the two venues, but drummer Mel Lewis is a constant, driving the band hard.
The album starts with Gibbs shouting "wah too tray ah!" to kick off "The Fuzz" (now, there's a phrase to take you back), an Al Cohn tune slightly reminiscent of "One Mint Julep." And we're off. Gibbs' shouted exhortations provide a running obbligato, and soloists like Conte Candoli on trumpet, Bill Perkins on tenor, and Pete Jolly or Lou Levy on piano - and Gibbs himself, of course - keep things moving right along. Even the slow tunes have a definite hustle.
As I first listened to this CD, playing in the background while I did office chores, my ears picked when I heard Gibbs say "Irene Kral." Sure enough, Kral appears as a vocalist on three songs near the end: "Sometimes I'm Happy," "Moonlight in Vermont," and "Lover, Come Back to Me." As far as I am concerned, these three tracks alone justify the release of this album. Kral was a superb and little-recorded vocalist, who died much too young at age 46 from breast cancer. She had a masterful way with ballads, impeccable intonation and inflection, and the ability to swing even at a slow tempo, as she demonstrates on "Moonlight." These are early recordings of Kral, who interrupted her career shortly after to raise a family. When she returned to recording in 1974, she was even better, and produced three albums in her last years that are classics of vocal jazz.
With 65 albums to his credit, winner of 3 major jazz polls and creator of 300+ compositions (recorded by Gibbs, Nat Cole, Les Brown, Cannonball Adderly, Count Basie, George Shearing, etc.), Gibbs has left an indelible mark in the world of vibes.
Terry Gibbs Dream Band
One More Time (Volume 6)
Contemporary CD CCD-7658-2, 1959/2002 (77:09)
Big band with a bang
Glenn Brooks, 10 August 2002
At the twilight of the big band era, vibraphonist Terry Gibbs put together a big band drawing on the substantial pool of jazz talent in the L.A. area. The band played regularly at two clubs, the Seville and the Sundown. In 2001, in a closet in his house, Gibbs discovered some forgotten reel-to-reel tapes in a box labeled "Big Band Sundown, Seville 1959." Contemporary has put out five previous volumes of the Dream Band.
The album closes with a stomping and hand-clapping version of Basie's "Jumpin' at the Woodside," where Med Flory and Bill Holman trade twos on tenor, Gibbs takes a machine-gun two-finger piano solo, and Mel Lewis gets to work off excess energy on his drum set.
The recording is hard stereo, up-front and does not capture much of the sense of the club space, and it sounds like the sheer volume of sound overloaded the tape from time to time. Still, it works. Recommended for fans of hard-driving big bands and great jazz singers.
performers Terry Gibbs, vibes, leader; Al Porcino, Ray Triscari, Conte Candoli, John Audino, Lee Katzman, Stu Williamson, trumpets; Bob Enevoldsen, Joe Cadena, Bobby Burgess, Vern Friley, Bill Smiley, trombones; Jack Schwartz, baritone sax; Bill Perkins, Rob Kalshoven, Bill Holman, Med Flory, tenor saxes; Joe Maini, Charlie Kennedy, alto saxes; Pete Jolly, Lou Levy, or Benny Aronov, piano; Max Bennett or Buddy Clark, bass; Mel Lewis, drums
production Recorded live at the Seville and Sundown, Hollywood, March and November 1959. Produced by Terry Gibbs.
songs The Fuzz · The Subtle Sermon · Opus One · Smoke Gets in Your Eyes · Slittin' Sam (The Shaychet Man) · Prelude to a Kiss · Flying Home · I Remember You · The Fat Man · Just Plain Meyer · Sometimes I'm Happy · Moonlight in Vermont · Lover, Come Back to Me · Jumpin' at the Woodside
of related interest
Irene Kral: Kral Space, Collectibles CD COL 7160
Only one of Kral's valedictory albums is in print right now, the stunning but dreadfully named "Kral Space." I think it is her best album and recommend you grab it now before it disappears (from amazon.com).
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