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Songs From My Father, Gerry Gibbs

Gerry Gibbs was born in New York City on January 15, 1964. His father is jazz vibraphone legend & bandleader Terry Gibbs. Gerry grew up in Southern California and started playing the drums at the age of 4. By the time he was 7 years old, Gerry had already appeared on a few Television shows. On The Steve Allen Show in 1971, Gerry played a 3 minute drum solo and later, on the show To Tell The Truth, Gerry traded drum choruses with TV celebrity Bob Crane (who played Hogan on the hit TV show Hogan’s Heroes).

By the time he was 18, Gerry had already become a professional musician. He worked steadily with his father’s many groups, featuring numerous configurations, performing frequently in Southern California as well as touring. Between ages 18-22, Gerry had already performed as a sideman with: Alice Coltrane, Woody Shaw, Donald Byrd, Buddy DeFranco, Harold Land, Benny Maupin, Doug Carne, Larry Gales, Horace Tapscott, Frank Morgan, Conte Candoli, Frank Rosolino, Alan Broadbent, Ernie Watts, Billy Childs as well as Parliament Funkadelic and Rose Royce, among many others.

In 1987, at age 23 and seeking greater challenge and exposure in the mecca of the jazz-music scene, Gerry packed his bags to relocate to New York City. Within his first 3 weeks of arriving, Gerry took over for drummer Winard Harper, 6 nights a week, as the house drummer for The Blue Note Jazz Club 'After Hours Band' (led by saxophonist Justin Robinson and which also included pianist STephen Scott). During this time, Winard Harper & Philip Harper of The Harper Brothers would call upon Gerry to be sub for Winard during local and European Gigs.

Gerry continued on becoming sought after both as a sideman and as a leader and his performance schedule included numerous domestic and international touring. His many past projects, during his early years in NY, included leading an adventurous Keyboard Trio featuring: Brad Mehldau, Billy Childs & Greg Kurstin (Mega-Pop Producer/Keyboardist). It featured 13 keyboards and drums!

Another Trio project, The Third Trio from the Sun from 1999 – 2002, included the use of 25 instruments between them and featured alto sax legend Arthur Blythe along with 4 African Dancers. In 2000, the trio released First Visit (VIEWPOINT RECORDS).

During the early 2000′s, Gerry performed concerts that featured his writing abilities. Among them, a 40-piece ensemble consisting of Big Band with Gospel Choir, Rapper, Sitar and 6 piece Rhythm section. The ensemble was selected to open up for New Orleans piano legend Dr John.

Gerry also found time to lead an 18-piece big band for which he wrote and/or arranged all of the music. The band is captured in the live CD recording: Gerry Gibbs & The Thrasher Big Band - LIVE AT LUNA (Whaling City Sound Records). The CD garnered 3.5 stars in DownBeat magazine and went to #41 on the Jazz Week. The Thrasher Big Band also backed up live in Concert jazz luminaries terry Gibbs, Clark Terry, James Moody & Jon Hendricks. Gerry’s earlier bands were often a sought after choice for performing at the world famous Village Gate in NYC between 1992-1995. In a 3 year period, his various projects performed 18 one-week engagements to packed audiences. Gerry would later take one of his well-rehearsed bands out on the road. It was during an engagement in Los Angeles that Gerry and his band caught the eye of Drummer/Producer Srix Hooper which led to Gerry’s first signing by a major label as a solo artist. In 1995, Gerry finally released his first CD for the (Qwest/ Warner Bros) label. The CD was produced by Stix Hooper of The Jazz Crusaders with Executive Producer Quincy Jones and featured Gerry in both the drumming and writing chair composing and arranging all of his original music. Gerry has gone on to record 7 more CDs under his own name for various record labels. His most recent CD is the Trio Recording: Gerry Gibbs Thrasher Dream Trio, featuring Kenny Barron & Ron Carter (Whaling City Sound Records). (At the time of this writing, the CD has reached # 4 on the Jazz Radio Charts in its first few weeks.) Gerry continues to live in NYC where he works frequently as a sideman and leader in many diverse projects. Plans are already in the works for a forthcoming Thrasher Dream Trio recording, this time featuring Stanley Clarke & Geri Allen and to be released later in 2014 (Whaling City Sound Records). In Feb 2014, Gerry’s all-star 15 piece Thrasher Big Band will debut at Dizzy';s Club Coca Cola in NYC for 4 nights. (February 6,7,8,9, 2014).

Songs From My Father, Gerry Gibbs

Celebrated Drummer and Bandleader Gerry Gibbs Announces the Release of Songs From My Father,
A Celebration of the Music of Bebop Luminary Terry Gibbs,
Prominently Featuring Musical Titan Chick Corea, In His Final Recording

Out August 6, 2021 via Whaling City Sound

Songs From My Father is the much-anticipated new album from renowned musical polymath Gerry Gibbs. On his thirteenth release as a leader, drummer – percussionist – bandleader – arranger Gibbs presents a smashing double-disc masterwork featuring four iterations of his acclaimed Thrasher Dream Trio. Under his astute direction, this band of jazz titans pays homage to the musical legacy of Gerry’s 96-year-old father, Terry Gibbs. To honor Terry, one of the last living architects of bebop and innovators of the vibraphone, Gerry selected 18 tunes from his father’s vast discography and interpreted the timeless material through his own refined compositional lens with inventive, modern arrangements. Notably, Songs From My Father features the last recorded performance of the great Chick Corea, and includes one of Chick’s tunes composed specifically for this project. With Gibbs in the drum chair, his Thrasher Dream Trios include Chick Corea and Ron CarterKenny Barron and Buster WilliamsPatrice Rushen and Larry Goldings; and Geoff Keezer and Christian McBride; along with percussionist Kyeshie Gibbs.

A global pandemic could not slow down this jazz luminary – instead it inspired an impressive stint of creative output. Gibbs presents Songs From My Father fresh off the heels from his 2019 epic, genre-defying opus Our People, hailed by Philip Booth of JazzTimes as “Artfully layered pieces often verg[ing] on the cinematic…Quite a feat,” as well as 2020’s Emotional Pandemic, an 18-track album fully composed, engineered and performed (all eight instruments!) by Gibbs and released, free-of-charge, to a select 500 friends and collaborators. In fact, it was this release that piqued the attention of the legendary Chick Corea who initially inquired about Gibbs’ process for writing and recording all of the instruments. The conversation evolved to the possibility of collaboration, and the concept was born of releasing a double disc filled with the product of Gibbs’ collaborations with four astounding trios, including a collaboration with Corea and Ron Carter. Corea would later ask to be more deeply involved in the music that was being recorded, composing an original piece in dedication to Terry Gibbs “Tango For Terry”, and arranging two pieces for the album.

Gibbs remarks “What I wanted to do seemed almost impossible with COVID, fear, traveling, safety precautions as well as logistics. How do you coordinate four trios when a disease was spreading all over America?” In the throes of a global pandemic, Gibbs found himself on a several-month nationwide journey to capture recordings of himself alongside a long list of his friends and collaborators – the finest improvisers of our time. NEA Jazz Master Ron Carter notes, “one of the fun things that I look forward to, when playing with Gerry is what part of drum history will I be able to identify when he plays…what an unfortunate surprise that the trio recording that I was a part of with Gerry would be Chick’s last recording. Chick and I played on several recordings together and I cherish those moments even more now.”

“To record my challenging music,” Gibbs notes, “and not being able to rehearse because of safety protocols seemed unrealistic, so I changed course and thought it would be best to play music that would be great vehicles to do what these 8 of the greatest improvisers on the planet are known for doing, improvise!” Ultimately, the bandleader decided to perform material written by one of his all-time favorite musicians and composers, someone’s music that was deeply integrated within his own musical upbringing and the history and lineage of the jazz idiom  – the archetypal works of his own father Terry Gibbs.

Terry Gibbs first earned international recognition touring with Chubby Jackson, Buddy Rich and Woody Herman. In 1951, he joined the Benny Goodman Sextet. Subsequently, he toured with his own quartet where he won the title of “# 1 Vibraphonist in the world,” in both the Downbeat and Metronome polls from 1950 to 1955. Gibbs also played a role in breaking down the race and sex barrier in music by employing pianists Terry Pollard, who he often featured in vibe duos, Pat Moran, and Alice Coltrane. Throughout his illustrious career Gibbs has enjoyed world acclaim playing with greats such as clarinetist Buddy DeFranco, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Horace Silver, Max Roach, Art Blakey, Elvin Jones and Tito Puente. With 65 albums to his credit, Gibbs is the composer of 300+ compositions that were recorded by Nat “King” Cole, Les Brown, Cannonball Adderly, Count Basie, George Shearing and many more.

Gibbs indicates that  “for the longest time, I wanted to do a tribute to him while he was still here. He is getting ready to turn 97 this year and still in great shape. He is, of course, known for being one of the last original BeBoppers alive and innovators of the vibraphone. As you will hear, he composes in many different ways making it a lot of fun to reimagine his music through these 8 true giants in music – his melodies inspired some incredible solos from all 9 of us.”

During the process of recording, a huge tragedy occurred with the untimely and completely unexpected passing of Chick Corea. Gibbs notes “I, like everyone that’s my age, grew up learning from and idolizing Chick. For the last 5 months of his life we spoke weekly on the phone. Sometimes it was about future plans to do more music together, sometimes it was to talk about new music he or I was working on. Sometimes it was just to say hello. What an honor to have had those last 5 months becoming friends with him.” Songs From My Father is the last recording Chick Corea played on, a testament to Corea’s stellar creative output right up until the very end.

Disc 1 of Songs From My Father features Chick Corea and Ron Carter on “Bopstacle Course”, composed in 1974 and “Sweet Young Song of Love” composed in 1985, and arranged by Gibbs and Corea. The first disc’s final track, “Hey Chick”, is a special homage to the memory of Chick Corea. Conceived and compiled by Gerry Gibbs, this monumental performance features every musician from all four iterations of the Thrasher Dreams Trio as well as the audio from Terry Gibbs’ original 1961 recording of the composition, then titled “Hey Jim” (which also included pianist Pat Moran bassist Max Bennett and Mike Romero on drums). The melody of the piece is first stated by a trio with Geoff Keezer, Ron Carter and Gibbs on drums, seamlessly transitioning into the track’s first solo which features a recording of several choruses from Terry Gibbs’ solo from the original 1961 recording, which Gerry Gibbs fused with overdubbing from Larry Goldings on organ, and himself on drums. The piece then transitions through five additional solos featuring various trios with Gerry Gibbs alongside Larry Goldings and Ron Carter; Kenny Barron and Buster Williams; Patrice Rushen and Larry Goldings; Geoff Keezer and Christian McBride; and Ron Carter, Buster Williams, Larry Goldings and Christian McBride respectively. Upon listening to this special compilation of masterful performers, Gerry and Terry discussed the matter and decided to retitle the tune “Hey Chick” as a dedication to the late musical titan. The Thrasher Dream Trio iteration with the inimitable Kenny Barron and Buster Williams is featured on the album opener “Kick Those Feet” and “Take It From Me” both composed in 1964. “Smoke Em Up” (1968) and “Lonely Days” (1955) both feature Gibbs alongside pianist Patrice Rushen and organist Larry Goldings. Gibbs performs with pianist Geoff Keezer and bassist Christian McBride on 1955’s “Nutty Notes”, and 1958’s “The Fat Man”.

Disc 2 provides audiences with further arrangements of timeless Gibbs compositions including 1949’s “T & S” and 1955’s “Lonely Dreams” featuring Barron, Gibbs and Williams; 1978’s “Townhouse 3”, 1961’s “Hippie Twist” and 1958’s “Pretty Blue Eyes” featuring Rushen, Gibbs and Goldings; 1978’s “4 A.M”, 1961’s “For Keeps” and 1955’s “Gibberish” featuring Keezer, Gibbs and McBride; and 1964’s “Waltz For My Children”  featuring and arranged by Chick Corea, alongside Gibbs and Carter as well as the final piece on the album – “Tango For Terry” written and performed by Corea for his old friend Terry Gibbs.

After 10 months and 15,000 miles of car travel to assemble the recordings for this masterpiece, Gerry Gibbs’ newest outing will finally be in the hands of listeners. “Songs From My Father” acts as a document to the memory of the fallen jazz titan who graces many of its tracks, Chick Corea, and the legacy of the luminary whose work the album reflects, bebop architect Terry Gibbs. With this monumental new recording, Gerry Gibbs cements his standing as one of the most creative and forward-thinking musicians on the contemporary jazz scene.

Thrasher Dream Trio #2
disc 1 – tracks 1,5 / disc 2 – 2,6
Gerry Gibbs / drums, percussion
Chick Corea/ acoustic piano, minimoog
Ron Carter/ acoustic bass

Thrasher Dream Trio #2
disc 1 – tracks 1,5 / disc 2 – 2,6
Gerry Gibbs / drums, percussion
Kenny Barron/ acoustic piano
Buster Williams/ acoustic bass

Thrasher Dream Trio #3
disc 1 – tracks 2,8 / disc 2 – 1,5,8
Gerry Gibbs / drums, percussion
Patrice Rushen/ acoustic piano
Larry Goldings/ Hammond B3 organ

Thrasher Dream Trio #4
disc 1 – tracks 4,7 / disc 2 – 3,7,9
Gerry Gibbs / drums
Geoff Keezer/ acoustic piano
Christen McBride/ acoustic bass

Episode #289

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