Showing posts with label Gerry Gibbs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gerry Gibbs. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 11, 2022

Gerry Gibbs Thrasher Dream Trios - Songs From My Father: The Music Of Terry Gibbs Disc 1, Disc 2

Album: Songs From My Father: The Music Of Terry Gibbs Disc 1
Styles: Jazz, Bop
Year: 2021
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:11
Size: 110,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:05) 1. Kick Those Feet
(5:07) 2. Smoke em Up
(4:04) 3. Bopstacle Course
(4:19) 4. Nutty Notes
(4:13) 5. Take It from Me
(7:54) 6. Sweet Young Song of Love
(5:03) 7. The Fat Man
(6:54) 8. Lonely Days
(5:27) 9. Hey Chick

Album: Songs From My Father: The Music Of Terry Gibbs Disc 2
Time: 48:34
Size: 111,5 MB

(5:06) 1. Townhouse 3
(5:43) 2. T & S
(3:25) 3. 4 AM
(3:28) 4. Waltz For My Children
(4:35) 5. Hippie Twist
(5:53) 6. Lonely Dreams
(4:56) 7. For Keeps
(5:05) 8. Pretty Blue Eyes
(4:21) 9. Gibberish
(5:57) 10. Tango For Terry

Songs from My Father. What a marvelous idea! and not simply for the sentiment. Drummer Gerry Gibbs' father happens to be Hall of Fame vibraphonist (and sometime song writer) Terry Gibbs, who is still on the scene at ninety-seven (and, in fact, making a guest appearance on the first disc of this superlative two-CD set). Eighteen of the elder Gibbs' songs, written between 1949 and 1985 (and one more, "Tango for Terry," by the late Chick Corea) are performed by four of his son's well-chosen (and well-named) Thrasher Dream Trios, whose members include pianists Kenny Barron, Patrice Rushen, Geoff Keezer, Corea (the last recorded appearance before his passing in February 2021), organist Larry Goldings and bassists Ron Carter, Buster Williams and Christian McBride most, if not all, of whom will one day earn the same Hall of Fame status accorded Terry Gibbs.

As the elder Gibbs came of age in the bop era—gigging with a Who's Who of jazz luminaries including Woody Herman, Buddy Rich, Benny Goodman, Chubby Jackson, Mel Torme and Louie Bellson, and later leading his Los Angeles-based Dream Band most of his engaging themes can trace their roots to bop, and the trios take to them like ducks to water. The line-ups are traditional piano-bass-drums save for Dream Trio 3, on which Goldings' Hammond B3 organ complements Gibbs and pianist Rushen. Their appearances are close to evenly divided, with Trios 1 and 2 performing on four tracks each, Trios 3 and 4 on five apiece, and everyone (plus Terry Gibbs, whose extended vibes solo is as sharp and resourceful as ever) having an absolute blast on "Hey Chick," which closes the first disc. The title is no doubt coincidental, as the tune was written in 1961 when Corea was a mere twenty years old.

"Hey Chick" follows "Lonely Days," the nearest pretense to a ballad on the first disc. The same holds true for the most part on the second disc, as swinging is what Terry Gibbs was (and is) about. Trio 3 comes out blazing on the disc's sunny, samba-like opener, "Townhouse," wherein Goldings adds color with some bird-like special effects, as does Trio 2 on the lively "T&S," as Barron crafts a stunning solo while Gibbs and Williams lend rhythmic backbone. Gibbs, Keezer and McBride keep the fire burning on "4 AM," as they do on "For Keeps" and "Gibberish." "Waltz for My Children" (Trio 1), the disc's lone serenade, showcases Corea in typically masterful form. The first seven tracks on the first disc from "Kick Those Feet" (1964) to "The Fat Man" (1958) are exemplary, as are the others on the second disc, from the dynamic "Hippie Twist" to the well-grooved "For Keeps," and especially the melodious "Pretty Blue Eyes." While none has entered the rarefied pantheon of jazz standards, several could and even should be gauged by that barometer. At the very least, they should be played more often; they are that good. And so, it goes without saying, are the trios Gerry Gibbs has assembled to give them life. Songs from My Father is more than a marvelous idea; it is a musical treat from end to end, and a well-deserved show of appreciation from son to father for the guidance and wisdom that have assuredly helped shape his impressive career. By Jack Bowers https://www.allaboutjazz.com/songs-from-my-father-gerry-gibbs-thrasher-dream-trios-whaling-city-sound

Personnel: Gerry Gibbs: drums; Chick Corea: piano; Kenny Barron: piano; Patrice Rushen: keyboards; Geoffrey Keezer: keyboards; Larry Goldings: organ, Hammond B3; Ron Carter: bass; Buster Williams: bass; Christian McBride: bass; Terry Gibbs: vibraphone.

Songs From My Father: The Music Of Terry Gibbs Disc 1, Disc 2

Thursday, October 7, 2021

Gerry Gibbs - Moving On

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 78:03
Size: 180,7 MB
Art: Front

(6:35)  1. Impressions/Giant Steps
(2:51)  2. I Love You Porgy
(4:42)  3. McBooGoo's Delight
(4:58)  4. Memories of Home
(4:00)  5. Sountrack For Routines On The Road
(4:45)  6. Mistakes, Misunderstandings, Moving On and Never Looking Back
(5:51)  7. Festival in Bahia
(4:34)  8. Purple Fingers
(6:16)  9. All Blues
(1:29) 10. Music From The Frustrated Suite, Movement #7
(5:07) 11. You Don't Know What Love Is
(6:03) 12. Use To Be A Cha Cha / Teen Town
(5:09) 13. Five Towns
(7:03) 14. Fields
(7:15) 15. Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing
(1:18) 16. The Lick

Drummer Gerry Gibbs and his Thrasher Band gives the modern jazz listener so much to absorb and digest, that it sometimes approaches overload. The dense and purposefully convoluted structures they employ are overwhelming to a more simpleminded, mainstream jazz audience. But make no mistake, this is a group comprised of brilliant musicians who are multi-faceted, if not multifarious. Each bandmember plays many instruments at one time or another, the music is expanded far beyond mortal combat, into a realm where listening creates disbelief. It's astonishing to hear this band go through their paces in a studio, so the live concert experience must be even more spectacular. Flanked by the many woodwinds of Justin Vasquez, Rob Hardt, and Eric Hargett, pianist Andy Langham, and bassist Richard Giddens, Gibbs exploits a huge color palette to offer grand re-interpretations of standards, and some original music that is, to put it mildly, out of this world. He also plays trumpet, vibes, and percussion on occasion, and is credited for composing four of the selections. They include the hot bop "Soundtrack for Routines on the Road" in nutty rhythm changes, including cartoonish whimsy and blues refrains in a tribute to longtime friend Ravi Coltrane. Also, the title "Mistakes, Misunderstandings, Moving On, Never Looking Back" (G.T.J.) incorporates a march beat with an accordion that sounds like an eulogy, "Music from the Frustrated Suite, Movement #7" is a funky and soured sound with sax and flute, while "Memories of Home" references a complex, ever-changing rhythmic stance and a soprano sax lead. John Coltrane is never far from Gibbs' thoughts via his full-blown reinterpretation of "Impressions/Giant Steps," fast and serene, witty and wild, while McCoy Tyner's lovely and potent "Festival in Bahia" has the band's heart in the right place via a steady rolling pace, though the melody is a bit imprecisely rendered. 

The Jaco Pastorius medley "Used to Be a Cha Cha/Teen Town" is done straight, loose, and fast just like the composer, with a bass clarinet as the centerpiece, Stevie Wonder's "Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing" has the distinct flavor of John Coltrane, and "You Don't Know What Love Is" is a tender ballad, the most true-to-original-form song on the date, with pianist Langham and baritone saxophonist Hargett taking the lead. For contrast, "McBoogoo's Delight" is straight out of the N.Y.C. skunk funk, Bill Cosby show vein, with big-time, wah-wah, Texas broad strokes included. Loony interpretations of "I Loves You Porgy" and "All Blues" are the real stunners, the former literally insane in a short, concentrated, ultra-modern form with the arrangement of Vasquez and Hardt's oboe, while the latter is nearly unrecognizable until you listen closely to the diffuse spacing of notes and Hargett's deconstructed, flute-accented arrangement. 

Hardt also contributes "Purple Fingers" as intricate, involved, and indescribable as anything; "Five Towns" mixes Tex Mex waltz or flamenco with a pop feel à la Ry Cooder, and "Fields," penned by Vasquez, is a modern modal piece influenced again by Coltrane. Gibbs dedicates this recording to both the late Alice Coltrane and Dewey Redman, powerful figureheads who have influenced many progressive jazz musicians. Reflected in this truly stunning music, Gerry Gibbs has taken a giant leap forward in presenting new music that may stagger the imagination of some, but for others provides a revelation for a new jazz order that should drop jaws left and right. ~ Michael G.Nastos https://www.allmusic.com/album/moving-on-never-looking-back-mw0000806362

Moving On

Wednesday, October 6, 2021

Gerry Gibbs Thrasher Dream Trio - Live In Studio (Feat. Ron Carter & Kenny Barron)

Size: 177,1 MB
Time: 77:22
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. Wives And Lovers (6:07)
02. Summer Of '42 The Summer Knows (6:01)
03. Casino Royale/The Look Of Love (Feat. Cassandra Wilson) (4:33)
04. Spartacus Love Theme (3:36)
05. On A Clear Day You Can See Forever (Feat. Roy Hargrove) (6:44)
06. Oklahoma! The Surrey With The Fringe On Top (3:53)
07. Alfie (Feat. Cassandra Wilson) (6:27)
08. Watch What Happens (Instrumental) (5:22)
09. Un Homme Et Une Femme (A Man And A Woman) (3:22)
10. Cast Your Fate To The Wind (Live) (3:35)
11. Summer Of '42 What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life (5:45)
12. Mondo Cane More (4:22)
13. Watch What Happens (Feat. Cassandra Wilson) (4:06)
14. Music To Watch Girls By (4:14)
15. Girl Talk (4:43)
16. Charade (Feat. Roy Hargrove) (4:25)

Drummer Gerry Gibbs has been living a recurring dream with slight variations for the past few years. In December of 2012, he laid down tracks with two of his idols—the legendary Ron Carter and the estimable Kenny Barron—and dubbed their group the Thrasher Dream Trio. The eponymous debut from that band, featuring fifteen tracks recorded at those sessions, was, not surprisingly, a strong and classy affair filled with standards, some originals, and other jazz-friendly fare, such as Stevie Wonder's "Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing" and Burt Bacharach's "Promises, Promises."

At the time of that album's release, those last-mentioned tracks could simply be viewed as part of the well-rounded program. But looking back now, it actually seems like they were dropped as hints of what was to come. About a year-and-a-half after that first Thrasher Dream Trio album was recorded, Gibbs brought the band together again to lay things down for We're Back (Whaling City Sound, 2014), a jazz-does-R&B project with A-list guests—vibraphonist Warren Wolf, saxophonist Steve Wilson, and organist Larry Goldings. That album offered multiple helpings of Wonder and Earth, Wind & Fire along with single servings of Bacharach, Marvin Gaye, Miles Davis, and the Average White Band. As on the trio's first album, the sparks were flying. The playing field, however, had changed a bit.

For this, the third go-around for this group, Gibbs does it again, tweaking the formula without altering the essence of the trio. This time he turned the focus toward pop-ish material from the '50s and '60s—the work of Bacharach, Henry Mancini, Michel Legrand, and others of that ilk—and put an audience in front of the band, recording live at Systems Two Recording Studio. Guests are part of the package again—now it's trumpeter Roy Hargrove and vocalist Cassandra Wilson, each appearing on a few tracks—and they help to add another wrinkle or two to the project without drawing focus away from the trio.

The album opens on a fluid "Wives And Lovers" that allows Barron's lyricism to shine through, gives Carter a chance to step into the spotlight, and puts Gibbs' brushwork at center stage. From there, the trio moves on with an unusually upbeat take on "The Summer Knows," a Wilson-enhanced version of "The Look Of Love" that moves from bossa nova to swing, and a variety of other familiar hits of yesteryear. Hargrove joins in for "On A Clear Day," quoting Ellington at one point and playfully trading solos with Gibbs; Vince Guaraldi's cheerfulness shines through on a perky trio performance of his "Cast Your Fate To The Wind"; "More" is transformed from a stale confection into an enjoyable swinger; and "Watch What Happens" happens twice—first as a cheerful, Brazilian-based instrumental, then as a swing-centered feature for Wilson.

Along the way there are plenty of other bright spots—an appropriately noir-ish "What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life?" with Hargrove on flugelhorn, a leisurely stroll through "Girl Talk"—and plenty of moments that serve as simple reminders as to why Barron and Carter are loved, respected, and emulated the world over. Their time and taste are impeccable, and when married to Gibbs' in-the-tradition drumming, you know the music is going to go in the right direction every time. ~Dan Bilawsky

Personnel: Kenny Barron: piano; Ron Carter: acoustic bass; Gerry Gibbs: drums; Roy Hargrove: trumpet, flugelhorn (5, 7, 11, 16); Cassandra Wilson: vocals (3, 7, 13).

Live In Studio

Monday, August 9, 2021

Gerry Gibbs Thrasher Dream Trio - We're Back

Size: 174,7 MB
Time: 74:43
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz: Piano Jazz, Hard Bop
Art: Front

01. Too High (4:26)
02. What's Going On (6:24)
03. Where Is The Love (5:15)
04. Reasons (5:00)
05. Mighty Mighty (5:42)
06. Betcha By Golly, Wow (6:35)
07. My Cherie Amour (7:50)
08. Creepin (4:51)
09. Fantasy (4:36)
10. Living For The City - Overjoyed (6:31)
11. Brazilian Rhyme (1:03)
12. Runnin (5:48)
13. I Say A Little Prayer (4:56)
14. Pickin' Up The Pieces (4:57)
15. The Theme (0:42)

Drummer Gerry Gibbs must be in a "strike while the iron is hot" mode. Less than a year after his very successful Gerry Gibbs Thrasher Dream Trio (Whaling City Sound, 2013), featuring Ron Carter on bass and Kenny Barron on piano, he has reconvened with those jazz legends for a second go around. This time, with We're Back, the trio moves away from the jazz standard format and goes after some of the classic R& B hits from the 60s and 70s.

If that sounds like a good time, it is. Jazz can take itself too seriously, but with the likes of Stevie Wonder's "Too High," Marvin Gaye's "What's Goin' On ," Earth, Wind and Fire's "Mighty Mighty," and The Average White Band's "Pick Up the Pieces," a good time—from these guys—is guaranteed. The tunes are familiar to anyone who came up listening to Top 40 radio in those days, and they have the staying power of classics, appealing to a younger generation with an ear for classic sounds, making We're Back a "kick back and relax and soak your ears in great melodies and cool grooves" type of experience. The fact that they're laid down with an inspired, top level jazz feeling and skill level is the bonus.

Another big difference here is the inclusion of some top flight guests: Vibraphonist Warren Wolf, organist Larry Goldings and saxophonist Steve Wilson. Goldings adds a cool funk to the group's up-tempo take on "What's Goin' On," working alongside the buoyant pop of Warren Wolf's bright vibraphone. The pair also team up on strutting take on Stevie Wonder's "My Cherie Amour." Steve Wilson's alto sax—tart and tight—gets chased around the studio by Barron's exquisite piano on Earth, Wind and Fire's "Might Mighty," while Carter and Gibbs lay down a deep groove, and they do it again on the same group's "Fantasy."

The CD, which starts out on a high note with Stevie Wonder's "To High," keeps getting better as it rolls along. Hal David and Burt Bacharach's "I Say a Little Prayer," a smooth pop hit for Dionne Warwick, and a deep soul anthem from Aretha Franklin, a gets a taste of elegance here from the trio, especially from the ever-inventive Barron; and "Pick Up the Pieces," a huge radio hit for the Average White Band, features, again, the trio showing how to rip it up at a white hot pace.

They close it with the sole non-R & B tune, a forty-four second "beatbox" version of Miles Davis "Theme."

Excellent! ~by Dan McClenaghan

Personnel: Gerry Gibbs: drums; Ron Carter: bass; Kenny Barron: piano; Warren Wolf: vibraphone (2, 6, 7, 11, 12); Larry Goldings: Hammond B-3 organ (2, 7); Steve Wilson: alto saxophyone (5, 9).

We're Back

Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Jed Levy - Sleight of Hand

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1995
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:10
Size: 134,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:27)  1. Sleight Of Hand
(7:44)  2. Zinno
(8:12)  3. Three And Me
(5:27)  4. Bird's Mother
(9:18)  5. Desert Church
(5:34)  6. Did I Remember?
(5:06)  7. Bright Lights
(8:03)  8. Nice And Easy
(3:16)  9. Indigenous

Saxophonist Jed Levy has been a mainstay on the New York jazz scene for over 20 years. In addition to performing and recording as a leader, he has had long standing working relationships with such jazz luminaries as Jaki Byard (a musical mentor, 3 recordings and countless performances), Don Patterson, Jack McDuff (valuable road experience), Ron McClure (2 CDs and on going performances), and Headhunters drummer Mike Clark (2 CD's and new projects in the works.)  He has also been fortunate to have worked with, Junior Mance, Eddie Henderson, Jack Walrath,The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Shirley Scott, Kevin Mahogany, Gene Bertoncini,Don Friedman,Cedar Walton, Curtis Fuller, Chico O'Farrill, Attilla Zollar, Groove Holmes, Tom Harrell, and many others. Levy has toured Japan as a leader and appeared at several international jazz festivals as well as leading bands at such New York venues as Sweet Basil, Blue Note, Birdland, Visiones and Zinno. Diversity has been the key to Levy's success on the New York scene. A recent week found him moving from a concert with the Cab Calloway Orchestra to a night with Mike Clark and Charley Hunter at the Knitting Factory, to the Apollo Theater with the Temptations and the Four Tops, to Birdland with Chico O'Farill's Afro Cuban Orchestra. In his presentations as a leader, as well as in his compositions, Levy tries to incorporate these varied musical experiences. His compositions have been recorded by such artists as the Headhunters, Don Friedman, Eddie Henderson, and Mike Clark. http://www.jedlevy.com/

Personnel:  Jed Levy Tenor Sax;  George Colligan Piano;  Gerry Gibbs Drums;  Ron McClure Bass.

Sleight of Hand

Saturday, May 7, 2016

Gerry Gibbs Thrasher Dream Trio - Live In Studio

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 77:18
Size: 176.9 MB
Styles: Contemporary jazz
Year: 2015
Art: Front

[6:09] 1. Wives And Lovers
[6:01] 2. Summer Of '42
[4:33] 3. The Look Of Love
[3:36] 4. Spartacus Love Theme
[6:44] 5. On A Clear Day You Can See Forever
[3:53] 6. The Surrey With The Fringe On Top
[6:27] 7. Alfie
[5:22] 8. Watch What Happens
[3:22] 9. A Man And A Woman
[3:32] 10. Cast Your Fate To The Wind
[5:45] 11. What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life
[4:19] 12. More
[4:05] 13. Watch What Happens (Feat. Cassandra Wilson)
[4:14] 14. Music To Watch Girls By
[4:43] 15. Girl Talk
[4:25] 16. Charade

Kenny Barron: piano; Ron Carter: acoustic bass; Gerry Gibbs: drums; Roy Hargrove: trumpet, flugelhorn (5, 7, 11, 16); Cassandra Wilson: vocals (3, 7, 13).

Drummer Gerry Gibbs has been living a recurring dream with slight variations for the past few years. In December of 2012, he laid down tracks with two of his idols—the legendary Ron Carter and the estimable Kenny Barron—and dubbed their group the Thrasher Dream Trio. The eponymous debut from that band, featuring fifteen tracks recorded at those sessions, was, not surprisingly, a strong and classy affair filled with standards, some originals, and other jazz-friendly fare, such as Stevie Wonder's "Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing" and Burt Bacharach's "Promises, Promises."

At the time of that album's release, those last-mentioned tracks could simply be viewed as part of the well-rounded program. But looking back now, it actually seems like they were dropped as hints of what was to come. About a year-and-a-half after that first Thrasher Dream Trio album was recorded, Gibbs brought the band together again to lay things down for We're Back (Whaling City Sound, 2014), a jazz-does-R&B project with A-list guests—vibraphonist Warren Wolf, saxophonist Steve Wilson, and organist Larry Goldings. That album offered multiple helpings of Wonder and Earth, Wind & Fire along with single servings of Bacharach, Marvin Gaye, Miles Davis, and the Average White Band. As on the trio's first album, the sparks were flying. The playing field, however, had changed a bit.

For this, the third go-around for this group, Gibbs does it again, tweaking the formula without altering the essence of the trio. This time he turned the focus toward pop-ish material from the '50s and '60s—the work of Bacharach, Henry Mancini, Michel Legrand, and others of that ilk—and put an audience in front of the band, recording live at Systems Two Recording Studio. Guests are part of the package again—now it's trumpeter Roy Hargrove and vocalist Cassandra Wilson, each appearing on a few tracks—and they help to add another wrinkle or two to the project without drawing focus away from the trio.

The album opens on a fluid "Wives And Lovers" that allows Barron's lyricism to shine through, gives Carter a chance to step into the spotlight, and puts Gibbs' brushwork at center stage. From there, the trio moves on with an unusually upbeat take on "The Summer Knows," a Wilson-enhanced version of "The Look Of Love" that moves from bossa nova to swing, and a variety of other familiar hits of yesteryear. Hargrove joins in for "On A Clear Day," quoting Ellington at one point and playfully trading solos with Gibbs; Vince Guaraldi's cheerfulness shines through on a perky trio performance of his "Cast Your Fate To The Wind"; "More" is transformed from a stale confection into an enjoyable swinger; and "Watch What Happens" happens twice—first as a cheerful, Brazilian-based instrumental, then as a swing-centered feature for Wilson.

Along the way there are plenty of other bright spots—an appropriately noir-ish "What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life?" with Hargrove on flugelhorn, a leisurely stroll through "Girl Talk"—and plenty of moments that serve as simple reminders as to why Barron and Carter are loved, respected, and emulated the world over. Their time and taste are impeccable, and when married to Gibbs' in-the-tradition drumming, you know the music is going to go in the right direction every time. ~Dan Billawsky

Live In Studio