Jul 3, 2023
Labor Day Weekend is always a bit different in Rhode Island when the Rhythm & Roots Festival comes around. Along with a ton of great music, including a tent that has bands playing zydeco and cajun music all day and night, it’s also an ideal festival to bring the family to with tons of things available to keep the kids occupied. It’s another festival with a killer lineup this year with Greensky Bluegrass, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Robert Cray, Donna The Buffalo, Dustbowl Revival and The Infamous Stringdusters being a few of the performing acts.
Warwick Beacon
Jul 3, 2023
Rhythm and Roots got a feature from The Urban Music Scene’s website and is on their most viewed concert list. The 25th Rhythm & Roots Music, Dance, and Food Festival will feature headliners Greensky Bluegrass, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, and Dumpstaphunk, who will join more than 20 other bands at Ninigret Park over Labor Day weekend seaside in the community of Charlestown.
Urban Music Scene
Jun 23, 2023
Terry Gibbs is a unique figure in jazz. Try naming another currently living musician who has played with Gillespie and Parker, Tommy Dorsey and Benny Goodman, Coleman Hawkins and Roy Eldridge, Woody Herman and Ray Brown, Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald, Sonny Rollins and Lester Young, Duke Ellington and Count Basie – the list goes on and on: Terry Gibbs has played with them ALL!
Terry, whose real name is Julius Gubenko, was born on October 13, 1924, in Brooklyn, New York, to Aba Gubenko, a music teacher and leader of his own small ensemble that played at various Jewish family celebrations. During the war years, Gibbs served in one of the military orchestras, and afterward, he became a regular at the New York clubs on 52nd Street, the Mecca of bebop. Interestingly, Terry was one of the first vibraphonists to play in this style. Over his long career, he has recorded over 80 albums, composed over 300 compositions, and received numerous prestigious awards.
At the age of 90, Terry decided to retire. But that’s what it seemed like! In April 2016, Jerry “Thrasher” Gibbs, a well-known drummer, including to our readers, and Terry’s son, set up a studio right in his father’s house. He assembled a strong team of musicians and, with the blessing of Whaling City Sound’s chief, Neal Weiss, recorded the album “92 Years Young: Jammin’ at the Gibbs House” with Terry on the vibraphone. The album was released in 2017, created a sensation, and served as a worthy final chord of his long career. But again, it only seemed like it! The fire has not yet burned out!
As Terry himself writes in the liner notes of the presented album, shortly after the recording of “92 Years Young,” he composed a new melody. Negotiations followed with potential lyricists, with Neil Weiss and other interested parties. On December 27, 2022, the new album “The Terry Gibbs Songbook” was recorded, featuring 15 personally selected Terry compositions. Of course, Jerry, his son, participated in the recording, as did bassist Mike Gurrola, who also played on “92 Years Young.” Vocalist Danny Bacher was invited, and all arrangements were made by pianist and tenor saxophonist Tom Ranier. Terry envisioned a three-tenor saxophone section, as a reincarnation of Woody Herman’s orchestra section, where three of Lester Young’s students played: Zoot Sims, Stan Getz, and Al Cohn. As a result, Scott Hamilton and Harry Allen, renowned saxophone experts, joined Ranier. Terry Gibbs himself abandoned the mallets and participated in the recording as a pianist and vocalist(!). What can be said about the album? Great compositions, great musicians, exemplary mainstream jazz. It is evident to everyone that we shouldn’t expect exceptional virtuosity from the 98-year-old Terry, but the fact of his participation alone is priceless. For me, the most emotional moment of the album is the vocal dialogue between Terry and Danny Bacher in the composition “Now’s the Time to Groove.” It must be heard. And Terry Gibbs concludes his liner notes for the album with the following statement: “Listening to this CD, I, at the age of 98, am happy and proud, knowing that this is undoubtedly my last work in music but feeling like a winner.” Terry didn’t put an exclamation mark at the end of this sentence. I would like to do it for him!
Jun 20, 2023
Terry Gibbs, at the remarkable age of nearly 99 years, holds a remarkable distinction in the jazz world. Jazz journalist Scott Yanow adds, “The only musician ever (if one counts a radio broadcast from the 1930s) to record in ten decades!”
He proudly claims the title of being the only jazz musician to have recorded a CD at this age!
Just imagine the wealth of experience, talent, and sheer dedication that shines through his music.
With Terry’s unmatched passion for jazz, he continues to break boundaries and inspire generations of musicians and jazz enthusiasts worldwide. His music resonates with a timeless quality that transcends age and showcases the enduring spirit of the genre.
As we embark on this exciting journey of promoting Terry Gibbs’ extraordinary musical legacy, I can’t help but reflect on the monumental impact he has made in the jazz community. His unparalleled dedication to his craft and his incredible talent are truly awe-inspiring.
Let’s join forces to celebrate Terry Gibbs, this living legend, and share his music with the world! Stay tuned for updates, interviews, and exclusive behind-the-scenes content as we embark on this fantastic endeavor together.
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Music industry consultant and publicist Ginny Shea has garnered international exposure for her clients through radio and video promotion, print media, and her vast industry network.