The Terry Gibbs Songbook Reviewed in All About Jazz

The Terry Gibbs Songbook Reviewed in All About Jazz

Jul 20, 2023

At age 92 years old, vibraphonist Terry Gibbs was still a musical force when he recorded 92 Years Young Jammin’ at the Gibbs House (Whaling City Sound, 2017). His son, drummer Gerry Gibbs, paid homage to him with Songs from My Father(Whaling City Sound, 2021) with the Thrasher Dream Trio band. As for this recording for his father, Gerry Gibbs says, “Recording this record with my Pops will always be so memorable because it will be his last work.” Accordingly, at the ripe age of 98 years old, Terry Gibbs has released the last album of his storied career and life with The Terry Gibbs Songbook, recorded and performed by the Terry Gibbs Legacy Band featuring Gerry and an all-star cast of players including saxophonist Scott Hamilton and vocalist Danny Bacher, who fit the bill to the tee.

Having an outstanding reed section to work with, the challenge became how to feature each player by giving them proper solo space on each track. The Brazilian flavored opener, “Let’s Go To Rio,” features Ranier on the first solo with Allen and Hamilton on two choruses of eight bars each. The following “Those Eyes, Those Lips, That Nose, That Face, That Girl,” has Allen and Hamilton supporting Bacher on vocals.

One beautiful ballad played to the heart is the gorgeous “I Was Loved,” with Hamilton doing the love solos all by himself as the vocalist displays his warmth and soul, letting it all hang out. The tempo changes dramatically on the perky “Now’s The Time To Groove,” a lively swinging number that has the shoulders moving and the fingers snapping. This is the only piece that features Terry Gibbs on vocals, trading words with Bacher on a cheery, playful piece of music.

There are other memorable songs on this session and one for sure is the melodic “The House That Might Have Been,” featuring Hamilton again on some delicious solo moments. Allen takes center stage on the slow ballad of “Nina.” The boisterous and swinging “I Can Hardly Wait for Saturday Night” has Allen and Hamilton featured on multiple four-bar solos in one of the gyrating pieces of the session.

Two of the outstanding tunes of the album are “And That’s Why They Call It The Blues,” and the swinging “Stay With Me Tonight” which features solos from Ranier, Allen and Hamilton. The Terry Gibbs Songbook is the perfect Swan Song, a final musical gesture from an unforgettable jazz legend whose music will surely live on.

Tim Ray’s “Fire & Rain” is #6; Terry Gibbs chartbound on 7/24 JazzWeek Chart

Tim Ray’s “Fire & Rain” is #6; Terry Gibbs chartbound on 7/24 JazzWeek Chart

Jul 20, 2023

#6

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Increased Airplay (+37), Chartbound

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Veteran educator and jazz pianist Tim Ray pays homage to some of his musical heroes with a piano trio album simply entitled Fire & Rain. It features various well-known standards from those who have been a major influence in his career, along with three original tunes added to the mix. Joining the pianist on this new adventure are familiar band mates, bassist John Lockwood and drummer Mark Walker, originally together for a Greg Abate concert and then for the Abate album Motif (Whaling City Sound, 2014). Since then, the group has performed as sidemen as well as a leading band of their own, gaining a reputation as one of the finest trio groups in the business.

Ray writes that the trio format is “one of the great ensemble innovations of the last century,” further concluding that “What makes an ensemble of piano, bass and drums so satisfying is the harmonic space…the rhythmic and coloristic focus…and a sonic balance” infused into the music. Who’s to argue? All of those elements seem to work out quite well here, resulting in an impressive and dynamic session of music one will revisit often.One of Ray’s musical influences was the legendary Thelonious Monk who he pays tribute to on the opening hard-swinging Monk piece “Bye-Ya,” followed by the band’s beautiful treatment of Oliver Nelson‘s oft-recorded standard “Stolen Moments.” Antonio Carlos Jobim, another of Ray’s heroes, is covered here with a performance of one of his lesser-known compositions “Mojave,” which is one of the outstanding tracks of the set.

Other tribute pieces here include the Carla Bley song “Lawns” (actually a Bley tribute to the late pianist Larry Willis), Keith Jarrett‘s “The Windup” and Oscar Peterson’s “Nighttime.” The James Taylor title song “Fire & Rain” enjoys two performances here, with a lengthy nine-minutes plus track, and the final track, a radio edit version of less than five minutes duration.

Each player contributes an original tune to the album, with Ray’s “No Worries,” Walker’s “Moon in the Sea,” and Lockwood’s “The Meeting: The Jbug and the Kman” rounding out the set. Fire & Rain is an exceptional recording by this trio, and goes a long way to not only affirming Ray’s feelings about the trio format but also adding to their well-deserved reputation as one of the most formidable jazz trios around.

Whaling City Sound LABEL INFO🐳

Whaling City Sound LABEL INFO🐳

Jul 20, 2023

 

Whaling City Sound is an independent record label based in New Bedford, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1999 by Neal Weiss, a lifelong fan of jazz. The label’s mission is to “provide a viable musical outlet for its abundance of outstanding local musicians.”

The record company has released over 100 albums, featuring a wide range of jazz artists, including Gerry Gibbs, John Abercrombie, Dave Liebman, and Terry Gibbs. The label has also released albums in other genres, such as blues, classical, and world music.

Whaling City Sound is committed to promoting the work of its artists through live performances, radio airplay, and online distribution. The label also hosts an annual jazz festival in New Bedford.

The label is named after the city of New Bedford, which was once the whaling capital of the world. The city’s rich history and culture is reflected in the label’s music, which is often inspired by the sea and the natural world.

Whaling City Sound is a respected independent label that has played a significant role in the promotion of jazz music. The label’s commitment to its artists and its community has helped to make New Bedford a vibrant center for jazz.

Some of the artists who have recorded for Whaling City Sound shown above:

Top Row (left to right)

  • Terry Gibbs, Gerry Gibbs, Marcelle Gauvin

Middle Row

  • John Abercrombie, John Stein, Dave Liebman

Bottom Row

  • Tim Ray, Rale Micic, Cindy Scott

 

 

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