Banu Gibson is an American singer and bandleader who performs music from the 1920's, 30's, and 40's. She is executive director of The New Orleans Trad Jazz Camp. Banu has recorded for the record labels World,

Stomp Off Stomp Off is an American jazz record company and label founded in 1980 by Bob Erdos in York, Pennsylvania. The label's first release was ''Feelin' Devilish'' by Waldo's Gutbucket Serenaders. It was described in 1986 as concentrating on "jazz in t ...

, Jazzology, and her own label Swing Out.

Early life

Gibson was born in Dayton, Ohio and raised in Hollywood, Florida where she started taking dance lessons at age 3. She started taking voice lessons at age 9, and was dancing professionally by her teenage years. She graduated from college in Florida with a degree in music and theater.

Musical career

Banu's first steady gig was 1967 in Miami working alongside

Phil Napoleon Phil Napoleon (born Filippo Napoli; September 2, 1901 – October 1, 1990) was an early jazz trumpeter and bandleader born in Boston, Massachusetts. Ron Wynn observed that Napoleon "was a competent, though unimaginative trumpeter whose greatest ...

at a club owned by

Jackie Gleason Herbert John Gleason (born Herbert Walton Gleason Jr.; February 26, 1916June 24, 1987), known as Jackie Gleason, was an American comedian, actor, writer, and composer also known as "The Great One". He developed a style and characters from growin ...

. Working as a dancer at the club, she was exposed to the sounds of

traditional jazz Trad jazz, short for "traditional jazz", is a form of jazz in the United States and Britain that flourished from the 1930s to 1960s, based on the earlier New Orleans Dixieland jazz style. Prominent English trad jazz musicians such as Chris Barb ...

every night. When she moved to New York City at 21 she joined the group My Father's Mustache, and toured with them as a singer and a dancer from 1969-1972. When venues were too small for dancing, she started to focus more on her singing. She also sang and danced at

Disneyland Disneyland is a amusement park, theme park at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. It was the first theme park opened by the Walt Disney Company and the only one designed and constructed under the direct supervision of Walt Disney, ...

for their show called "Class of '27". Gibson married Buzz Podewell and moved to New Orleans in 1973 when Podewell got a job at

Tulane University The Tulane University of Louisiana (commonly referred to as Tulane University) is a private research university in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. Founded as the Medical College of Louisiana in 1834 by a cohort of medical doctors, it b ...

. He was a banjo player and encouraged Banu to pick up the instrument to get more work. She also started playing guitar at the suggestion of her long time accompanist and arranger, pianist David Boeddinghaus. In 1981 Banu started her New Orleans Hot Jazz Orchestra, in order to start playing bars on

Bourbon Street Bourbon Street (, ) is a historic street in the heart of the French Quarter of New Orleans. Extending twelve blocks from Canal Street to Esplanade Avenue, Bourbon Street is famous for its many bars and strip clubs. Tourist numbers have b ...

. The band well exceeded those original intentions, becoming a regular act at Jazz Festivals around the world, and playing with symphony orchestras in St. Louis, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Phoenix, Tucson, San Diego, the Boston Pops, and New Orleans. Gibson toured Europe with

Wild Bill Davison William Edward Davison (January 5, 1906 – November 14, 1989), nicknamed "Wild Bill", was an American jazz cornetist. He emerged in the 1920s through his work playing alongside Muggsy Spanier and Frank Teschemacher in a cover band where they ...

and she performed with the

World's Greatest Jazz Band The World's Greatest Jazz Band was an all-star jazz ensemble active from 1968 to 1978. Dick Gibson founded the group at his sixth Jazz Party, an annual event. The group performed mostly Dixieland jazz and recorded extensively. It was co-led by Y ...

in Japan. Another distinguished performance was a three-night concert at the Hollywood Bowl with

John Mauceri John Francis Mauceri (born September 12, 1945) is an American conductor, actor, producer, arranger, voice actor, educator, writer and music composer. Since making his professional conducting debut almost half a century ago, he has appeared with ...

and the Hollywood Bowl Symphony Orchestra.

Awards

* New Orleans Music Magazine's Jazz All-Star (2007) * New Orleans Magazine's "Top Female Achiever" (2010) *

Preservation Resource Center The Preservation Resource Center is a non-profit organization which promotes the historic preservation of Buildings and architecture of New Orleans, buildings and architecture in New Orleans. Mission New Orleans, Louisiana, New Orleans is a city ...

Honoree (2014)

Discography

* Jazz Me Blues (World Jazz, 1980) * On Tour ( Jazzology, 1982) * Jazz Baby (

, 1983) * Jazz Me Blues ( Jazzology, 1985) * Let Yourself Go (Swing Out, 1988) * ''On Tour'' ( Jazzology 1988) * Livin' In A Great Big Way (Swing Out, 1990) * You Don't Know My Mind (Swing Out, 1990) * Zat You, Santa Claus? (Swing Out, 1995) * Love Is Good For Anything That Ails You (Swing Out, 1997) * My Romance: A Love Story In Song (Swing Out, 1999) * Steppin' Out (with

Bucky Pizzarelli John Paul "Bucky" Pizzarelli (January 9, 1926 – April 1, 2020) was an American jazz guitarist. He worked for NBC as a staffman from 1964, including for Dick Cavett (1971) and ABC with Bobby Rosengarden in (1952). Musicians he collaborate ...

) (Swing Out, 2002) * Banu Gibson Sings Johnny Mercer (Swing Out, 2003) * Let's Face The Music And Dance (Swing Out, 2007) * Banu Gibson Sings More Johnny Mercer (Swing Out, 2008) * By Myself (Swing Out, 2017)

References

{{Reflist Living people American singers American musicians Date of birth missing (living people)