Terry Gibbs (born Julius Gubenko; October 13, 1924) is an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

vibraphonist and band leader. He has performed or recorded with

Tommy Dorsey Thomas Francis Dorsey Jr. (November 19, 1905 – November 26, 1956) was an American jazz trombone, trombonist, composer, conductor and bandleader of the big band era. He was known as the "Sentimental Gentleman of Swing" because of his smooth-to ...

, Chubby Jackson,Theroux, Gary
"Gibbs, Terry".
''Grove Music Online''. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 8 December 2022. Buddy Rich,

Woody Herman Woodrow Charles Herman (May 16, 1913 – October 29, 1987) was an American jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roo ...

Benny Goodman Benjamin David Goodman (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986) was an American clarinetist and bandleader, known as the "King of Swing". His orchestra did well commercially. From 1936 until the mid-1940s, Goodman led one of the most popular swing bi ...

, Alice Coltrane,

Louie Bellson Louie Bellson (born Luigi Paolino Alfredo Francesco Antonio Balassoni, July 6, 1924 – February 14, 2009), often seen in sources as Louis Bellson, although he himself preferred the spelling Louie, was an American jazz drummer. He was a composer ...

Charlie Shavers Charles James Shavers (August 3, 1920 – July 8, 1971) was an American jazz trumpeter who played with Dizzy Gillespie, Nat King Cole, Roy Eldridge, Johnny Dodds, Jimmie Noone, Sidney Bechet, Midge Williams, Tommy Dorsey, and Billie Holiday. He ...

Mel Tormé Melvin Howard Tormé (September 13, 1925 – June 5, 1999), nicknamed "the Velvet Fog", was an American musician, singer, composer, arrangement, arranger, drummer, actor, and author. He composed the music for "The Christmas Song" ("Chestnuts Roa ...

Buddy DeFranco Boniface Ferdinand Leonard "Buddy" DeFranco (February 17, 1923 – December 24, 2014) was an American jazz clarinetist. In addition to his work as a bandleader, DeFranco led the Glenn Miller Orchestra for almost a decade in the 1960s and 1970s. ...

, and others. Gibbs also worked in film and TV studios in Los Angeles.

Biography

On being discharged from the armed forces, where he played drums in military bands, Gibbs worked in New York with Bill DeArango and recorded with Tiny Kahn in Aaron Sachs' quintet (1946). In the 1950–1951 season, Gibbs was a popular guest on '' Star Time'' on the

DuMont Television Network The DuMont Television Network (also the DuMont Network, DuMont Television, DuMont/Du Mont, or (incorrectly) Dumont ) was one of America's pioneer commercial television networks, rivaling NBC and CBS for the distinction of being first overall in ...

. Thereafter, he was a regular in 1953–1954 on

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...

's '' Judge for Yourself''. In the late 1950s, he appeared on NBC's ''

The Steve Allen Show ''The Steve Allen Show'' is an American variety show hosted by Steve Allen from June 1956 to June 1960 on NBC, from September 1961 to December 1961 on ABC,

'', on which he regularly played lively vibraphone duets with the entertainer and composer. In 1997, he appeared on ''Steve Allen's 75th Birthday Celebration'' on

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...

. Gibbs was also the bandleader on the short-lived ''That Regis Philbin Show''. As an instrumentalist, together with his big band, the Dream Band, Gibbs has won prestigious polls, such as those of ''

Downbeat ''DownBeat'' (styled in all caps) is an American music magazine devoted to "jazz, blues and beyond", the last word indicating its expansion beyond the jazz realm that it covered exclusively in previous years. The publication was established in 1 ...

'' and ''Metronome''. His son is jazz drummer Gerry Gibbs. He turned 100 on October 13, 2024.

The Dream Band

When Gibbs moved from New York to California in 1958 he began planning for his next big band album. In early 1959 he booked extended residencies at two Los Angeles night clubs, the Seville and the Sundown, for what became known as the Dream Band. The band usually played on a Sunday, Monday or Tuesday night when the cream of Hollywood jazz and studio musicians would be available. The core band - which was already playing as "Jazz Wave Big Band" at the Sundown - always remained stable with

Mel Lewis Melvin Sokoloff (May 10, 1929 – February 2, 1990), known professionally as Mel Lewis, was an American jazz drummer, session musician, professor, and author. He received fourteen Grammy Award nominations. Biography Early years Lewis was ...

holding down the drum chair. Some of the key players were lead altoist Joe Maini, tenor saxists Bill Holman and Med Flory, trumpeters Al Porcino and Conte Candoli and trombonists Frank Rosolino and Bob Enevoldsen. New arrangements were commissioned from Bill Holman, Marty Paich, Med Flory, Manny Albam and

Al Cohn Al Cohn (November 24, 1925 – February 15, 1988) was an American jazz saxophonist, arranger and composer. He came to prominence in the band of clarinetist Woody Herman and was known for his longtime musical partnership with fellow saxophonist ...

, among others, to feature Gibbs’ vibes in front of the band. The band released four albums from 1959 to 1961. * 1959: ''Launching a New Band'' – some versions are titled ''Launching a New Sound in Music'' * 1960: ''Swing Is Here!'' * 1961: ''The Exciting Terry Gibbs Big Band!!!!!!'' – reissued as ''Dream Band, Vol. 4: Main Stem'' * 1961: ''Explosion!'' – reissued as ''Dream Band, Vol. 5: The Big Cat'' Five additional albums of unissued live material recorded in 1959 have been released since 1986. * ''Dream Band'' * ''The Dream Band, Vol. 2: The Sundown Sessions'' * ''Dream Band, Vol. 3: Flying Home'' * ''Dream Band, Vol. 6: One More Time'' * ''Dream Band, Vol. 7: The Lost Tapes, 1959''

The Music Stop

In the mid 1960s, Gibbs opened a musical instrument store in Canoga Park, California, with former

drummer Mel Zelnick. Terry Gibbs and Mel Zelnick Music Stop was also the first teaching facility of

Freddie Gruber Freddie Gruber (May 27, 1927 – October 11, 2011) was an American jazz drummer and teacher to a number of professional drummers.Milkowski, Bill"Freddie Gruber: None of a Kind", ''JazzTimes'', November 2004. (accessed 13 December 2014) Gr ...

and Henry Bellson, brother of Louie.

Discography

* ''Good Vibes'' (

Savoy Savoy (; )  is a cultural-historical region in the Western Alps. Situated on the cultural boundary between Occitania and Piedmont, the area extends from Lake Geneva in the north to the Dauphiné in the south and west and to the Aosta Vall ...

, 1951) * ''Terry Gibbs Sextet'' (Savoy, 1954) * ''Terry Gibbs'' ( Emarcy, 1956) * ''Mallets a-Plenty'' (Emarcy, 1956) * ''Vibes on Velvet'' (Emarcy, 1956) * ''Swing...Not Spring!'' (Savoy, 1956) * '' Harry Babasin and the Jazz Pickers/Terry Gibbs'' (VSOP, 1957) * ''Jazz Band Ball'' (VSOP, 1957) * ''Swingin (Emarcy, 1957) * ''Terry Gibbs Plays the Duke'' (Emarcy, 1957) * ''More Vibes on Velvet'' (EmArcy, 1958) with the sax section from the Dream Band * ''Launching a New Band, aka Launching a New Sound in Music'' (EmArcy, 1959) * ''Dream Band'' (

Contemporary Contemporary history, in English-language historiography, is a subset of modern history that describes the historical period from about 1945 to the present. In the social sciences, contemporary history is also continuous with, and related t ...

, 1959) * ''The Dream Band, Vol. 2: The Sundown Sessions'' (Contemporary, 1959) * ''Dream Band, Vol. 3: Flying Home'' (Contemporary, 1959) * ''Vibrations'' (Interlude, 1959) * ''Dream Band, Vol. 6: One More Time'' (Contemporary, 1959) * ''Dream Band, Vol. 7: The Lost Tapes, 1959'' (

Whaling City Sound Whaling City Sound is an independent jazz record label established by Neal Weiss in 1999. History Weiss is president of Fiber Optic Center in New Bedford, Massachusetts. A lifelong fan of jazz, he started Whaling City Sound as a jazz label, thou ...

, 1959 024 * ''Swing Is Here'' ( Verve, 1960) * ''Music from Cole Porter's Can Can'' (Verve, 1960) * ''Steve Allen Presents Terry Gibbs at the Piano'' (

Signature A signature (; from , "to sign") is a depiction of someone's name, nickname, or even a simple "X" or other mark that a person writes on documents as a proof of identity and intent. Signatures are often, but not always, Handwriting, handwritt ...

, 1960) * ''The Exciting Terry Gibbs Big Band'' (Verve, 1961) – reissued as ''Dream Band, Vol. 4: Main Stem'' (Contemporary) * ''Explosion!'' ( Mercury, 1961) – reissued as ''Dream Band, Vol. 5: The Big Cat'' (Contemporary)liner notes/booklet for Contemporary CD CCD-7657-2 * '' That Swing Thing!'' (Verve, 1962) * ''Straight Ahead'' (Verve, 1962) * '' Terry Gibbs Plays Jewish Melodies in Jazztime'' ( Mercury, 1963) * ''El Nutto'' (

Limelight Limelight (also known as Drummond light or calcium light)James R. Smith (2004). ''San Francisco's Lost Landmarks'', Quill Driver Books. is a non-electric type of stage lighting that was once used in theatres and music halls. An intense illum ...

, 1963) * ''Gibbs/Nistico'' (Time, 1963) * ''Hootenanny My Way'' (Time, 1963) * '' Take It from Me'' ( Impulse!, 1964) * ''Latino'' ( Roost, 1964) * ''It's Time We Met'' ( Mainstream, 1965) * ''Terry Gibbs Quartet'' (1965) * '' Reza'' ( Dot, 1966) * ''

Bopstacle Course ''Bopstacle Course'' is a jazz album by vibraphonist Terry Gibbs, recorded in 1974 for Xanadu Records. Track listing # "Bopstacle Course" (Gibbs) - 4:39 # "Body and Soul" (Eyton, Green, Heyman, Sour) - 7:06 # "Waltz For My Children" (Gibbs) ...

'' ( Xanadu, 1974) * ''Sessions Live: Terry Gibbs,

Pete Jolly Pete Jolly (born Peter A. Ceragioli Jr., June 5, 1932 – November 6, 2004) was a two-time Grammy Awards, Grammy-nominated American West Coast jazz pianist and accordionist. He is known for his performance of television theme song, themes and ...

, and Red Norvo'' (Calliope, 1976) * ''Live at the Lord'' (Jazz a la Carte 1978) * ''Smoke 'em Up'' (Jazz a la Carte 1978) * ''Jazz Party: First Time Together'' with Buddy DeFranco (

Palo Alto Palo Alto ( ; Spanish language, Spanish for ) is a charter city in northwestern Santa Clara County, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area, named after a Sequoia sempervirens, coastal redwood tree known as El Palo Alto. Th ...

1981) * ''Air Mail Special'' (Contemporary, 1981) * ''Now's the Time'' with Buddy DeFranco (Tall Tree, 1984) * ''The Latin Connection'' (Contemporary, 1986) * ''Chicago Fire'' with Buddy DeFranco (Contemporary, 1987) * ''Holiday for Swing'' with Buddy DeFranco (Contemporary, 1988) * ''Memories of You: A Tribute to Benny Goodman'' with Buddy DeFranco, Herb Ellis (Contemporary, 1991) * ''Kings of Swing'' with Buddy DeFranco (Contemporary, 1992) * ''Play That Song: Live at the 1994 Floating Festival'' (

Chiaroscuro In art, chiaroscuro ( , ; ) is the use of strong contrasts between light and dark, usually bold contrasts affecting a whole composition. It is also a technical term used by artists and art historians for the use of contrasts of light to ach ...

, 1994) * ''Wham'' (Chiaroscuro, 1999) * ''Terry Gibbs and Buddy DeFranco Play Steve Allen'' (Contemporary, 1999) * ''From Me to You: A Tribute to Lionel Hampton'' ( Mack Avenue, 2003) * ''52nd & Broadway: Songs of the Bebop Era'' (Mack Avenue, 2004) * ''Feelin' Good: Live in Studio'' (Mack Avenue, 2005) * ''Findin' the Groove'' (Jazzed Media, 2006) * ''92 Years Young: Jammin at the Gibbs House'' (

, 2017) With

Leonard Cohen Leonard Norman Cohen (September 21, 1934November 7, 2016) was a Canadian songwriter, singer, poet, and novelist. Themes commonly explored throughout his work include faith and mortality, isolation and depression, betrayal and redemption, soc ...

* '' Death of a Ladies' Man'' (Columbia, 1977) With

Dion DiMucci Dion Francis DiMucci (born July 18, 1939), better known Mononym, mononymously as Dion, is an American singer and songwriter. His music incorporates elements of doo-wop, Pop music, pop, Rock music, rock, Rhythm and blues, R&B, folk music, folk an ...

* '' Born to Be with You'' (Phil Spector, 1975) With

Morgana King Maria Grazia Morgana Messina (June 4, 1930 – March 22, 2018), better known as Morgana King, was an American jazz singer and actress.Liner notes by Joel Dorn – Morgana King album ''The Complete Reprise Recordings'' (2000).Liner notes by Ed Osb ...

* ''Sings the Blues'' (Mercury, 1957) With

John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer-songwriter, musician and activist. He gained global fame as the founder, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the Beatles. Lennon's ...

* ''

Rock 'n' Roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from African ...

'' (Apple, 1975) With

Liza Minnelli Liza May Minnelli ( ; born March 12, 1946) is an American actress, singer, and dancer. Known for her commanding stage presence and powerful alto singing voice, Minnelli has received numerous accolades including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, ...

* '' Gently'' (Angel, 1996)

Bibliography

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gibbs, Terry 1924 births 20th-century American Jews 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century American Jews 21st-century American male musicians Living people Musicians from Brooklyn American jazz bandleaders American jazz vibraphonists American men centenarians American big band bandleaders Contemporary Records artists Impulse! Records artists Jewish American musicians Jewish centenarians Jewish jazz musicians Mack Avenue Records artists Verve Records artists Xanadu Records artists