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Gerry Gibbs

Gerry Gibbs is a Grammy nominated Drummer, Multi-Instrumentalist, Producer, Band Leader, Composer & Arranger.  His father is jazz vibraphone legend & band leader Terry Gibbs; who is among the earliest of pioneers from the be-bop era.

In 2021, Gerry's much-anticipated new CD "Songs From My Father" has extended the vision of his Thrasher Dream Trio once again. In this latest contribution, musical polymath Gibbs presents a smashing double-disk masterwork featuring four iterations of his acclaimed Thrasher Dream Trio. Despite being in the midst of our global Covid 19 pandemic, Gibbs nonetheless commenced on a nationwide trek of over 15,000 miles to (safely) capture the recordings of himself alongside a long list of his friends and collaborators - essentially, the finest improvisors of our time. With Gibbs in the drum chair, the Thrasher Dream Trios include 1. Chick Corea & Ron Carter, 2. Kenny Barron & Buster Williams, 3. Patrice Rushen & Larry Goldings and 4. Geoff Keezer & Christian McBride. Under his astute direction and vision, Gerry and his band of jazz titans pay homage to the musical legacy of Gerry’s father, Terry Gibbs (now 96 years old). Notable, "Songs From My Father" features the last recorded performance of the great Chick Corea.

As a Solo Artist, Gibbs has released thirteen recordings. Gerry's 1995 debut CD: "The Thrasher" was executive produced by Quincy Jones on his Qwest/Warner Brothers label and won several awards. Since then, Gerry has gone on to record numerous albums under his own name constituting an expansive and eclectic range: a tribute to Miles Davis' later electric period, original Big Band music, Gerry's epic 4-piece band playing forty instruments between them along with launching his all star 'Thrasher Dream Trio' in 2013. The trio features Ron Carter on Bass and Kenny Barron on Piano and recorded 3 CDs highlighting Gerry's gifted arranging abilities. All three trio recordings made their way to #1 on the JazzWeek International Radio Charts and one garnered a Grammy nomination. The Thrasher Dream Trio would later feature many different all-star guests such as Cassandra Wilson, Roy Hargrove and others. In the 25 year history of JazzWeek Radio (charting the success of jazz music played on radio across the USA), Gerry holds the distinction of being the only jazz musician to have received four consecutive #1 CDs. Quite the feat!

Besides leading his own bands, projects and studio productions, Gerry is also an in demand drummer who has worked with a who's who in the history of jazz: Mccoy Tyner, Alice Coltrane, Stanley Clarke, Joe Henderson, Hubert Laws, James Moody, Sam Rivers, Patrice Rushen, Dewey Redman, Eddie Harris, Mike Stern, Larry Coryell, Randy Brecker, Tom Harrell, Brad Mehldau. Gerry's versatility has enabled him to work with a variety of artists from other genres as well: Parliament Funkadelic, Rose Royce, Flying Lotus and even legendary comedian Steve Allen. 

Most recently, Gerry's engaging compositional abilities has led him to writing film music while his internet comedy shorts (with wife Kyeshie Gibbs) have gone viral. These video spoofs include many jazz luminaries and even a cameo from comedian legend Dave Chappelle.

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Radio & Podcasts

Steven Watts (Dotsero) and Mike Mauer, Plus Vice Jazz

Read "Steven Watts (Dotsero) and Mike Mauer, Plus Vice Jazz" reviewed by Steven Roby


Musician interviews on this episode include Steven Watts (Dotsero) and Mike Mauer (Mike Maurer Band.) Plus, we'll explore the vice jazz genre. On Backstage Jazz, you'll hear a blend of contemporary and classic jazz and a touch of soul, funk, and world music, all selected by music journalist and host Steven Roby.Playlist Billy Stewart “Summertime" from Best of Billy Stewart (Chess) 01:00 Ella Fitzgerald “Heatwave" from Irving Berlin Songbook (Verve) 05:27 Gábor Szabó “Breezin" from High Contrast (Blue ...

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Album Review

Terry Gibbs Legacy Band: The Terry Gibbs Songbook

Read "The Terry Gibbs Songbook" reviewed by Jack Bowers


Legacy Band? At age ninety-eight, vibraphonist Terry Gibbs--the last remaining member of a legendary group of jazz musicians who defined the big-band era in America and helped expand and sharpen the music's vocabulary--hasn't finished writing his own legacy, which is why this album is subtitled “The Terry Gibbs Songbook." Although best known as a player, Gibbs, as it turns out, is a splendid composer as well, and wrote every one of the album's fifteen songs, adding lyrics ...

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Album Review

Terry Gibbs Legacy Band: The Terry Gibbs Songbook

Read "The Terry Gibbs Songbook" reviewed by Edward Blanco


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." ...

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Album Review

Gerry Gibbs: Songs from My Father

Read "Songs from My Father" reviewed by Edward Blanco


Drummer Gerry Gibbs pays tribute to father Terry Gibbs on the amazing nineteen-track double-CD set Songs from My Father featuring a guest appearance by the ninety-seven-year-old vibraphonist on one track, among other surprises, including the last studio performance by the late jazz icon Chick Corea, who also wrote “Tango for Terry" for this homage and is the only non-Gibbs composition on the album. Son Gerry had plenty of his father's music to choose from when contemplating this project but chose ...

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Album Review

Gerry Gibbs Thrasher Dream Trios: Songs from My Father

Read "Songs from My Father" reviewed by Jack Bowers


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 ...

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Radio & Podcasts

Gerry Gibbs & The Electric Thrasher Orchestra, Djabe, John McLaughlin, Dave Holland and Ant Law

Read "Gerry Gibbs & The Electric Thrasher Orchestra, Djabe, John McLaughlin, Dave Holland and Ant Law" reviewed by Len Davis


Music today from Gerry Gibbs playing the music of Miles Davis. Hungarian band Djabe, live with Steve Hackett, English guitarist Ant Law, and bassist Dave Holland from his latest Another Land . John McLaughlin introduces the tune “Dear Dalai Lama." Playlist Gerry Gibbs “Miles Runs The Voodoo Down" from The Music of Miles Davis (Whaling City Sound) 00:00 Harvey S Trio “Moments Notice" from Going For It-Live (Savant) 08:07 Mike Stern “Mood Swings" from Upside Downside (Atlantic) 16:15 ...

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Album Review

Gerry Gibbs Thrasher People: Our People

Read "Our People" reviewed by Jack Bowers


Our People, the twelfth album as leader by multi-instrumentalist Gerry Gibbs, is difficult to describe and even harder to pigeonhole. Is it jazz? Not really. Is it world music? Sometimes. And sometimes even other-worldly. Stream of consciousness? Perhaps, but always with a specific plan in mind. Tone poems? Only in the sense that there are times when Gibbs' helical and esoteric charts may bring poetry to mind. One thing it definitely is not is a big-band album. Despite its capacious ...

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Contest

Enter the "Kenny Barron/Gerry Gibbs/Ron Carter - Gerry Gibbs Thrasher Dream Trio" Giveaway at All About Jazz!

Enter the "Kenny Barron/Gerry Gibbs/Ron Carter - Gerry Gibbs Thrasher Dream Trio" Giveaway at All About Jazz!

Source: All About Jazz

All About Jazz members are invited to enter the Whaling City Sound “Kenny Barron/Gerry Gibbs/Ron Carter - Gerry Gibbs Thrasher Dream Trio“ giveaway contest starting today. We'll select FIVE winners at the conclusion of the contest on March 8th. Click here to enter the contest (Becoming a fan of Gerry Gibbs at AAJ automatically enters you in the contest.) Good luck! Your Friends at Whaling City Sound About Gerry Gibbs Thrasher Dream Trio “Anyone who has concerns regarding ...

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Recording

Gerry Gibbs and the Electric Thrasher Orchestra - Play the Music of Miles Davis 1967-1975 (2010)

Gerry Gibbs and the Electric Thrasher Orchestra - Play the Music of Miles Davis 1967-1975 (2010)

Source: Something Else!

By PicoI freakin' love the music of Miles Davis. I once named a dog “Miles Davis." I've written tons about Miles Davis. Even compare most every artist who's doing something cool and expansive to Miles Davis. And when a musician takes on a project projecting the music of Miles Davis, I'm gonna listen to it and chances are, I'll dig it. Especially that dark, enigmatic early electric period of 1969-1975. Former Miles sideman Dave Liebman did that a ...

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Recording

Drummer Gerry Gibbs Hands Down His Awesome Aural History of Jazz Icon Miles Davis

Drummer Gerry Gibbs Hands Down His Awesome Aural History of Jazz Icon Miles Davis

Source: Mixed Media Promotion

Since the beginning of time there has been the telling of oral history. Stories have been passed down through generations, of family, of ancestry, of traditions, of myth, all indispensable to human identity. In fact, it is essential for a people to retain this history because it defines the character found at man's core. It's the same with music; it's an “aural," rather than an “oral," telling of history. Gerry Gibbs and the Electric Thrasher Orchestra have taken it upon ...

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

The Terry Gibbs...

Whaling City Sound
2023

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Songs from My Father

Whaling City Sound
2021

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Distant Duos -Cheryl...

11th Street Music
2020

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Our People

Whaling City Sound
2019

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Live In Studio

Whaling City Sound
2015

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We're Back

Whaling City Sound
2014

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Distant Duo with Gerry Gibbs, Cheryl pyle

From: Distant Duos -Cheryl Pyle and...
By Gerry Gibbs

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