Representative Albums: "Dream Band, Vol. 1," "Dream Band, Vol. 6: One More Time," "The Dream Band, Vol. 5: Big Cat"
Biography
One of the most hyper of all jazzmen (even his ballads are taken mostly double time), Terry Gibbs is a consistently exciting and competitive vibraphonist. As a xylophonist, he won an amateur contest when he was 12. After spending three years in the military during World War II, Gibbs played on 52nd Street, gigged with Tommy Dorsey (1946 and 1948), Chubby Jackson (touring Scandinavia during 1947-1948), Buddy Rich (1948), Woody Herman's Second Herd (1948-1949), and Benny Goodman (1950-1952). Gibbs settled in Los Angeles in 1957, worked in the studios, led jazz orchestras (his late-'50s version was called the Terry Gibbs Dream Band), was the musical director of The Steve Allen Show during the 1960s, and in the 1980s and '90s he teamed up in a quintet with Buddy DeFranco. Gibbs -- who recorded as a leader for Prestige, Savoy, Brunswick, EmArcy, Mercury, Verve, Time, Impulse, Dot, Xanadu, Jazz a La Carte, and Contemporary (among others) -- had such fine pianists as his sidemen through the years as Terry Pollard, Pete Jolly (on accordion in 1957), Alice McLeod (in 1963 before she became Alice Coltrane), and John Campbell. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
He has performed and/or recorded with Tommy Dorsey, Chubby Jackson, Buddy Rich, Woody Herman, Benny Goodman, Louie Bellson, Charlie Shavers, Mel Tormé, Buddy DeFranco, and others. Gibbs also worked in the film and TV studios in Los Angeles. He was a popular guest on The Steve Allen Show on television in the late 1960s where he regularly played lively vibraphone duets with the entertainer and composer. He also appeared on Steve Allen's 75th Birthday Celebration PBS-TV special in the United States in 1997. Gibbs was also the band leader 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 and Metronome.
Gibbs has written his autobiography, Good Vibes: A Life in Jazz, with Cary Ginell.
Discography
Good Vibes, 1951
Terry Gibbs with Terry Pollard, Herman Wright, 1953
Launching a New Sound in Music with Max Bennett, Conte Candoli, Bob Enevoldsen, Med Flory, Vern Friley, Bill Holman, Pete Jolly, Charlie Kennedy, Mel Lewis, Joe Maini, Jackie Paris, Al Porcino, Frank Rosolino, Jackson Schwartz, Ray Triscari, Stu Williamson, 1959
Dream Band, Vol. 1 with Max Bennett, Joe Cadena, Conte Candoli, Bob Enevoldsen, Med Flory, Vern Friley, Bill Holman, Pete Jolly, Charlie Kennedy, Mel Lewis, Joe Maini, Al Porcino, Jack Schwartz, Ray Triscari, Stu Williamson, 1959
The Dream Band, Vol. 2: The Sundown Sessions [live] with John Audino, Bob Burgess, Conte Candoli, Buddy Clark, Med Flory, Vern Fryley, Frank Higgins, Charlie Kennedy, Lou Levy, Mel Lewis, Joe Maini, Bill Perkins, Jack Schwartz, Bill Smiley, Stu Williamson, 1959
Dream Band, Vol. 3: Flying Home with Benny Aronov, John Audino, Max Bennett, Bob Burgess, Joe Cadena, Conte Candoli, Buddy Clark, Bob Edmondson, Bob Enevoldsen, Med Flory, Vern Friley, Bill Holman, Frank Huggins, Pete Jolly, Lee Katzman, Charlie Kennedy, Lou Levy, Mel Lewis, Joe Maini, Pat Moran, Jack Niwithz, Bill Perkins, Al Porcino, Frank Rosolino, Jack Schwartz, Bill Smiley, Ray Triscari, Stu Williamson, 1959
Vibrations, 1959
Swing Is Here, 1960
Music from Cole Porter's Can Can, 1960
Steve Allen Presents Terry Gibbs at the Piano with Steve Allen, Herb Ellis, Donn Trenner, 1960
Dream Band, Vol. 4: Main Stem with Conte Candoli, Buddy Clark, Bob Edmondson, Vern Friley, Frank Huggins, Richie Kamuca, Charlie Kennedy, Mel Lewis, Joe Maini, Pat Moran, Jack Niwithz, Bill Perkins, Al Porcino, Ray Triscari, Stu Williamson, 1961
The Dream Band, Vol. 5: Big Cat, 1961
The Exciting Terry Gibbs Band with Conte Candoli, Buddy Clark, Bob Edmondson, Vern Friley, Frank Higgins, Richie Kamuca, Charlie Kennedy, Mel Lewis, Joe Maini, Pat Moran, Jack Niwithz, Bill Perkins, Al Porcino, Frank Rosolino, Ray Triscari, Stu Williamson, 1961
That Swing Thing, 1961
Straight Ahead, 1962
Explosion [live] with Conte Candoli, Bob Edmondson, Vern Friley, Frank Huggins, Richie Kamuca, Charlie Kennedy, Mel Lewis, Joe Maini, Pat Moran, Jack Niwithz, Bill Perkins, Al Porcino, Frank Rosolino, Ray Triscari, Stu Williamson, 1962
Terry Gibbs Plays Jewish Melodies in Jazztime with Alice Coltrane, Al Logan, Herman Wright, 1963
Plays Steve Allen with Dave Carpenter, Buddy DeFranco, Gerry Gibbs, Tom Ranier, 1999
Dream Band, Vol. 6: One More Time with Benny Aronov, John Audino, Max Bennett, Bob Burgess, Joe Cadena, Conte Candoli, Buddy Clark, Bob Enevoldsen, Med Flory, Vern Friley, Bill Holman, Pete Jolly, Lee Katzman, Charlie Kennedy, Irene Kral, Lou Levy, Mel Lewis, Joe Maini, Bill Perkins, Al Porcino, Jack Schwartz, Bill Smiley, Ray Triscari, Stu Williamson, 2002
From Me to You: A Tribute to Lionel Hampton with Dave Carpenter, Pete Christlieb, Joey DeFrancesco, Jeff Hamilton, Mike Melvoin, Barbara Morrison, Franz Pusch, Anthony Wilson, 2003
52nd & Broadway: Songs of the Bebop Era with Karen Elaine Bakunin, Dave Carpenter, Alexis Carreon, Ted Falcon, Ludvig Girdland, Terence Glenny, Jeff Hamilton, Gerardo Hilera, Norm Hughes, Victor Lawrence, Alan Mautner, Joe Meyer, Sam Most, Don Palmer, Nicholas Payton, Tom Ranier, James V. Ross, Harry Scorzo, Howie Shear, Kurt Snyder, Jean Sudbury, Francine Walsh, 2004
Feelin' Good: Live in Studio with Eric Alexander, Ray Armando, Joey DeFrancesco, Dan Faehnle, Gerry Gibbs, 2005
