Only two musicians had the brass to name their orchestras “dream bands.” The first was Maynard Ferguson on the East Coast in 1956 at Birdland, though it’s uncertain whether the name was Ferguson’s idea or the club’s co-founder Morris Levy. His albums were for RCA’s Vik label. The second was Terry Gibbs on the West Coast, who embraced the moniker starting in 1959 with Mercury and Verve. Ferguson had the power but Gibbs had the swing.
Today I want to focus on the four Dream Band albums released originally by Terry Gibbs between 1959 and 1961. Their musicians and arrangements were top-notch, under the leadership of Terry on vibes.
Terry will turn 102 on October 13. Despite his lifetime of service as an exceptional jazz musician and leader, he still hasn’t been honored by the National Endowment of the Arts as a Jazz Master.
The first album was Launching a New Band: Terry Gibbs and His Orchestra, recorded on February 17 and 19, 1959. The top studio players on the 17th included Terry Gibbs (vib,p,ldr); Conte Candoli, Al Porcino, Ray Triscari and Stu Williamson (tp); Bob Enevoldsen, Vern Friley and Frank Rosolino (tb); Charlie Kennedy and Joe Maini (as); Med Flory and Bill Holman (ts); Jack Schwartz (bar); Pete Jolly (p); Max Bennett (b); Mel Lewis (d). This personnel is notated with the letter A below.
On the 19th, Phil Gilbert (tp) and Joe Mondragon (b) replaced Ray Triscari and Max Bennett. This band is notated with the letter B below.
The tracks:
Opus No.1 (arr. Marty Paich); solos by Bob Enevoldsen, Mel Lewis and Terry Gibbs, and Al Porcino on lead trumpet (A)
Moten Swing (arr. Manny Albam) (A)
I’m Getting Sentimental Over You (arr. Paich); solo: Terry Gibbs (B)
Let’s Dance (arr. Bob Brookmeyer; solos by Conte Candoli, Frank Rosolino and Gibbs (B)
Stardust (arr. Bill Holman); solo by Candoli (A)
Cotton Tail (arr. Al Cohn); solo by Joe Maini (A)
Begin the Beguine (arr. Holman); solos by Frank Rosolino and Gibbs (A)
Jumpin’ at the Woodside (arr. Manny Albam); solos by Med Flory and Gibbs (A)
Prelude to a Kiss (arr. Cohn); solo by Porcino (B)
Don’t Be That Way (arr. Brookmeyer); solos by Candoli, Joe Mondragon and Terry Gibbs (B)
Midnight Sun (arr. Med Flory) solo by Gibbs (A)
Flyin’ Home (arr. Flory); solo vibes and two-finger piano by Gibbs (A)
The second album was Swing Is Here!, recorded for Verve on Feb. 23 and 24, 1960. The band featured Terry Gibbs (vib,ldr); Al Porcino, Conte Candoli, Ray Triscari, Stu Williamson, and John Audino (tp); Bob Enevoldsen and Frank Rosolino (tb) or Tom Shepard, Bobby Pring (tb); Joe Maini and Charlie Kennedy (as); Bill Perkins and Med Flory (ts); Jack Schwartz (bar); Lou Levy (p); Buddy Clark (b) and Mel Lewis (d).
The tracks:
The Song Is You (arr. Bill Holman)
It Might as Well Be Swing (arr. Holman)
Dancing in the Dark (arr. Holman)
Moonglow (arr. Al Cohn)
Bright Eyes (arr. Holman)
The Fat Man (arr. Manny Albam)
My Reverie (arr. Holman)
Softly as in a Morning Sunrise (arr. Paich)
Evil Eyes (arr. Holman)
Back Bay Shuffle (arr. Med Flory)
The third was The Exciting Terry Gibbs Big Band for Verve, recorded live at the Summit nightclub on Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood on Jan. 20, 21 and 22, 1961. The band featured Terry Gibbs (vib,ldr); Al Porcino, Ray Triscari, Conte Candoli, Stu Williamson and Frank Huggins (tp); Frank Rosolino, Vern Friley and Bob Edmondson (tb); Joe Maini and Charlie Kennedy (as); Richie Kamuca and Bill Perkins (ts); Jack Nimitz (bar); Pat Moran (p); Buddy Clark (b) and Mel Lewis (d).
The tracks:
Day In, Day Out (arr. Bill Holman)
Summit Blues (arr. Shorty Rogers)
Limerick Waltz (arr. Holman)
You Don’t Know What Love Is (arr. Al Cohn)
Sweet Georgia Brown (arr. Manny Albam)
Nose Cone (arr. Cohn)
Too Close for Comfort (arr. Holman)
Main Stem (arr. Albam)
Ja-da (arr. Holman)
T. and S. (arr. Rogers)
The fourth was Terry Gibbs and His Exciting Big Band: Explosion!, recorded live for Mercury at the Summit nightclub on Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood on April 6 and 7, 1962. The band featured Terry Gibbs (vib,ldr); Al Porcino, Ray Triscari, Stu Williamson, Conte Candoli and Frank Huggins (tp); Frank Rosolino, Bob Edmondson and Vern Friley (tb); Joe Maini and Charlie Kennedy (as); Richie Kamuca and Bill Perkins (ts); Jack Nimitz (bar); Pat Moran (p); Buddy Clark (b) and Mel Lewis (d).
The tracks:
Tico Tico (arr. Bill Holman), with solos by Terry Gibbs, Conte Candoli and Frank Rosolino
Big Bad Bob (arr. Manny Albam), with solos by Candoli, Gibbs and Joe Maini
The Big Cat (arr. Al Cohn) with solos by Gibbs, Maini and Candoli
Soft Eyes (arr. Holman), with solos by Candoli, Bill Perkins and Gibbs
Billie’s Bounce (arr. Holman), with solos by Pat Moran, Charlie Kennedy, Candoli, Perkins, Gibbs and Buddy Clark
Pretty Blue Eyes (arr. Holman), with solos by Gibbs and Rosolino
I’ll Take Romance (arr. Holman), with solos by Gibbs, Candoli and Richie Kamuca
Do You Wanna Jump Children? (arr. Al Cohn), with solos by Gibbs and Maini
Nature Boy (arr. Albam), with a solo by Gibbs
Jump the Blues Away (arr. Al Cohn), with solos by Gibbs and Kamuca
Sleep (arr. Albam), with solos by Moran, Gibbs and Candoli
And here are all the rest of the Terry Gibbs Dream Band recordings released or re-issued in later years:
Volume 1: Terry Gibbs Dream Band (Contemporary, released 1986)
Volume 2: The Sundown Sessions (Contemporary, released 1987)
Volume 3: Flying Home (Contemporary, released 1988)
Volume 4: Main Stem (Contemporary, released 1990) (a reissue of The Exciting Terry Gibbs Big Band!!!)
Volume 5: The Big Cat (Contemporary, released 1991) (a reissue of Explosion!)
Volume 6: One More Time (Contemporary, released 2002)
Volume 7: The Lost Tapes, 1959 (Whaling City Sound, released 2024)
Here’s the complete Launching a New Sound in Music (1959)…
Here’s the complete Swing Is Here (1960)…
The Exciting Terry Gibbs Big Band!!!, live at the Summit in Hollywood (1961)…
And here’s Explosion! (1962), track by track…
Bonus: Finally, here’s Terry’s Dream Band in 1982. The band: Bill Berry, Pete Candoli, John Audino and Conte Candoli (tp); Benny Powell, Charlie Loper and Dick "Slide" Hyde (tb); Med Flory and Gus Bivona (as), Bob Cooper and Terry Harrington (ts); Jack Nimitz (bs); Paul Smith (p); Jim Hughart (b); Frank Capp (d) and Terry Gibbs (vib,ldr)…
You’ll find Terry Gibbs’ recordings at Fresh Sound here.
Terry Gibbs and Marshall Allen have to be the two oldest jazz musicians ever. In his autobiography Terry says he told his band he would not tolerate drinking off the bandstand, only on. If you listen to “Flying Home” at loud enough volume, you can hear altoist Joe Maini shouting very colorful encouragement during Terry’s solo. Terry also describes how he worked with sound engineer, Wally Heider, to make it possible to hear every instrument clearly, not just the lead players and soloists. I think that’s why these recordings are so vital even today. Of course, every musician in that band was there because they wanted to be. They only made $20 a night, and Terry only took $25 for himself. It was the original “kicks” band, but what a band! By the time Downbeat awarded Terry the award for best big band in 1962, it was already disbanded. I for one am grateful it was so well documented during its brief life.