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Good Vibes: A Life in Jazz
Terry Gibbs, legendary jazz vibraphonist and bandleader, was 12 years old when he kicked off his career as a professional musician, winning first place in an amateur performance. Born and raised in the heart of Brooklyn and possessing tremendous musical talent, Gibbs learned the ins and outs of bebop from pioneers like Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, and Bud Powell. In 1959 his ensemble, later dubbed The Dream Band, became the toast of Hollywood. Four decades, 65 albums, and 300 compositions later, his story is one of great substance-his foot—tapping music, revolutionary. Good Vibes is a rollicking autobiography that tracks jazz from the turbulent post-war years through the rise of bebop, traversing its changes through the eyes of one of its greatest practitioners. Gibbs's hilarious, poignant, and always fascinating anecdotes reveal little-known attributes and quirks about legendary personalities such as Benny Goodman, Buddy Rich, Steve Allen, Frank Sinatra, Don Rickles, Billie Holiday, and many more. A foreword by Chubby Jackson, a discography, and an index round out this work.
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Good Vibes: A Life in Jazz
Terry Gibbs, legendary jazz vibraphonist and bandleader, was 12 years old when he kicked off his career as a professional musician, winning first place in an amateur performance. Born and raised in the heart of Brooklyn and possessing tremendous musical talent, Gibbs learned the ins and outs of bebop from pioneers like Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, and Bud Powell. In 1959 his ensemble, later dubbed The Dream Band, became the toast of Hollywood. Four decades, 65 albums, and 300 compositions later, his story is one of great substance-his foot—tapping music, revolutionary. Good Vibes is a rollicking autobiography that tracks jazz from the turbulent post-war years through the rise of bebop, traversing its changes through the eyes of one of its greatest practitioners. Gibbs's hilarious, poignant, and always fascinating anecdotes reveal little-known attributes and quirks about legendary personalities such as Benny Goodman, Buddy Rich, Steve Allen, Frank Sinatra, Don Rickles, Billie Holiday, and many more. A foreword by Chubby Jackson, a discography, and an index round out this work.
Terry Gibbs, legendary jazz vibraphonist and bandleader, was 12 years old when he kicked off his career as a professional musician, winning first place in an amateur performance. Born and raised in the heart of Brooklyn and possessing tremendous musical talent, Gibbs learned the ins and outs of bebop from pioneers like Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, and Bud Powell. In 1959 his ensemble, later dubbed The Dream Band, became the toast of Hollywood. Four decades, 65 albums, and 300 compositions later, his story is one of great substance-his foot—tapping music, revolutionary. Good Vibes is a rollicking autobiography that tracks jazz from the turbulent post-war years through the rise of bebop, traversing its changes through the eyes of one of its greatest practitioners. Gibbs's hilarious, poignant, and always fascinating anecdotes reveal little-known attributes and quirks about legendary personalities such as Benny Goodman, Buddy Rich, Steve Allen, Frank Sinatra, Don Rickles, Billie Holiday, and many more. A foreword by Chubby Jackson, a discography, and an index round out this work.
Terry Gibbs is a professional vibraphonist and bandleader. Cary Ginell is the owner of Sound Thinking Music Research and a partner of the Origin Jazz Library record label. He has published numerous book and articles.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 A Real Go-Getter Chapter 2 Dizzy, Bird, and a Bebop Breakdown Chapter 3 Fifty-Second Street Chapter 4 My Three Minutes with Tommy Dorsey Chapter 5 "Shooby Yockson" in Sweden Chapter 6 Buddy Rich: Mr. Nice Guy Chapter 7 Woody Herman and the Four Brothers Band Chapter 8 Bellson, Shavers, and Dorsey (Again?) Chapter 9 Benny Goodman: El Foggo Chapter 10 Finally, a Full-Time Bandleader Chapter 11 El Foggo Rides Again Chapter 12 Terry G. and Terry P. Chapter 13 California, Here I Come! Chapter 14 The Dream Band Chapter 15 The Coltrane Connection Chapter 16 What's a Regis Philbin? Chapter 17 Operation: Entertainment Chapter 18 Hi-Ho, Steverino! Chapter 19 Phil Spector: Mr. Overtime Chapter 20 Three Women—Four Marriages Chapter 21 My Friend, Buddy D. Chapter 22 Goodbye for Now
What People are Saying About This
Louie Bellson
Terry Gibbs will go down in history as one of the most influential and dedicated musicians of our time. His Dream Band and small groups were always swinging and classy.
Soupy Sales
One of the greats was Terry Gibbs, who brought something to the show besides his great vibe-playing - great personality and a great sense of humor.
Alice Coltrane
I believe that the legacy of [Gibbs]'s artistic achievement will live on throughout the millennium.
Mel Brooks
For those of us who truly loved the Big Band Era, the sound of Terry Gibbs's Dream Band was pure heaven...I was actually in the audience during those 1959 recordings, and you can hear me yelling. I think I'm entitled to some royalties...as my good friend Ron Clark once said, 'Terry Gibbs is no vibraphoney...He's the real thing.'
Frank Capp
Terry Gibbs was smack dab in the middle of the great be-bop revolution...no one is better equipped to tell the stories in this book. He has great wit and a fantastic memory.
Joe Lang
As interesting as [Terry's] basic life story is, however, it is the anecdotes about the plethora of notable jazz musicians who were part of his personal and professional life that give this volume a special dimension. Gibbs has a natural flair for telling tales in a way that gives special insight into the character and personality of his associates. He tells these stories with a terrific sense of humor and an unstinting candor, never honey-coating the world of jazz….
Regis Philbin
The only band I've ever had in all the shows I've ever done was The Terry Gibbs Sextet...I probably didn't realize it then but Terry had assembled the greatest players in the world. God, they were good. And there standing in front of them was Terry Gibbs. What a whirlwind he was. When I think about that show and those days, I get a terrific sense of pride.
