Label: Whaling City Sound, 2021
Personnel - Gerry Gibbs: drums; Kenny Barron: piano; Buster Williams: bass; Geoffrey Keezer: piano; Christian McBride: bass; Larry Goldings: organ; Patrice Rushen: piano; Kyeshie Gibbs: percussion.
The American drummer and bandleader Gerry Gibbs honors his 96-year-old father, the bebop vibraphonist Terry Gibbs, on Songs From My Father, a double-disc record of swinging jazz with no horns involved. The program consists of the latter’s catchier tunes plus one piece by the late pianist Chick Corea, whose appearance here marks his final recording.
Corea pays a wonderful tribute to Gibbs with “Tango for Terry”, which, mixing 4/4 and 3/4 tempos, has that unmistakable Corea imprint in it. But the pianist is also honored here with “Hey Chick”, which is nothing else than Gibbs’ “Hey Jim” retitled and performed by everyone on the record with the exception of Corea himself. This piece has the particularity of featuring the original audio from 1961, which joined Terry with the pianist Pat Moran, bassist Max Bennett and drummer Mike Romero.
Disc one opens with “Kick Those Feet”, a 1964 gem that bursts with joie de vivre in the hands of pianist Kenny Barron, whose inventive language is always spot-on, bassist Buster Williams, whose deep underpinning quality remains impressive, and Gerry, who is consistently competent throughout.
The exuberant straight ahead jazz continues with “Obstacle Course”, a sunny ray of brilliant bop infused with snare rolls and featuring Corea and the bassist Ron Carter. This same trio explores Latin grooves on “Sweet Young Song of Love”, and more rhythms can be enjoyed on “The Fat Man”, which, instead, features pianist Geoffrey Keezer, who does a stride piano demonstration at the end, and bassist Christian McBride, who bows creatively before trading fours with the drummer. This same trio also delivers the uptempo “Nutty Notes” and the pleasingly exultant “Gibberish”, both picking up steam in their uppermost swing.
The trio of Gibbs with the organist Larry Goldings and pianist Patrice Rushen is featured on “Smoke ‘em Up”, a lustrous jazz funk, and “Townhouse 3”, which boasts a rip-roaring bossa groove. Playing his own arrangement, Corea comes to the fore once more on “Waltz for My Children”.
Enthusiasts of the straight ahead jazz have here a great opportunity to hear a few jazz giants of gutsy fluency stretching together. They keep the bebop alive in a transparent disc with no place for obscurities or complex meters.
Grade B+
Favorite Tracks:
01 (disc one) - Kick Those Feet ► 09 (disc one) - Hey Chick ► 10 (disc two) - Tango For Terry