Oral History, Terry Gibbs tells a fantastic story of the first time he found himself on stage with Lionel Hampton. Interview date February 9, 2005, NAMM Oral History Library
On being discharged from the armed forces, where he played drums in military bands, Gibbs worked in New York with Bill De Arango[2] and recorded with Tiny Kahn in Aaron Sachs’s quintet (1946).[2]
In the 1950–1951 season, Gibbs was a popular guest on Star Time on the DuMont Television Network. Thereafter, he was a regular in 1953–1954 on NBC's Judge for Yourself.[3]
In the late 1950s, he appeared on NBC's The Steve Allen Show, on which he regularly played lively vibraphone duets with the entertainer and composer. In 1997, he appeared on Steve Allen's 75th Birthday Celebration on PBS. Gibbs was also the bandleader 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.
When Gibbs moved from New York to California in 1958 he began planning for his next big band album. In early 1959 he booked extended residencies at two Los Angeles night clubs, the Seville and the Sundown, for what became known as the Dream Band.[5]
The band usually played on a Sunday, Monday or Tuesday night when the cream of Hollywood jazz and studio musicians would be available. The core band - which was already playing as "Jazz Wave Big Band" at the Sundown - always remained stable with Mel Lewis holding down the drum chair.
New arrangements were commissioned from Bill Holman, Marty Paich, Med Flory, Manny Albam and Al Cohn, among others, to feature Gibbs’ vibes in front of the band. The band released four albums from 1959 to 1961.
1959: Launching a New Band – some versions are titled Launching a New Sound in Music
1960: Swing Is Here!
1961: The Exciting Terry Gibbs Big Band!!!!!! – reissued as Dream Band, Vol. 4: Main Stem
1961: Explosion! – reissued as Dream Band, Vol. 5: The Big Cat
Four additional albums of unissued live material recorded in 1959 have been released since 1986.
Dream Band
The Dream Band, Vol. 2: The Sundown Sessions
Dream Band, Vol. 3: Flying Home
Dream Band, Vol. 6: One More Time
The Music Stopedit
In the mid 1960s, Gibbs opened a musical instrument store in Canoga Park, California, with former Benny Goodman drummer Mel Zelnick.[7] Terry Gibbs and Mel Zelnick Music Stop was also the first teaching facility of Freddie Gruber[8] and Henry Bellson, brother of Louie.[9]
^ abcTheroux, Gary. "Gibbs, Terry". Grove Music Online. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 8 December 2022.
^Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle (2007). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present. Ballantine Books. p. 622. ISBN 978-0345497734.
^"Gerry Gibbs Assembled Jazz Legends To Honor His Father's Music. The Result Contained Chick Corea's Final Recordings". www.grammy.com. Retrieved 2022-10-21.
^John Tynan, liner notes to Contemporary CCD-7654-2
^"Jazz drummer Mel Zelnick succumbs to heart attack - the Prescott Daily Courier - Prescott, Arizona". Archived from the original on 2011-12-31. Retrieved 2015-12-26.
^Milkowski, Bill (1 November 2004). "Freddie Gruber: None of a Kind - JazzTimes". JazzTimes. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
^Gibbs, Terry; Ginell, Cary (2003). Good Vibes: A Life in Jazz. Scarecrow Press. pp. 252–. ISBN 978-0-8108-4586-2.
^"Mercury Records Catalog: EmArcy 80000 series". Jazzdisco.org. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
^liner notes/booklet for Contemporary CD CCD-7658-2
^liner notes/booklet for Contemporary CD CCD-7656-2
^liner notes/booklet for Contemporary CD CCD-7657-2
^"Terry Gibbs | Album Discography | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 20 May 2018.