Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Terry Gibbs: 52nd & Broadway: Songs Of The Bebop Era

199

Terry Gibbs: 52nd & Broadway: Songs Of The Bebop Era

By

Sign in to view read count
Vibraphonist Terry Gibbs is a second-generation bebopper. Too young to have participated in the ground-breaking experiments at Minton's and Monroe's, he first came to prominence with Woody Herman at the end of the 1940's. But bebop is in his blood; it's his life. 52nd & Broadway, with its vintage bop tunes and their treatment by a string orchestra, celebrates that life.

Gibbs is 80, and he defies his age. His playing here is fluid and lithe, pulsating with his trademark excitement. On the ballads, he adds sensitivity and depth, particularly on "Lover Man." 52nd & Broadway is further enhanced by other veterans: flutist Sam Most and saxophonist/living legend James Moody. Most shines in his appearances. As with Gibbs, age has added maturity and wisdom to his improvising. Moody, as usual, stands tall. He's kept growing over the years, adding harmonic knowledge to his extensive musical arsenal and playing better than ever. Hear his fearless, up-tempo wailing on "Cherokee" or his relaxed swing on "Groovin' High"—that's artistry at work.

And give credit to the much younger Nicholas Payton. He's not a bebopper; his conception can run to the considerably more abstract, as he has demonstrated with Greg Osby. But Payton plays the bebop idiom with aplomb, navigating changes with an infusion of post bop thinking, and swinging with both fire and elegance. And as always, there's that Payton sound, easily recognizable with its New Orleans vibrato and its sheer size, as if trumpet sound alone could move mountains. Payton's impressive performance here is yet another reason to recommend this CD.

As for the strings, they work. The arrangements, by the likes of Med Flory and the underappreciated Phil Kelly, are subtle, unobtrusize, and supportive of the music. The orchestra avoids the overly sweet pitfalls that are often a risk in jazz-meets-strings dates. The orchestra plays big band parts, and on "Night In Tunisia" they essay a transcription of Charlie Parker's immortal alto break.

There's much talk these days of what jazz is and what jazz should be, of tradition and innovation, of ideology and self-expression. Bebop is no longer new, but it can still sound fresh. Gibbs and company avoid the risk of playing bop and sounding stale by playing themselves. For Gibbs, Moody, and Most, this music is their deepest self-expression. For Payton and the capable rhythm section, the music filters through more modern sensibilities. And the strings are successful in making this music sound fresh. Kudos to Gibbs and company for making 52nd & Broadway a lot more than revivalism or nostalgia.

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris
Candid
Sunny Five
Inside Colours Live
Julie Sassoon

Popular

Eagle's Point
Chris Potter
Light Streams
John Donegan - The Irish Sextet

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.