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| Tom Gibbs Quartet - new album and UK tour A fear of flying struck pianist Tom Gibbs with the birth of his daughter, but he has produced a debut album as leader and composer of such reach that it will surely give him wings.The nine compositions on Fear of Flying by Gibbs cross melodies, moods and soundscapes, shape-shifting over the album, and played by a bumper-crop of musicians, in long-time collaborator Euan Burton on double bass alongside newer associates in leading NYC-based saxophonist Will Vinson and the prodigious James Maddren on drums. Mentor, pianist John Taylor, has dubbed Gibbs 'inspiring' and one of his hallmarks is his ability to maintain a lyrical focus even as the music becomes harmonically and rhythmically complex. Gibbs' modus operandi is simple: "I usually start off with some chords that attract me, then I'm playing away and singing at the piano until a tune sticks." This songs-without-words quality permeates the album, with tunes like 'Jumanji' and 'Seventy-Eight' eminently sing-able, yet difficult for even the schooled musician to perform. Although the sources for these pieces are varied, the resulting body of work makes a satisfying whole. Recent fatherhood is an obvious inspiration, and the title of 'Rebecca Song' and its melody are both derived from his daughter's name. The blues formed the starting point for 'Farming Stock' when Gibbs tried to play a gut-bucket twelve-bar backwards, eventually sending the song in the direction of a mangled Scottish reel which builds in intensity to its completion. There is obvious pleasure in the playing of these highly-skilled musicians as they laid down some of their best individual performances on a record to date, in Castlesound Studios, the finest studio in Scotland. Only four miles down the road from where Gibbs was born, the studio has captured a highly personal and notable debut from Gibbs, blending the pure pleasure of music-making with the complexities and creative sounds of the contemporary Scottish, NYC, and the European improvised-music scenes. With Gibb's Fear of Flying Whirlwind Recordings have added another star to their universe and as Radio Scotland has said it best: 'Go along and be amazed.' BRIEF BIOGRAPHIES Tom Gibbs English pianist Gibbs, resident in Glasgow since 2007, was nominated by Jazzwise in 2011 One to Watch after the success of his 2010 album Forgotten Things, co-led with Euan Burton and featuring New Yorkers Ari Hoenig and Gilad Hekselman, and which was one of BBC Scotland's records of the year. His quartet has been broadcast live from the Jazz Bar on Radio 3, and he's recorded for the BBC several times as a sideman. Inducted into jazz by family musicians, and committed to it after a visit to Smalls in NY, Tom gained a Masters with distinction at York University, mentored by John Taylor and Julian Arguelles, and has also studied in New York with Jason Moran and Oslo with Ralph Alessi. As well as leading his quartet, Tom plays regularly with Ari Hoenig, and with Thought Fox, winners of Irish Music Network's Young Musicwide Award 2010-13 which took them to 12 Points Festival in Portugal. Sideman work includes Stu Brown's Raymond Scott Project and he has also played with Ulf Wakenius, Konrad Wisniewski, Paul Towndrow, Graeme Stephen, Phil Bancroft and Martin Kershaw. 'A star in its ascendancy' BBC Radio Scotland Will Vinson Originally from London, saxophonist Will Vinson moved to New York City in 1999. Since then he has appeared and/or recorded with Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Ingrid Jensen, Chris Potter, Geoff Keezer, The Mingus Band, Lage Lund, Ari Hoenig, John Benitez, Seamus Blake, Vincent Herring, Alan Ferber, Jonathan Kreisberg, Aaron Parks, Madeleine Peyroux, and many others. Will has released 4 CDs as leader/composer. Euan Burton is a member of groups lead by Mark McKnight, David Lyttle and Andreas Varady and has performed with the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra. Burton is noted for his touring work in the groups of some of New York's most influential band leaders including Guitarist Jonathan Kreisberg's Quartet featuring Will Vinson and Mark Ferber and modern drumming icon Ari Hoenig's Trio alongside award winning guitarist Gilad Hekselman. An accomplished composer Burton has taken on numerous commissions and released three albums featuring his compositions; "Collective", "Forgotten Things" and his newest release "Occurrences" with his quintet of Will Vinson, Mark McKnight, Steve Hamilton and James Maddren. James Maddren is a highly gifted drummer who has in recent years become 'first call' drummer of choice amongst the younger and even more established generation of jazz musicians in the UK. He has shared the stage with many artists and ensembles, including the Gwilym Simcock Trio, Kit Downes Trio, Marc Copland/Stan Sulzman quartet, the Mark McKnight Organ Quartet featuring Seamus Blake, Ivo Neame Qt, Phil Donkin, Will Vinson, Martin Speake quartet, Phronesis, Jonathan Bratoeff Quartet, and Tangent. write your comments about the article :: © 2012 Jazz News :: home page |