Last Saturday night marked the debut public performance of the Gerry Gibbs Thrasher Dream Trio. The band is a Jazz supergroup of sorts, made up of world class pianist Kenny Barron, bass legend Ron Carter, and leader Gerry Gibbs, on drums. Playing to a near capacity crowd, the band thoroughly impressed all assembled in the old Fall River mill known as the Narrows Center for the Arts.
Dream Trio
For bandleader Gibbs, the band is truly a dream trio. As a son of a well known vibraphonist, he grew up admiring the work of his band mates, who are both a generation older than their “leader.” He’s idolized the two distinguished veterans since he was a kid, even using the name Ron Carter instead of his own in his 7th grade yearbook.
So in 2014, it came as little surprise for those familiar with the players, when the Trio’s debut album, Gerry Gibbs Thrasher Dream Trio, went to the top of the jazz charts for several weeks and was later nominated for a Grammy Award. The trend continued with their second album, We’re Back, which was released last fall and spent seven weeks atop the Jazz charts.
First Set
Saturday’s show covered all bases – some Jazz classics, a couple of originals from each member, and a good deal of improvisation from each artist. The show opened with the Thelonius Monk’s “Epistrophy,” the band providing a modern take on the Monk classic. The Trio previously recorded the song, the first cut on their first CD.
Next up was Carter’s original “Third Plane,” which featured an extended bass solo. Then Carter, jumping and sliding all over his strings, held court on an improvised solo infused with some humor. Strains of “You are My Sunshine,” and the “Mickey Mouse Club” theme blended with chords of J.S. Bach.
Burt Bachrach’s “Wives and Lovers” followed, a simple melody done in 6/8 time, allowing Barron to really stretch out and build on the theme. Another Monk favorite, “Well, You Needn’t” came next, an up-tempo tune, with Gibbs worthily keeping up with his senior partners.
The drummer then shared the story of how he met his wife, Kyeshie, “Skype”-ing with her on early “dates,” leading to his composition, “The Woman on the TV Screen.” The tune has all the elements of a classic jazz ballad, a tender poem to the woman he would later marry.
The first set closed with the Henry Mancini masterpiece, “Charade,” from the 1963 movie of the same name, (which starred Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn.) The song is a percussionist’s dream, and was a cheerful ride for Gibbs and his mates ending with an extended drum solo.
Second Set
After a short break, (“we signed over 100 autographs - time for a ballad,” joked Gibbs), the Trio returned with Sonny Rollins “Three Little Words.” Kenny Barron’s composition “Sunflower” came next, a tune covered on the band’s first album. It’s an absolutely beautiful song - a gorgeous melody, where Barron completely unwraps the theme and then bottles it back up again.
Barron’s playing is lyrical and melodic; he makes every note count, moving in and out of grooves seamlessly. He is simply one of the world’s greatest living jazz pianists, often mentioned in the same breath as Chick Corea, McCoy Tyner and Herbie Hancock.
After a Barron solo, the Trio attacked Ron Carter’s “Eighty-One,” a post-bop gem “from back in the Miles Davis period.” A funky duet with Gibbs and Carter followed, a Mingus influenced free-for-all with Carter conjuring up riffs from “Sesame Street” and "Close Encounters of the Third Kind” among others. The bassist is likely treading on familiar ground – he’s played on over 2,500 recordings over a 50+ year career.
The show closed with a swinging version of the Average White Band classic “Pick Up the Pieces,” which was featured on their 2nd album. It was a rewarding finale, but also a reminder of the only (minor) disappointment of the evening. “Pieces” was the only R&B/Soul tune from the recent release “We’re Back.” A Stevie Wonder song or two might have added a little extra buzz for those less familiar with the more traditional material. The arrangements on the album are stellar, and well deserve to be heard in a live show.
Classic Jazz
Playing with his idols is clearly a delight for Gibbs, and he gave them ample space to stretch out at numerous points during the show. He’s an unassuming leader, and you got the sense that he was the truly enjoying the experience of playing alongside two authentic jazz legends.
Their music is quite accessible for the casual listener. This is a good band for you to check out if you are “Pop/Rock, but curious” about Jazz. The vibe is familiar for fans of the Charlie Brown’s Christmas soundtrack, Dave Brubeck, or 70’s R&B classics.
But there’s serious depth to the quality of the music as well. These guys know how to swing. The band brings out the essence of jazz – a trio that plays together as a unit, but allows for solos that highlight the unique talents of each individual. The setting is also a part of the jazz tradition which allows the “sideman” to take charge – Baron and Carter are more well known, but the album concept, song selection and arrangements are all Gibbs.
Local Label
Both Thrasher Dream Trio releases were produced by Whaling City Sound, a New Bedford based label that focuses on jazz and blues artists. Owner Neal Weiss who introduced the band, is credited with bringing the three artists together. In his closing, he hinted that they might return someday soon. Let’s hope so, as this Trio has many more good things to offer.
Ken Abrams review roots, rock, jazz and blues for GoLocalProv. E-Mail comments here.
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