Check out the 4 Terry Gibbs Dream Band records that were released by
Contemporary Records a few years ago. These were the "lost" tapes that
Terry Gibbs said he found in a closet in his home. They were also issued on CD.
The records are the real prize here. These were "live" recordings made by the
legendary recording engineer Wally Heider. Contemporary Records dedicated
these stereo recordings to him. The best for sonics is the Sundown Sessions Vol2.
These are all tube recordings made in 1959 and released on records in 1987. I
spent a whole year, while in college in LA going to the Sundown Club to hear
this group. They performed on Sunday and Monday nights when other jazz clubs
were dark. You would walk in and see some of the best jazz musicians in LA
in that band. Most of the arrangements were done by Bill Holeman. Just check out the
line up on the album notes and you will see what I mean.
One of the records was released by Verve (1960?) but the re-issue sounds much better.
Wally Heider recorded the Dream Band at the Summit (Hollywood) around the same
time and that session was released by Mercury (1959/1960. The album was called
Explosion SR 60704 and has excellent sound. Heider used Telefunken U-47s, RCA 77DXs and
Altec Lipstik mics on the drums and bass. Everything was recorded on an Ampex 350
tape recorder at 15 ips.
The Dream Band only performed for about 16 months. It was a labor of love
for Gibbs, but the effort took him away from important recording dates so he had
to drop the project. However, a few years ago a Long Beach Jazz FM station sponsored
a big band festival on Catalina Island and Gibbs brought back as many as he could find for a reunion.
That was some night for those of us who remembered those days at the Sundown.
They did the same classic Bill Holeman arrangements many of which are on these
records.
These records are available on used records sites if you look for them. Get them while
you still can. Good luck.
