“No one wants to see a short Jew
singing love songs—unless you’re Al
Jolson. But rhythm songs? So long as
you have a good time it’s OK.”
—Terry Gibbs
Trust me, it’s more than just OK
and you will have a good time, as vibraphone
master Terry Gibbs sings,
swings, and generally carouses his way
through this tribute to Lionel Hampton.
Featuring many of the classic songs
usually associated with the late great
King of the Vibes, including “Midnight
Sun,” “Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop,” and “Evil
Gal Blues,” plus some new compositions
by Gibbs himself – this record that will
make any fan of classic swing smile.
“Ring Dem Bells,” a delicious Duke
Ellington romp, takes a joyous trip into the
past, with Gibbs’ vocals duetting
with the band. Gibbs sings again on
a gently nostalgic “Sunny Side of the
Street,” and the infectious “Hey! Ba-Ba-
Re-Bop,” making one wonder why it’s
taken him over five decades years to
be recorded as a vocalist again (his last
vocal recording was on “Lemon Drop”
with Woody Herman, 54 years ago).
Accompanying Gibbs is the quartet of Pete Christlieb on tenor
sax, Anthony Wilson on guitar, Mike
Melvoin on piano, Dave Carpenter on
bass, and Jeff Hamilton on drums. Their playing is solid, especially on their solos.
The album also features guest stars
Joey DeFrancesco on organ and bluesy
singer Barbara Morrison. DeFrancesco
makes his mark on the seriously cool
“Blues for Hamp.” (Christlieb and Melvoin
are especially strong on this track
as well.) It’s a swinging and entirely appropriate
tribute, and Gibbs has some
of his best moments here with a great
solo punctuated by his singing (humming?
talking?) along with the groove.
Barbara Morrison’s take on “Evil Gal
Blues” (a song first recorded by Dinah
Washington) is sultry, soulful, and serious.
It’s low-down blues, with Gibbs’
vibes acting as a sympathetic chorus to
the powerful vocals and DeFrancesco
chiming in to punctuate the “I’m no
good for you” message.
Gibbs puts the mallets down in fact
if not in spirit for “Two-Finger Boogie
Shuffle,” a struttin’ piano duet with Melvoin.
Gibbs plays it as advertised, with
two fingers, and the result is a cool, syncopated
stride that’s pure pleasure.
Whether it’s fast and furious (“The
World is Waiting for Sunrise”) or easy
and romantic (“Star Dust”), Gibbs and
band handle it with class and style—
just like Hampton did. I think he’d approve
of From Me to You. It truly does
capture Hamp’s musicality, swing, and,
above all, joy. Bravo, Mr. Gibbs, I think
you’ve succeeded in ensuring that your
audience has almost as much fun as I’m
sure you had recording this.
This review originally appeared in All About Jazz: San
Francisco.
~ Lisa Dornell
