Tag: Theo Hill

d4m.com

I’ve just heard David Gibson and his trombone on his latest effort “Boom!” and it’s been a lot to take in. He and four other extremely talented musicians have made a memorable jazz album for the modern jazz enthusiast, but whether or not its magic holds up against the upcoming albums of this year depends on much more than your first impression. Let me introduce you to your first impression, the only publicly available single, The High Road. It’s a quick bebop-y single with erratic displays of talent from all of the quintet, especially the trombone. The piano will ease you in but the pace is quick to escalate and drag you along with it. The beauty is in how subtle the transitions are. Beautiful progressions and shared spotlights make this a very fluid single. You can’t feel an ego, and you can barely taste the chemistry because they’re all so well tuned into each other. My only problem is how completely different The High Road is to the rest of the album. In that case its name makes a lot of sense, because everything else takes a much lower, slower, and smoother route. The only other song that livens up as much as today’s feature is probably The Cup Bearers. If you’re enjoying The High Road, be sure to check that other one out somehow. Otherwise, expect slower tempo with equally erratic melodies on the rest of Boom!. 

Very strong, sound bass lines, together with David’s zig-zagging trombone, make the brunt of the effort. The keys are top quality, the percussion is versatile, and the accompanying trumpet will add intricate details one rarely encounters on such an album. It’s a real shame more of the release can’t be admired without committing to it entirely. Despite this, I recommend it. If jazz brass is usually to your liking, I’m sure this effort will fit snug with your collection. Expect no one to step across overpowered lines except for David, occasionally, as he strengthens his presence. It’s all ends quite beautifully, really.

kios.org

Trombonist David Gibson delivers a solid post-bop session that adds further affirmation to the vibrancy of the current jazz scene on his sixth release as a leader. This is no-nonsense, straight ahead music in a program of mostly original compositions. The instrumental setting is a quintet with the fine trumpet player Josh Evans and rhythm section comprised of Theo Hill playing piano, Alex Claffy at the bass and Kush Abadey at the drums. The group has been performing in NYC clubs and exhibits the mature spark of innovative players with exhilarating interplay and solo efforts.

A Thelonious Monk International Trombone Competition finalist (2003), Gibson has performed with Slide Hampton, Jimmy Heath and James Moody among other jazz greats. He possesses a sound reminiscent of J.J. Johnson with a clear, euphonious tone whether burning on up-tempo numbers or upon more laid back settings. Trumpeter Evans, as with Joshua Bruneau, is one of the remarkable up-and-comers on the instrument with a bright sound and formidable chops. The rhythm section is integral to the proceedings with pianist Hill’s exciting solos, bassist Claffy’s crisp notes and drummer Abadey’s resourceful drum set work providing substantive embellishments throughout.

Gibson’s compositions are all engaging: “The High Road” with its modal feel and tight contrast of trombone and trumpet, the groove oriented number “Grass Fed” that has Hill rendering an entrancing solo at the electric piano followed by probing solos from the horns, the unrestrained burner “Eyes of Argus” that leaves a trail of smoke in its wake and the pensive “Empathy” that has the group working in a more subdued setting. As with the other albums we’ve explored, these sessions are not indulgent star trips for a leader, rather interactive ensembles that display immense talents in uniquely fabricated and remarkably cohesive contexts.

steptempest.com

Trombonist and composerDavid Gibson has a new CD, his 6th as a leader and 3rd for Posi-Tone Records. With a title like “Boom!“, one might expect the season to be a high-powered, “in-your-face”, hard bop but, instead, this is a pleasingly nuanced set of (mostly) originals that finds Gibson leading an impressive quartet of young musicians including Connecticut native Josh Evans (trumpet), pianist/Fender Rhodes Theo Hill, bassist Alex Claffy (Ralph Peterson) and drummerKush Abadey (Wallace Roney).

Like a number of Posi-Tone records, this session’s music gives off the vibe of mid-1960s Blue Note Records.  There are several high-powered numbers, such as “The Cup Bearers” (composed by Tom McIntosh for an Lp of the same name released by trumpeter Blue Mitchell) and Gibson’s “The High Road“, tunes where Abadey’s propulsion, Hill’s muscular chords, and Claffy’s active bass work leads the way.  Gibson’s solos tend to be fairly mellow, phrases that are soaked in blue tones, while Evans’ attack has a more forceful attack, not unlike Randy Brecker and Freddie Hubbard.  He can be mellow as well; he shows a softer side on the funky “Grass Fed” although the drummer “gooses him into the higher register at the climax of the solo.  That track, as well as “Empathy” and “The Dance“, display the influence of Herbie Hancock, especially in the “floating” piano chords and elongated melody lines.  Pay close attention on “Empathy” to the work of the rhythm section as the “freedom” in their playing resembles the work of Hancock, Ron Carter and Tony Williams in the Miles Davis Quintet. Whereas, on the title track, one hears the funkier side of the band, not unlike the sounds of Hancock with Billy Hart or Robert Glasper with Chris Dave.

The program close with “Change the World“, the ballad that Eric Clapton had a world-wide hit with the mid-1990s.  Gibson et al don’t mess around with the handsome melody and his solo, the only one on the cut, cover a wide swath of sonic territory and is fairly emotional.  Again, the soloist locks in with the rhythm section, playing off their energy and cues.

This is one of trombonist David Gibson’s “working” bands (one features organist Jared Gold, along with trumpeter Evans and Abadey adding to Gold’s great organ sound) and most of them are part of Josh Evans Big Band.  They know each other and it shows.  “Boom!” has heart, soul, funk and fire; this music belongs in your life!  

nippertown.com

In an effort to keep the momentum going from the last month of 2014, here’s some music you need to check out – either on your own, or on “Jazz2K @ The Saint”:

DAVID GIBSON
Boom!
(Posi-tone)

Between working with Orrin Evans’ Captain Black Big Band and being the George Gee Swing Orchestra’s musical director, trombonist David Gibson has been plenty busy since his tasty 2011 Posi-tone release End of the Tunnel. That said, the Oklahoma native must have found a few minutes to scribble down some notes, because Boom! comes out of the chute like a Brahma bull on Red Bull and doesn’t let up for a second. That doesn’t mean it’s all pedal-to-the-metal like the hard-bopping “Eyes of Argus,” the swirling dervish title track or the charging opener “The High Road”; some of the best moments are the softer ones, like the loving ballad “The Dance” and Gibson’s joy-filled take on “Change the World.” What keeps this date’s emotional needle pinned in the red is Gibson’s choice to bring in two players who match his intensity volt for volt: Josh Evans’ trumpet has the kind of counter-punching power Freddie Hubbard delivered back in the day, and Theo Hill’s Trump-rich keyboard lines weave stunningly striking colors, be they acoustic on Gibson’s high-flying treatment of Tom McIntosh’s “The Cup Bearers” or electric on the sneaky-good “Grass Fed.” David Gibson may have been doing great work for others, but Boom! shows it’s time for him get out there and really blow his OWN horn!

somethingelsereviews.com

Mainstream jazz is always a pleasure to hear when it’s played with crisp vitality and that’s just what trombone player David Gibson brings to the table with his sixth album Boom!. Due out January 20, 2015 by Posi-Tone Records, Boom! is comprised of mostly Gibson originals he wrote with members of his quintet in mind.

This 2003 Thelonius Monk International Trombone Competition finalist leads Josh Evans (trumpet), Theo Hill (piano), Alex Claffy (bass) and Kush Abadey (drums) through hard swinging numbers with a modern sensibility. That sort of tone is established right from the start, with the David Gibson number “The High Road.”

An unabashedly straight-ahead tune, “Road” features a snappy head and soon transitions into Gibson’s JJ Johnson-like solo. Evans and Hill respectively take their turns, too, and both deliver concise, energetic statements that don’t linger on too long.

David Gibson got the name of the song from trying to “convey the spirit of elevated enlightenment that offers a view of the destination, so as to avoid the petty arguments that litter the path.” There’s nothing littering the path of hard bop enlightenment here; it’s a straight-up jazz delight.

allaboutjazz.com

Trombonist David Gibson’s Boom!—his sixth leader date, and third release on the Posi-Tone imprint—is something of a fresh start. His two previous releases—A Little Somethin’ (Posi-Tone, 2009) and End Of The Tunnel (Posi-Tone, 2011)—were cut from the same cloth, as each largely focused on funk, soul jazz, and swing; both albums also featured the same quartet—Gibson on trombone, Julius Tolentino on alto saxophone, labelmateJared Gold on organ, and Quincy Davis on drums. Now, Gibson returns with a new group—a winning quintet—that’s more interested in straight-ahead statements than head-bobbing constructs.

Some of the material presented here, along with the men that present it, brings out the bolder side of Gibson. The trombonist allies himself with intrepid players like trumpeterJosh Evans, who occasionally carries the fire of Freddie Hubbard and the spirit ofWoody Shaw in his horn, and pianist Theo Hill, who works his way through this music with firm-handed brilliance. Then there’s the steady-as-a-rock bass work of Alex Claffy and the swinging-turned-swatting drums of Kush Abadey to contend with. When all five men fire on all cylinders, (“The High Road” and “Eyes Of Argus”), the results are breathtaking. But strength doesn’t define this group. This is a quintet that’s just as likely to float (“The Dance”), create a vibe tune (“Grass Fed”), or move with a spring in its step (“Persephone”) as it is to muscle its way through a piece.

Gibson wrote eight of the ten songs on this record, covering everything from edgy burners to groove music (“Boom!”), but he chose to close the album with a pair of dissimilar covers—”The Cupbearers,” a jazz standard that’s often associated with pianist Tommy Flanagan, and “Change The World,” a pop piece that Eric Clapton and Babyface delivered to the masses. The former cooks and kicks while the latter moves slowly, closing out the album in earthy fashion.

Track Listing: The High Road; Rare Truth; Grass Fed; Eyes Of Argus; Persephone; Empathy; Boom!; The Dance; The Cup Bearers; Change The World.

Personnel: David Gibson: trombone; Josh Evans: trumpet; Theo Hill: piano; Alex Claffy: bass; Kush Abadey: drums.

criticaljazz.com