Michael Gibbs, Composer
The Only Chrome Waterfall Orchestra
With interviews by featured Scream artist
Richard Niles
“Rehearsals are a chance for players to learn my degree of vagueness.”
Michael Gibbs is a composer, arranger, and trombonist. A 1963 graduate of the Berklee College of Music, Boston, he also studied with Gunther Schuller, George Russell, J.J. Johnson, Aaron Copland, Iannis Xenakis, and Lukas Foss. Gibbs has worked with many of the leading lights of the music world, including John McLaughlin, Pat Metheny, Joni Mitchell, Whitney Houston, Peter Gabriel, Gary Burton, Jaco Pastorius, Chick Corea, Carla Bley, Bill Frisell, and Stan Getz.
Referencing his album of 1975, Gibbs resurrected The Only Chrome Waterfall Orchestra on October 19th, 2017, in honor of his 80th birthday, at Berklee College, which hosted a major concert of his works. Featured performers were Gary Burton, Bill Frisell, and Jim Odgren, with Greg Hopkins and the Berklee Concert Jazz Orchestra.
The Music of Michael Gibbs
Thursday / October 19, 2017 / 8:00 p.m.
Berklee Performance Center
136 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
Event Executive Producer/Co-Producer: S. Ti Muntarbhorn
Top image courtesy of John Watson
“Freddy’s Step” ©Bill Frisell • used with permission
Arr. by Michael Gibbs, with the NDR Bigband
“As a Matter of Fact” ©Michael Gibbs • used with permission
“Spanish Sketch” ©Michael Gibbs • used with permission
“Pride Aside” ©Michael Gibbs • used with permission
2011 Michael Gibbs Interview with Richard Niles
PART I
2011 Interview Part II
In August 2017 Richard conducted a follow-up interview with Michael.
The entire Chapter 25 of The Invisible Artist,
by Richard Niles,
is dedicated to Michael Gibbs.
Click the book cover to read for FREE!
Albums on Cuneiform Records with the NDR Bigband
In My View (2015)
Play a Bill Frisell Set List (Oct 26, 2013, Überjazz Festival)
Back in The Days (2012, Gary Burton, featured soloist)
Other albums as leader/co-leader
Michael Gibbs (1970, Deram)
Tanglewood 63 (1971, Deram)
Just Ahead (1972, Polydor)
In The Public Interest (1974, Polydor)
Seven Songs for Quartet and Chamber Orchestra (1974, ECM)
The Only Chrome Waterfall Orchestra (1975, Bronze)
Big Music (1988, Venture/Virgin)
By The Way (1993, ah um)
Europeana (1995, ACT)
Nonsequence (2001, Provocateur)
A Song For You (2011, Fuzzy Moon Records)
Mike Gibbs + 12 play Gil Evans (2013, Whirlwind Recordings)