[Some computers might ask you to allow the music to play on this page]
Sean Gibbs by Howard Lawes
|
Sean Gibbs
Photograph by Colin Black
The sentiment, evident in the title of this album from young Scottish trumpeter Sean Gibbs is reminiscent of a popular song of 1973 by the Three Degrees when they sing "when will we share precious moments". The lockdown forced on us all by Covid-19 resulted in much reflection and memories of the happier times spending precious moments with friends and family and Sean Gibbs has encapsulated those feelings in this truly heartfelt collection of tunes that vividly recall episodes and people in his life. Helping him bring those thoughts and tunes to his audience is a truly excellent band with Riley Stone-Lonergan on tenor saxophone, Rob Brockway on piano, Calum Gourlay on double bass and Jay Davis on drums.
A video of the band playing The Grand Parade:
Sean was kind enough to answer a few questions about his career.
Sean cites hearing a recording of Lee Morgan playing with the Jazz Messengers as that lightbulb moment when he became "totally hooked" on jazz as a teenager. He joined the Scottish National Youth Jazz Orchestra under the direction of Tommy Smith and went on to check out the likes of Freddie Hubbard, Miles Davis, Clifford Brown and Clark Terry. Wynton Marsalis has always been a big inspiration; Sean remembers being awestruck after seeing the Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra play in Glasgow, which included a special encore from the late, great Joe Temperley.
In 2013 Sean was nominated for the Young Scottish Jazz Musician of the Year award alongside Corrie Dick and Fergus McCreadie and although it was Corrie Dick that won, all three nominees are a testament to the exceptional quality of young Scottish jazz musicians. Sean 
studied jazz trumpet at Birmingham Conservatoire, graduating with first class honours having studied under Percy Pursglove and Richard Iles and he once again became involved in large ensembles. In 2014 Sean formed the Birmingham Jazz Orchestra (BJO) to showcase the composing and improvising talents of some of the best jazz musicians from the Birmingham scene and beyond. The BJO released their critically acclaimed debut album Burns in 2015, featuring Sean's compositions inspired by the poetry of Robert Burns, rapidly followed by the release of the Jacky Naylor composition Rough Boundaries which also received rave reviews.
In answer to a question about comparing the experience of playing in large and small ensembles, Sean described enjoying the sectional playing in a big band and the thrill of being part of a tight ensemble, working together and contributing to a much bigger picture. As he says, being a part of the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra has allowed him to play with some incredible guest soloists, including Kurt Elling, Joe Locke, Kenny Washington and Jazzmeia Horn. However he also enjoys playing in smaller groups which can allow more flexibility and interaction between musicians and often gives more room to express yourself as an improviser. Apart from his own quartet called 'Fervour', Sean is part of the brassy Young Pilgrims band and has played with the likes of the Martin Kershaw Octet to great acclaim at the Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival. Returning to the jazz orchestra format Sean was part of Paul Towndrow's ensemble that recently released a major work featuring a host of young Scottish musicians called Deepening the River (2021), inspired by the history of the River Clyde and incorporating traditional music associated with the many nationalities that have voyaged to or from the famous river.
The press release for When Can I See You Again? emphasises that "Sean Gibbs music is steeped in the jazz tradition, focusing on lyrical melodies, hearty grooves, and a deep connection with the blues". Apart from a tinge of Scottish lament in the title track, Sean's compositions do not include that traditional Gaelic flavour that often marks out musicians from Scotland, instead, he has drawn from the classic jazz idiom of blues, hard bop and swing. Sean's compositions have a realism about them comparable with visual art, so Internal Conflict, a tune about deciding on the right course from multiple options has a musical struggle going on with changes in tempo and rhythm that will be familiar to us all, while Happy Hour is undoubtedly a much lighter tune, perhaps with a touch of calypso.
Here's a video of the band playing Happy Hour.
Sean says that the overall theme for the album, which was composed during Covid-induced isolation, is "largely about celebrating the human connections that I'd sometimes taken for granted". The album was launched at London's Vortex Jazz Club in August to an enthusiastic but socially distanced audience and perhaps the highlight of the evening was a lovely ballad - Sean playing his own composition Mary with the inspiration for the piece sitting just across the room. The band is very strong with great solos from Riley Stone-Lonergan on Camperdown, named after a park in Dundee that Sean used to visit with his grandparents, and Rob Brockway in The Grand Parade, an evocative tune inspired by parades in the Green Lanes area where Sean first lived with friends after moving to London.
Listen to Mary with nice solos from Sean and bassist Calum Gourlay.
When Can I See You Again? is an album of musical snapshots that recall happier times for the composer during the Covid-19 lockdown blues. Listeners will no doubt have experienced similar feelings when separated from friends and family and will have cheered themselves up in various ways, and as the nation emerges from lockdown this album provides an excellent collection of great music with which many will identify.
Click here for details and samples of the album. Click here for Sean's website.
Other pages you might find of interest :
© Sandy Brown Jazz 2021
Click HERE to join our mailing list