© Tom De Beuckelaer
Introduction - Terry Gibbs Dream Band
When Gibbs moved from New York to California in 1958, he began planning his next big band album. In early 1959, he secured extended residencies at two Los Angeles nightclubs, the Seville and the Sundown, for what became known as the Dream Band.
The band typically performed on Sunday, Monday or Tuesday nights, when the finest jazz and studio musicians in Hollywood were available. The core group—already performing as the "Jazz Wave Big Band" at the Sundown—remained stable, with Mel Lewis firmly holding the drum chair.
Some of the key members included lead altoist Joe Maini, tenor saxophonists Bill Holman and Med Flory, trumpeters Al Porcino and Conte Candoli, and trombonists Frank Rosolino and Bob Enevoldsen.
New arrangements were commissioned from Bill Holman, Marty Paich, Med Flory, Manny Albam and Al Cohn, among others, showcasing Gibbs’ vibraphone at the forefront of the band. Between 1959 and 1961, they released four albums.
The KCB Big Band will also perform big band arrangements by KCB students.
