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Zimbabwe-born Mike Gibbs scored his albums for orchestras that helped several British talents mature:
Michael Gibbs (december 1969) for seven reeds (including John Surman and Alan Skidmore), six trumpets (including Kenny Wheeler), four French horns, seven trombones, tuba, cello, piano, celeste, guitar (Chris Spedding), bass (Jack Bruce), drums (John Marshall and Tony Oxley), with
Family Joy Oh Boy;
Tanglewood '63 (december 1970), for a very similar line-up (the notable
addition being Roy Babbington on bass) with the 13-minute Canticle,
Just Ahead (may 1972), for a smaller ensemble (that still included
Wheeler, Skidmore, Marshall, Babbington and Spedding);
In The Public Interest (june 1973) for another large band that included several USA musicians (vibraphonist Gary Burton, trumpeter Randy Brecker, saxophonist Michael Brecker, bassist Steve Swallow);
Seven Songs For Quartet and Chamber Orchestra (december 1973), credited to Gary Burton;
and his masterpiece, Only Chrome Waterfall (1974), for another large orchestra that included saxophonist Charlie Mariano, guitarist Philip Catherine, Mike Gibbs on keyboards, Tony Coe on reeds, besised Skidmore, Wheeler, Swallow, and many others.
Back in the Days (Cuneiform, 2012) documents Gibbs' collaboration with
the 18-piece NDR Bigband between 1995 and 2003.
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