Tour Preview: Mike Gibbs 80th Birthday Tour, September 2017

Renowned composer Mike Gibbs is to undertake a large ensemble tour in September to celebrate his 80th birthday.

"Gibbs music is full of intriguing inner detail that does not deflect from the ultimate destiny of his pieces." – BBC Music Magazine

From the cuneiform records website...

Brit-jazz composer and arranger Michael Gibbs was born in 1937 in Zimbabwe. Starting in 1959, he studied in Boston at the Berklee College of Music, the Boston Conservatory , Tanglewood and the Lenox School of Music, where he studied with a who's who of contemporary jazz and modern composition: George Russell, Gunther Schuller, Iannis Xenakis, Aaron Copland, Lukas Foss and others. In 1964 he moved to the UK, where he engaged himself in the rapidly emerging contemporary UK jazz scene. Starting in the late 60s and continuing into the mid 70s, he recorded a number of highly acclaimed and influential albums featuring many of the most prominent British-based jazz players who, like Michael, were beginning to flirt with jazz/rock. Since the mid 70s he has worked as a educator as well as a free-lance arranger, doing arrangements and orchestrations for major names such as Joni Mitchell, Pat Metheny, The Mahavishnu Orchestra, and Peter Gabriel among many others, while too infrequently recording his own music.

Mike will be joined by an all-star jazz orchestra - 

Trumpets: Ryan Quigley, Henry Lowther, Percy Pursglove, Nick Smart
Trombones: Mark Bassey, Jeremy Price, Trevor Mires, Richard Henry (bass trombone)
Saxophones: Jason Yarde (alto/soprano), John O'Gallagher (alto), Julian Siegel (tenor/bass clarinet), Alex Garnett (tenor/baritone)
French horn & accordion: Jim Rattigan
Guitar: Mike Walker
Bass: Michael Janisch
Piano: Hans Koller
Drums: Andrew Bain
Percussion: Paul Clarvis​​

The first of the tour dates in the UK will take place in the North as part of the Scarborough Jazz Festival on September 24th, followed by the Vortex (25th and 27th), The Watermill in Dorking (26th September), CBSO Centre in Birmingham (28th) and Turner Sims (29th September).

News from Jo McCallum the Double Big Band Project

                                                                                 Photo Credit: Fred Little


Back in April, a very special double big band project performed to a sold out audience in Manchester, performing specially commissioned music by Iain Dixon and Mike Gibbs.

The project, organised by Jo McCallum, brought together the Wigan Youth Jazz Orchestra with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra of Scotland to work together and premiere new music written for the occassion.

Videos and photographs from the event have now been added the website and big band leaders are invited to borrow the music free of charge to perform with their own ensembles.

Visit the NYJOS/ WYJO Double Big Band website for more information and congratulations to all involved! 

Wigan Youth Jazz Orchestra team up with NYJOS for special collaboration

Wigan Youth Jazz Orchestra are to team up with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra of Scotland for a special Double Big Band collaboration led by Jo McCallum.

Supported by Arts Council England, the project will see NYJOS travel to the Greater Manchester area for a weekend of rehearsals with WYJO culminating in a performance on April 17th at Halle St Peters which will also showcase the two bands individually.


The funding will allow for two new works to be commissioned; one by saxophonist Iain Dixon and the other by composer Mike Gibbs. It is hoped that the double big band material will be available shortly after the concert for any youth jazz orchestra to use across the UK.

Tickets are on sale now for the concert and are priced at £8/6. Seating is limited so early booking is recommended. Doors open at 1.30pm and the concert beings at 2pm.

For more information, visit the NYJOSWYJO Project website.