Ubuntu Music Announces The Release of Trumpet Ace Sean Gibbs Big Band Project

Sean Gibbs / Confluence

Release Date: 25th November 2022

CD & Digital Formats / UBU0124

Sean Gibbs (Photographer Colin Black)

Ubuntu Music is delighted to announce the upcoming release of composer and trumpet player Sean Gibbs’ upcoming album, Confluence, featuring a 17-piece big band of exceptional musicians.

Sean Gibbs is a prominent jazz trumpet player/composer based in London. He leads a quintet, whose critically acclaimed debut album was released with Ubuntu Music and awarded Five Stars in BBC Music Magazine.

Helena Kay (Dan Redding video footage)

Sean explains the idea behind his latest project: “Confluence is without doubt my biggest project to date. The title refers to different aspects of my musical and personal life, which seemed to come together at the right time to make it happen. It also represents the joyous gathering of so many incredible musicians and friends. I’m immensely grateful to everyone involved.”

Left to right: George Millard, Tom Dunnett, Chris Maddock, Calum Gourlay, Jay Davis, Freddie Gavita, Riley Stone-Lonergan, Helena Kay, Rob Brockway, Sean Gibbs, James Gardiner-Bateman, James Copus, Kieran McLeod, Tom Walsh, Richard Henry, Richard Foote, James Davison. (Dan Redding video footage)

Sean continues, concerning the music and the musicians for the project: “I was fortunate enough to be able to put together my dream big band lineup and record at AIR Studios. I wrote with the specific players in mind, and it was incredibly rewarding to hear what they brought to my compositions. I wanted to stay true to the fundamentals that resonate with me - lyrical melodies, hearty grooves and a deep connection to the blues. Having a world class 17-piece band to work with brought these concepts to new heights and opened up so many more possibilities.”

The 17-piece big band ensemble includes some of the most sought-after musicians on the jazz scene today:

                        Sean Gibbs – solo trumpet

                        Tom Walsh - trumpet

                        James Davison - trumpet

                        James Copus - trumpet/flugelhorn

                        Freddie Gavita – trumpet

                        Tom Dunnett – trombone

                        Kieran McLeod – trombone

                        Richard Foote – trombone

                        Richard Henry - bass trombone

                        George Millard - alto/soprano saxophone

                        James Gardiner-Bateman - alto saxophone

                        Helena Kay - tenor saxophone

                        Riley Stone-Lonergan - tenor saxophone

                        Chris Maddock - baritone saxophone

                        Rob Brockway – piano

                        Calum Gourlay – bass

                        Jay Davis - drums

Sean Gibbs (Dan Redding video footage)

Sean shares his thoughts about his continued relationship with Ubuntu Music: “I’m delighted to be releasing a second album with Ubuntu. Martin (Hummel) shows such enthusiasm and drive in everything that he does, and it’s a privilege to be on a label alongside many of my favourite musicians. Long may our relationship flourish!”

Martin Hummel, Director of Ubuntu Music, concludes: “It takes someone like Sean to be able to pull together a project of significant magnitude with such professionalism and quality. And the big band musician line-up is outstanding, with many of the individuals having appeared on previous Ubuntu releases. Sean’s been the star throughout. We are truly blessed to be a part of the project and can’t wait to share this music all over the world.”

For further information, please contact:

Sean Gibbs (Artist)                                                     seangibbs@hotmail.co.uk

Emma Perry (UK Publicity)                                       emmasarahperry@gmail.com

Martin Hummel/Ubuntu Music (Worldwide):           martin@ubuntumanagementgroup.com

Sean Gibbs Biography

Sean is a prominent jazz trumpet player/composer based in London. He leads a quintet, whose critically acclaimed debut album was released with Ubuntu Music and awarded Five Stars in BBC Music Magazine. He is a member of the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra, with which he has performed with guest soloists such as Kurt Elling, Joe Locke, Kenny Washington and Jazzmeia Horn. This has included appearances at some of the world’s most prestigious venues - New York’s Lincoln Center, Tokyo’s Bunka Kaikan and London’s Ronnie Scott’s.

Other groups Sean is a member of include the Calum Gourlay Big Band, Young Pilgrims, Martin Kershaw Octet, Paul Towndrow’s Keywork Orchestra and Mike Fletcher Jazz Orchestra. He has freelanced with a wide range of artists, including the likes of Georgia Cecile, Eliza Carthy, Hannah Williams and Chris Dean’s Syd Lawrence Orchestra. Sean also recently appeared on Daniel Casimir’s celebrated album Boxed In.

Sean is a prolific composer of big band music, including commissions for the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra and Greater Manchester Jazz Orchestra. His compositions have been performed as far afield as the USA, by the University of Miami’s Frost Studio Jazz Band.

“When I spot trumpeter Sean Gibbs in a band my spirits lift; I know there will be spot on ensemble playing and expertly-turned, beautifully toned solos.”

--London Jazz News

“These fellows—braced with the blues, steeped in the swing classics, burnished with modernity—are going places.”

JazzTimes Magazine (USA)

Ivors Composer Awards Nominations 2020 Announced

Bassist Calum Gourlay is nominated for ‘Jazz Composition for Small Ensemble”

Kind of Jazz Goes for Gourlay!

Grae Shennan writes, “New Ears heralds The Calum Gourlay Quartet as a great little big band.

BBC Music Magazine Gives Thumbs Up for Calum Gourlay!

“A thoroughly infectious bundle of fine riffs.”

REVIEW--Calum Gourlay Quartet: New Ears

Jazz Journal’s Brian payne writes, "Gourlay provides clear and powerful bass lines with consummate ease and Maddren is highly creative on the drums."

For the full review, please click on the image, above.

REVIEW: The Calum Gourlay Quartet / 'New Ears'

Jazz Views’ Eddie Myer writes, “The writing is strong and characterful and the playing is superbly assured throughout.”

For the full review, please click on the image, above.

CD Review: Calum Gourlay Quartet - New Ears

Bebop Spoken Here’s James Henry writes, “Calum Gourlay has a rich deep bass sound, perfectly complimented by Helena Kay and Kieran McLeod on horns. James Maddren is the glue that holds the album together. New ears are the result.”

Calum Gourlay (bass); Helena Kay (tenor sax); Kieran McLeod (trombone); James Maddren (Drums).
(Review by James Henry).

As a sort of a Scot, and a card carrying Fifer, my own old ears picked up on receipt of this CD. With a name like Calum Gourlay, this chap had to be one of the brothers, and possibly even a fellow Fifer. A little bit of research established that Calum is originally from Glasgow (well, I might forgive him that) but was brought up in Fife, even playing in the Fife Youth Jazz Orchestra (total redemption). And, two of his quartet also come from the proper North: Helena Kay (tenor saxophone) hails from Perth, and Kieran McLeod (trombone) is from Aberdeen. Like me, these three live in exile in England, committed to missionary work and waiting for the call from the blessed Nicola*. I pity the poor drummer in this quartet: coming from Sussex, James Maddren may rely on translators.

New Ears is a joy to behold, even down to the kitten on the album sleeve, which hides its new ears behind the CD. New Ears is Calum Gourlay’s first album as a bandleader, and is the debut release for the Calum Gourlay quartet. Calum Gourlay leads a resident big band in the Vortex Jazz Club in London, and all four members of the quartet play in the big band. All are relatively recent alumni of London jazz conservatoires and already have impressive CVs.

The quartet is unusual in composition, lacking traditional chordal instruments. Devoid of this conventional comfort, tenor saxophone, trombone and bass have to work together to create the chordal control and continuity cherished by our conventional ears. The playing is tight and one soon ceases to miss the comping control of piano or guitar. The ensemble work is so precise that the music begins to evoke the big band that begat this wee band. There are also extended improvised sections, where James Maddren holds the group together allowing the other three to weave skilfully together, and more often than not Calum Gourlay joins in with the improvisation as an equal to the two horns.

All seven tracks are original works, written by Gourlay especially for the Quartet. For me the stand-out track is Blue Fugates, an extended blues composition, inspired by the Blue Fugates of Kentucky. For the curious, Blue Fugates aren’t birds, trees or mountains. Rather, Blue Fugates are a clan of people in the backwoods of Kentucky who inherited the blood disorder methaemoglobinaemia, which gave their skin a curious blue hue (an unusual inspiration for a tune, but check it out on Wikipedia if you want to know more). Be Minor, the opening track, has a folky feel and the head becomes an ear-worm after a few listens. Solstice has a slow, brooding quality: one imagines the long days of mid-summer.

Although generally melodic, and never straying far from conventional forms, New Ears isn’t always an easy listen. After a few tracks one develops new ears, and the going gets easier. After a few listens everything makes sense, and it gets better and better. Calum Gourlay has a rich deep bass sound, perfectly complimented by Helena Kay and Kieran McLeod on horns. James Maddren is the glue that holds the album together. New ears are the result.

James Henry.

*Sturgeon, of course.

Available on Ubuntu Music: UBU 0043.

REVIEW: The Calum Gourlay Quartet – New Ears

SJM’s Eddie Meyer writes, “The writing is strong and characterful and the playing is superbly assured throughout, from the young horn players as much as from the masterful rhythm section “

REVIEW: The Calum Gourlay Quartet – New Ears

LJN’s Mark McKergow writes, “I have a sense that in years to come we may be looking back on this CD as an important step in the career of all four of these musicians. For now, enjoy the sounds and talents as they develop before our eyes and ears.”

For the full review, please click on the image, above.

Calum Gourlay on November's SJM Cover!

Gourlay states, “It’s nice to be at this stage and still have lots more to want to do.”