Artist description Solo/Duo/Trio/Quartet/Quintet

Music Style Jazz/pop/funk

Musical Influences All types

Similar Artists Wynton Kelly/Herbie Hancock/Bill Evans

Artist History Elmer Gibson was born 1940 and grew up mostly in Philadelphia, where, at the age of four, he began his life-long study of music, starting with three years of piano at the Hamilton School of Music. He later enrolled in the Settlement School Of Music and began studying trumpet as well as continuing his piano studies. In 1958 Elmer entered the Philadelphia Museum College of Art to study design. Soon thereafter he formed his own trio and began working in small clubs in the Philadelphia area. There he began writing and arranging music for various combinations of instruments and musicians. When not playing with his own group, Elmer worked and jammed with other local artists, including Al Grey, Cat Anderson, Sonny Stitt, Ron Carter, Gary Bartz, Shirley Scott, Frank Foster, Kenny Durham, Sonny Fortune, Dakota Staton, Gene Ammons, Buster Williams, Hubert Laws, Grover Washington, and Stanley Clark. In 1974 Elmer joined the Norman Conners Band, featuring Jean Carn and trumpeter Eddie Henderson. As pianist, arranger and musical director of the group, Elmer toured with Norman from 1974 to 1976, appearing in Norway, West Germany, France, Spain, Japan and Canada. During that period he also appeared on two Norman Connors albums on the Buddha label, "Dark of Light" and "Slewfoot." Two of his compositions, "Kumekucha" (Swahili for "the sun has risen") and "Chuka" (Swahili for "come down") were given critical acclaim in Downbeat and Record World magazines. Elmer has also performed at the Newport and the Berkeley Jazz Festivals. Elmer later opted out of life "on the road" and relocated to Raleigh, North Carolina where he established a commercial interior design and space planning practice. He has remained very active as a musican and has been a vital presence in the arts community. He founded the non-profit Preservation Jazz Company, which has been responsible for starting a highly successful jazz festival and numerous concert series. Elmer was a touring artist for the state of North Carolina for their 1982-83 season. In 1985 the string trio of the North Carolina Symphony performed two of Elmer's original works, "Talking Piece" and "Themes On An African Mask." In that same year "Themes" won a statewide competition for composers and has since been performed by numerous string trios. In 1987 he accompanied musician/comedian Steve Allen, with the North Carolina Symphony. In 1989 Elmer won the Gold Award as Music Director, Arranger and Accompanist of the Nnenna Freelon Duo held in Philadelphia. He also arranged two songs, "Dad's Delight" and Little B's Poem" for Freelon's 1995 "Listen" CD on Columbia Records, which also features Wayne Shorter's "Footsteps," lyrics by Elmer Gibson. Another Symphony date in 1992 featured Cab Calloway, with Elmer accompanying. In 1993 Elmer appeared with Carl Grubbs & Friends on the "Live at the New Haven Lounge" CD In Baltimore, MD. In 1994, Elmer teamed up with Grubbs & Friends at the Baltimore Museum of Art to record "Inner Harbor Suite." Elmer recorded his own CD of original works in 1996 live at the North Carolina Museum of History. In 1998, at the Cape May Jazz Festival, appeared with trombonist Clifford Adams' quartet. In 2000 he recorded a Christmas CD titled "Jazz Ornaments for Solo Piano."

Albums Generation Dance, Jazz Ornaments for Solo Piano

Location Raleigh, North Carolina - USA

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