August 2008

David Gibson
G-Rays
Nagel-Heyer

By Forrest Dylan Bryant

David Gibson’s third CD is heartfelt, confident and completely gratifying, mixing up favorite tunes by trombone icons J.J. Johnson and Slide Hampton with three vibrant originals. Gibson’s thick trombone tone and supple attack form a seamless continuum with Wayne Escoffery’s muscular tenor sax and Freddie Hendrix’s bright yet viscous trumpet lines, while an agile rhythm section applies just the right combination of elegance and heat. Gibson also reveals a special fondness for the late trumpeter Woody Shaw, whose edgy yet tender spirit watches over several tracks.