Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

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GIBBS, Mike

(b 25 Sep. '37, Salisbury, in what is now Zimbabwe) Trombone, piano, arranger, composer. Took up piano at seven, trombone at 17. Graduated from Berklee '62, Boston Conservatory '63. Resident in UK from '65, played with Graham Collier, John Dankworth, recorded with John Surman etc. Led own bands '68--74, then moved to Berklee as composer in residence '74--83. Greatly in demand as arranger, film-music composer (nine films '71--89) and orchestrator, Gibbs commutes between USA and UK. His own albums, packed with haunting melodies and unusual textures, include The Only Chrome Waterfall Orchestra '76 on Bronze, Big Music '88 on Virgin Venture and By The Way '93 on Ah Um.