Personnel:

Terry Gibbs (vib), Alice Coltrane (p), Ernie Farrow, Herman Wright (b), Steve Little, John Detz (d)

"When I moved back to New York City from California in 1963, my agent had already booked me a 16-week tour and I had to put a quartet together. I called Herman Wright, who played double bass in my quartet with that great female piano player, Terry Pollard, from 1953-1957. Herman and Terry were from Detroit. The first thing that Herman said to me was there was another great female piano player from Detroit who was now living in NY. Her name was Alice McLeod. I don’t usually hire anybody I didn’t know her, but because of what Herman told me I set up a little jam session so I could hear how Alice played jazz, and it had to be bebop because that’s what I heard and played in jazz, and I wanted to hear Alice play bebop. I also had a drummer recommended to me by one of my good drummer friends, and so John Dentz, Herman and I went to a studio that I rented at Nola Studios.

How I usually work my songs is that, after I play the melody, the piano player solos first. After Alice played just 8 bars I knew that I was going to hire her. In 1963 Alice was an out an out be-bopper in the style of Bud Powell. Also John  Dentz gave me what I was looking for: TIME. The more we played the better Alice sounded, she was a quiet shy lady and she got more aggressive as the jam session went on, you can hear her on this CD fitting in with everything that I was looking for in a piano player. Alice worked in my band for one year until I introduced her to John Coltrane and saw a love affair happen and that was why Alice left. That one year Alice was in my quartet was really fun playing because she was, as I said before, AN OUT AND OUT BE-BOPPER."

—Terry Gibbs (March, 2021)

TRACKLIST:

01. Burton Up Your Lip 2:22

02. Up at Logue’s Place 3:08

03. One for My Uncle 2:41

04. Ballad for Barbara 3:44

05. Sherry Bossa Nova 4:02

06. El Cheapo 2:49

07. Henny Time 2:19

08. Manny Moons Ago 2:45

09. Better to Be Richie Than Poor 2:28

10. Sunny Girl 2:42

11. Sol Right with Me 2:47

12. Half Stuie 2:52

13. Little “S” 3:46

14. El Nutto 6:20

15. The Nightie Night Waltz 2:41

16. The Young Ones 4:00

17. El Flippo 4:19

18. Hey Pretty 3:30

19. Sleepy Head Blues 5:56

20. Lonely Days 2:42

21. Little “C” 3:15

22. Just for Laughs 5:11

All composition by Terry Gibbs

Sources:

Tracks #1-12, from the album “The Family Album” (Sesac N.5301/02)

Tracks #13-22, from the album “El Nutto” (Limelight LS 86005)

Personnel on "The Family Album": Terry Gibbs, vibes, Alice McLeod [A.k.a. Alice Coltrane] piano; Ernie Farrow, bass; Steve Little, drums.

Recorded in New York City, February 19, 1963

Personnel on "El Nutto": Terry Gibbs, vibes, Alice McLeod [A.k.a. Alice Coltrane] piano; Herman Wright, bass; John Dentz, drums.

Recorded at A&R Studios, New York City, April 15, 1963

Sound engineer: Phil Ramone [# 13-22]

Recording director: Hal Mooney

Liner notes: Terry Gibbs

New liner notes: Jordi Pujol

Recordings produced by Terry Gibbs

Produced for CD release by Jordi Pujol

Stereo · 24-Bit Digitally Remastered

Special thanks to Terry Gibbs, the last of the Beboppers

This CD is dedicated to Rebekah Gibbs