Terry Gibbs, born Julius Gubenko, is an American jazz vibraphonist and band leader. He played with famous swing bands in the 1940s and formed his own bop group in the early 1950s which you’ll here today. This coming 13 October he’ll be 101 years old. He’s your Phantom Dancer feature artist this week.

The Phantom Dancer is your weekly non-stop mix of swing and jazz from live 1920s-60s radio and TV every week.

LISTEN to this week’s Phantom Dancer mix (online after 2pm AEST, Tuesday 22 July and weeks of Phantom Dancer mixes online at, at https://2ser.com/phantom-dancer/

TERRY

Terry Gibbs performed or recorded with Tommy Dorsey, Chubby Jackson, Buddy Rich, Woody Herman, Benny Goodman, Alice Coltrane, Louie Bellson, Charlie Shavers, Mel Tormé, Buddy DeFranco, and more. Gibbs also worked in film and TV studios in Los Angeles.

On being discharged from the armed forces, where he played drums in military bands, Gibbs worked in New York with Bill DeArango and recorded with Tiny Kahn in Aaron Sachs’ quintet (1946).

In the 1950–1951 season, Gibbs was a popular guest on Star Time on the DuMont Television Network. Thereafter, he was a regular in 1953–1954 on NBC’s Judge for Yourself.

In the late 1950s, he appeared on NBC’s The Steve Allen Show, on which he regularly played lively vibraphone duets with the entertainer and composer.

In 1983 he was band leader and music director for the TV show, Steve Allen’s Music Room.

In 1997, he appeared on Steve Allen’s 75th Birthday Celebration on PBS.

Gibbs was also the bandleader on the short-lived That Regis Philbin Show.

GIBBS

As an instrumentalist, together with his big band, the Dream Band, Gibbs has won the prestigious Downbeat and Metronome polls.

When Gibbs moved from New York to California in 1958 he began planning for his next big band album. In early 1959 he booked extended residencies at two Los Angeles night clubs, the Seville and the Sundown, for what became known as the Dream Band.

The band usually played on a Sunday, Monday or Tuesday night when the cream of Hollywood jazz and studio musicians would be available. The core band – which was already playing as “Jazz Wave Big Band” at the Sundown – always remained stable with Mel Lewis holding down the drum chair.

Some of the key players were lead altoist Joe Maini, tenor saxes Bill Holman and Med Flory, trumpeters Al Porcino and Conte Candoli and trombonists Frank Rosolino and Bob Enevoldsen.

New arrangements were commissioned from Bill Holman, Marty Paich, Med Flory, Manny Albam and Al Cohn, among others, to feature Gibbs’ vibes in front of the band. The band released four albums from 1959 to 1961.

In the mid 1960s, Gibbs opened a musical instrument store in Canoga Park, California, with former Benny Goodman drummer Mel Zelnick. Terry Gibbs and Mel Zelnick Music Stop was also the first teaching facility for Freddie Gruber, and Henry Bellson, brother of Louie.

His son is jazz drummer Gerry Gibbs.  He turns 101 on 13 October 2025.

22 July PLAY LIST