John Gibson: an Appreciation
John Gibson – “John Trombone” – of Glenside, Shannochie, died at home after a short illness on 5th March. His contribution to the rich musical culture of Arran cannot be underestimated.
John moved to Arran from Nottinghamshire on leaving teaching in 1999. He bought the Glenside farmhouse as a base for a new life in Scotland and his wife Roslyn’s extensive art, craft and weaving activities. The house and outhouses were lovingly renovated.
Shortly after arriving, John wrote an open letter to the Arran Banner, to find out if any musicians on the island wanted to play jazz. They did! And it was not long before a group, including Stef Holmer and Jim Donaldson, former members of the defunct Wee Swing Band, met for a ‘jazz café’ in the Whiting Bay lesser hall. The late Alison Prince was also there. These sessions proved so popular with the Whiting Bay public that they were soon moved to the main hall, and the band, never for-mally named, became known as the ‘Jazz Café Band’. Over the years, the band was to play in most of the available venues on the island, including all the village halls and hostelries. But Whiting Bay Hall was always its spiritual home.
There was never any question about who was band leader. John was the ‘pro’, his lifelong commitment to jazz shining through. Focus was on ‘trad’, the popular American music of the 1920s and 30s, and the band covered a vast range of standards over the years. His knowledge of the genre was encyclopaedic and his understanding immense. He was however the very definition of ‘self-effacing, sharing credit with the whole band and never, ever seeking the limelight.
Under John’s inspiration and leadership, the JCB was always tight, and sometimes hot as well. Fortunately, colleagues overcame John’s reluctance to record his music, and his playing is immortalised in the two Jazz Café albums, ‘Just My Size’ and ‘Midnight in Machrie’, as well as a number of sublime duets with Spike Bayne (tenor) on Youtube. While trad jazz was John’s obsession, he was not afraid to innovate, and ‘going off piste’ with classics like Steamroller Blues and House of the Rising Sun were memorable features of a jazz night at Whiting Bay.
Over the years the ‘JCB’ had ‘more members than Fleetwood Mac’, often joining as novices, but leaving with new skills and a love of jazz. John’s sympathetic, low-key mentorship changed everyone’s musical lives for the better.
John Tilbury was a member of the Jazz Café between 2008 and 2011. He writes:
“My experience with the band defined my approach to the bass guitar, which remains integral to my playing to this day. John Gibson was a terrific band leader, with a humble sense of humour that al-ways tickled the audience, and understated his exceptional skill on the trombone.
“He knew the strengths of his band members and put them in the spotlight, showcasing the gorgeous singing of Biff Simpson, and offering regular rhythm breaks for myself, Tom Buchan (rhythm guitar) and Malcom Kerr (drums). John put his faith in my playing early on by dropping me into the deep end at one gig. He decided to play Sweet Georgia Brown, a fast and lively number that was unrehearsed and entirely unknown to me. We steamed through it like it was a staple in our set, alt-hough the panicked look on my face may have suggested otherwise.
“John’s own playing was a vital element to the Café, giving it a strong personality, and the moments where he would take to the microphone were wonderfully droll. It’s been a good long time since my Jazz Café days, but they are always fond memories, and I thank John deeply for the opportunity to grow so much as a musician.”
Dave Payn notes: “John Gibson was well known to Arranachs as a fine performer of jazz but he was equally at home with both Arran Brass Band and Arran Brass Monkeys Quintet, which involved turning his hand to a number of other musical styles. I feel that my own musical appreciation and knowledge was deeply enhanced by knowing him and his music.”
And Samantha Payn: “John’s gentle jazz hand guided me, an orchestrally trained musician, away from notes on a stave into adventures with charts and chord names. I loved my time on sousaphone with the Jazz Café, playing around with rhythms in the bass, and even improvising solos. His musical generosity enriched my life and I shall always be grateful to him for that.”
What else will we remember about John? He was socially and politically aware and threw his lot in with Yes in 2014. His love of collies, and horses. The camper van. An annual pilgrimage to Woolfest in loyal support of Roslyn’s passion for crafts. His single-minded attention to Roslyn’s welfare when her health deteriorated. His undisguised contempt for raffles!
A group of old friends met, just a week after his death, for a relaxed celebration of John’s life. We listened to the Jazz Café CDs, and reviewed an extensive archive of photos of the Band’s gigs over the years. Then sang and played a few tunes. We suspect that there will be no formal funeral or service of remembrance. In a final act of self-effacement, John donated his body to medical science. But he will not be forgotten any time soon.
Malcolm Kerr
