A couple of other reviews: Irish Times: * * * *

The young English-born, Glasgow-resident pianist Tom Gibbs will be familiar to many Irish listeners from his playing in vocalist Lauren Kinsella’s adventurous Thought Fox quintet.

His second album under his own name features long-time Scottish co-conspirator, bassist Euan Burton, alongside the much-admired New York-based saxophonist Will Vinson and drummer James Maddren, all rising stars in their own rights, and the chemistry within the quartet is evident from the first note. The leader’s tunes are a cheerfully melancholic blend of sweet and sour, and the group bring them to life with a lightness of touch and a simmering energy that strikes a fine balance between simplicity and density.

Vinson is the recording’s dominant voice, always lyrical and creative whether on alto or soprano, but Gibbs also impresses, a thoughtful, understated pianist with a delicate touch informed by his mentor, John Taylor, and discernible traces of Fred Hersch and Brad Mehldau.

The Scotsman: * * * *

PIANIST Tom Gibbs has made a big impression on the Scottish jazz scene in recent years, and follows his co-led recording debut with bassistEuan Burton in 2010 with this strong quartet session. Burton again features in the band, alongside New York-based saxophonist Will Vinson – a major asset – and the increasingly ubiquitous James Maddren on drums. As well as the pianist’s fluent improvisations, the disc provides a showcase for his attractive compositions, which balance a bright, approachable lyricism with more intricate harmonic and rhythmic depths, and provide plenty for the musicians to get their teeth into. The album opens and closes with absorbing uptempo tunes, Jumanji and Tiny Leaps, and the tender, graceful Rebecca Song is a dedication to his young daughter. The most intriguing track, Farming Stock, is also the shortest and most experimental.

A couple of good reviews have come in already, here is one:   http://lance-bebopspokenhere.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/cd-review-tom-gibbs-fear-of-flying.html

I’m very pleased to announce that my new album is going off to the manufacturer this week. The album will be released by Whirlwind Recordings on the 15th October. On November 21st, we start a UK tour to promote the record, taking in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Leeds, Cardiff, London and Poole. I will be posting some images of the album and updating the site generally in the next wee while.

Tom

I had the fortune of getting to play at 12 Points Festival in Porto last week. One of the groups I play with Thought Fox was selected as the Irish representative. This was a really fantastic festival and thank you to all those at IMC who organised it, and also to our gracious Portugese hosts. I thought I’d give a shout out to some of the other bands who were also showcased at the event. Besides getting to play in a stunning venue (Casa da Musica) hearing these other bands was the real highlight of the trip. All performers are on the website but here are a few I really liked:

Big Blue (Finland);   Actuum (France);  Schneeweiss und Rosenrot (Germany) De Beren Gieren (Belgium);   WSP (England);  Girls in Airports (Denmark)

Edible highlight