T. Scott Boatright, Reporter
04-17-2009
You’ll have to excuse Lawrence Gibbs if he stops to catch his breath sometime this weekend, but by the time it’s over, he’ll deserve it.The clarinetist and assistant professor of music at Louisiana Tech has a busy weekend on tap, and he can’t wait to get started.
“This is the kind of weekend I can handle only every so often, but I’m excited,” Gibbs said. “I’m ready to start getting down to it.”
Gibbs gets down to it by putting on two weekend shows as he conducts the Louisiana Tech Jazz Ensemble today before “Swinging Into Spring” with a performance from the Lawrence Gibbs Orchestra Saturday.
Gibbs, a University of Louisiana-Monroe graduate, not only serves as a professor of music and director of his own namesake band. He is also the principal clarinetist for the Monroe Symphony Orchestra, performs with the South Arkansas Symphony, the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra and is the founder and director of The Russ-Town Band, a select community band based in Ruston.
During a five-year stint in Las Vegas with the late Monroe great Billy Ledbetter’s Show Band, Gibbs performed with such notables as Bob Hope, Liberace, The Nelson Riddle Orchestra, Connie Francis, Susan Anton and the gospel group The Martins.
Gibbs joined the Louisiana Tech University faculty in 1989, where he directs Tech’s Jazz Ensemble, the University’s Symphonic Band and assists with the Marching Band of Pride.
“The great thing about this weekend is that the shows are going to be totally different,” Gibbs said. “I only conduct the Jazz Ensemble, and they’ll cover the whole gamut back to Gene Krupa and the Big Band sound to blues and other more modern jazz.
“Then on Saturday I get to break out the clarinet and play Big Band swing music. We’ll keep the theme of spring at the forefront, so we’ll do things like Stan Kenton’s ‘Spring is Here’ and other jazz standards from the 1940s and ’50s.”
Gibbs is also excited to have two guests join him during his Saturday performance.
“Lisa Lee McCalman is a regular singer with us and she’ll be doing ‘Blue Skies’ and ‘Nice Work If You Can Get It, Gibbs said. “She’s one of those people who can sing anything.
“The other guest is a special one — kind of a best friend, a family friend. Billy’s (Ledbetter) oldest sister is an incredible singer. Her name is Nancy Wilson — no, not the great, well-known jazz singer Nancy Wilson, but I’d put this one up against the original anytime. This is Nancy L. Wilson, and getting to hear her sing will be a real treat.”
Gibbs said his orchestra show also will include a little music written by clarinetist Benny Goodman.
As long as it has horns and that Big Band kind of swing, Gibbs is content with all kinds of music.
“The Big Band era is not dead; it never has been,” Gibbs said. “It might not be at the forefront anymore, but it’s still going strong. You just find it in different forms.”
Gibbs’ weekend shows on tap:
The Louisiana Tech Jazz Ensemble
When: Today, 7 p.m.
Where: Howard Auditorium, Louisiana Tech campus
Cost: Free of charge
Lawrence Gibbs Orchestra
When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Dixie Center for the Arts
Cost: $18 orchestra, $15 balcony; senior citizens: $15 orchestra/$12 balcony; students: $10 day of show; For tickets, call 255-1450.
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