Frank Gibson, Jr.

Frank Gibson, Jr. (born 1946) is a New Zealand jazz drummer and drum tutor. His father, also Frank Gibson, was drummer and leader of the first rock’n’roll band in the country, Frank Gibson’s Rock’n’Rollers.

Before going to the UK in 1977, Gibson had formed Dr Tree, the first jazz fusion album in NZ, as well as working with The Neophonic Orchestra, and accompanying touring international stars such as Dionne Warwick, The Temptations and Glen Campbell.

As a highly sought-after session and studio musician, Gibson Jr. was active in the UK in the late 70s. As well as working with David Essex on a live BBC TV show for six weeks, he played and toured with Dusty Springfield.

Together with fellow New Zealand session musician, bassist Bruce Lynch, Gibson was an early member of Morrissey–Mullen, a pioneering jazz-fusion group which had a heavy schedule in London, which included a two-week residency at Ronnie Scott's alternating sets with Dizzy Gillespie. He also played straight-ahead jazz with Tony Lee, amongst others, before being "spotted" by Leo Sayer and joining him on a six-month world tour in 1978, and with whom he worked for three years.

Other recordings during that time include The Walker Brothers' Nite Flights, PAZ's "PAZ are Back", Ray Warleigh's Reverie (1977), with John Taylor on piano and Ron Mathewson on bass.

Gibson and Lynch recorded with Rick Wakeman on "Rhapsodies" produced by Tony Visconti, also performing at the Montreux Jazz Festival, Drury Lane and on a television special in Munich. He also recorded on a comeback album for Lonnie Donegan called Putting On The Style featuring Elton John, Brian May and Ray Cooper.

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