Staff Biography

Jeff Gibbens
Brass Consultant

Since 1976, Jeff Gibbens has been involved in the Drum & Bugle Corps activity. He has been a member of the Erie Thunderbirds, Erie Excaliber, Erie Thunderbirds Alumni and the Empire Statesmen. He is currently the director, music composer/arranger and brass instructor for the Erie Thunderbirds Alumni, and has led them to six DCA Mini Corps Championships (’93, ’94, ’95, ’96, ’98 & ’02).

Jeff marched with the Empire Statesmen in 1998, ’99, 2000, 2001 & 2002 and was featured regularly as a soprano soloist. In 2000, Jeff, along with long time Empire Statesmen, Shawn Haliquist won the Brass Duet competition on soprano bugles at DCA’s I & E’s. In 2002 he played the part of the “bartender” and in 2005, with the Honor Guard.

A professional musician since 1980, Jeff  has become one of the tri-state area’s most requested trumpet artists. Known for his powerful, bold sound and almost unlimited register, he is in constant demand as a lead trumpeter as well as jazz, combo, classical and sideman, traveling throughout the eastern United States and Canada. He has appeared with nationally known artists such as Bob Newhart, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, The Temptations,  Debbie Boone, Huey Lewis and the News, The Manhattan Transfer, Bobby Vinton, Al Martino, the Larry Elgart Orchestra, Ringling Bros. & Barnham and Bailey Circus, the Ice Capades, the Oak Ridge Boys and many others. He currently plays lead trumpet for Erie’s Dave Stevens Big Band (and is featured on their sensational CD, “SoundStorm”), Ron Chick’s “Friends” Big Band from Youngstown, Ohio, the Madison Jazz Project from Madison, Ohio, and the Babaloo Big Band (Lucille Ball Festival) in Jamestown NY.