ASU Faculty & Alumni Jazztet

Clark Gibson is a jazz saxophonist, composer and the Director of Education at The Nash in Phoenix, AZ. He is a highly sought after adjudicator and clinician throughout the country. His forward-thinking music is strongly rooted in the traditions of jazz musicians of the 20th century, the history of Western classical music, his own life experiences, as well as musical traditions from cultures across the globe.

Clark’s professional career began in Denver, Colorado performing popular music genres such as jazz, funk, blues and more. While there, he formed his own group, the Clark Gibson Quartet which was nominated for “Best Jazz Group in Colorado” by Westword Magazine and released his first independently released CD “The Offering”.

Clark received his Bachelor of Music in jazz at Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, WA. During his studies, he stayed busy teaching his own private students and performing with such notables as the Temptations, the Four Tops, the Jim Knapp Orchestra, Lalo Rodriguez, Nueve Era, Tombau, the Jim Kerl Big Band and Dina Martin, as well as performing with a host of local masters including Jay Thomas, Greta Matassa, Clarence Acox, Greg Williamson and the Pony Boy All-Star Big Band.

In 2010, Clark recorded his second album “Iapetus,” released on Pony Boy Records, which featured his latest original compositions and arrangements.

From 2012-2015, Clark completed his masters and doctoral degree at the University of Illinois. During this time, he recorded a third album as a leader self-titled as the “Old Style Sextet”. The cd received high reviews and national airplay through BluJazz Records based out of Chicago, IL as well as received 2nd Place in the international jazz & blues competition at the Venetian in Macau, China. 

In 2015, Clark released Charlie Parker with Strings: The Lost Arrangements through BluJazz Records. The recording is receiving national attention from radio as well as positive reviews in publications such as Down Beat, allaboutjazz.com, the L.A. Jazz Scene and Oklaoma Magazine.

Clark Gibson’s upcoming release “Tri-Colored Eyes” is set to be released in early 2019. The album is all original music featuring Euan Edmonds on trombone, Jim Pisano on tenor saxophone, Pat Bianchi on B3 organ and Jeremy Thomas on drums.

Keep an eye out for a new release in 2022 featuring Sean Jones, Michael Dease, Nick Mancini, Pat Bianchi and Lewis Nash.

Andrew Gross is a Professional Jazz Saxophonist and educator. He performs regularly with the Phoenix Symphony and works freelance with many local Jazz and Contemporary Music groups and ensembles. He has played on numerous recordings including three of his own. Andrew has been a featured soloist on GCU Faculty Recitals and the GCU Thunder Big Band, Mesa Community College Big Band.

Andrew is a devoted instructor. For the last three years he was the Saxophone instructor at GCU, and taught the Saxophone and Clarinet Woodwind Methods. He also developed and directed the saxophone quartet. This year Andrew will be the Director of the Big Thunder Jazz Band.

In addition to his academic role at GCU, Andrew is the Music Director for Young Sounds of Arizona, a youth program, composed of two big bands and a small combo, dedicated to developing not only excellent musicianship but the social skills needed to be successful. His students regularly achieve numerous honors and regularly secure scholarships for college. In addition, Andrew is regularly requested as the clinician by high schools in the valley and as instructor of summer camp programs that feature jazz bands. Andrew maintains a large private teaching studio of saxophone and clarinet students in the Phoenix Area.

Andrew received a Masters of Music Performance from Arizona State University and a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Jazz and Contemporary Music with honors from the New School University in New York, NY. He studied with a number of well known Jazz Musicians, including Chris Potter, Rufus Reid, Rich Perry, Tony Malaby, Dewey Redman, and Reggie Workman.

I am a Grammy-nominated trombonist, writer, electronic musician, entrepreneur, and Dad to two fascinating teenage boys.

I am hopelessly curious and love to share what I’ve learned in order to help musicians. My passion is to guide musicians in how to think better about improvisation and the ability to connect their creative musical voice to their instrument, no matter which instrument they play.

The secret I share in my books, videos, courses, and talks is that the music is already inside you. Amplify it through your instrument by getting out of its way. If your improvising or musicianship is not all you wish it were, it’s likely because you’ve been convinced that the music originates in your instrument or can somehow be manufactured through your analytical reasoning.

The music inside you will flow from your instrument once you confidently connect your instrument to your musical mind. THAT’S where your music originates and THAT’s your state of flow. I’ve helped many musicians get much closer to that and I can probably help you.