David Gibson is a New York-based trombonist, composer, arranger, bandleader, and educator whose music balances post-bop precision with emotional transparency. Influenced by jazz trombone greats like J.J. Johnson and Slide Hampton, he has performed with artists such as Roy Hargrove, Jon Faddis, James Moody, and the Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band, and has played a defining role as composer and arranger in Orrin Evans’s GRAMMY-nominated Captain Black Big Band.

Originally from Yukon, Oklahoma, Gibson developed as a musician through a strong public school music program and early mentorship from trombonist Paul Brewer. He studied at the University of Central Oklahoma and earned a master’s degree in jazz composition from the Eastman School of Music. After several formative years in Rochester’s funk, reggae, and salsa scenes, he relocated to New York in 1999, becoming a fixture at Spike Wilner’s Salt venue and part of a community of emerging players including Ian Hendrickson-Smith and Jeremy Manasia.

Gibson released his debut Maya in 2002 and later formed a working band that found its voice on A Little Somethin’ (2009) and continued to evolve on albums like Boom! (2015), Inner Agent (2016) and Fellowship (2024). His most recent release, Darkness Blooms (La Reserve), was recorded live at GB’s Juke Joint and features his road-tested working quartet.

In both his music and teaching, Gibson emphasizes humility, listening, and collective expression. “I don’t go to the bandstand because I’m so good,” he says. “I go to the bandstand because the music is so good. And I want to be part of it.”