T. K. Blue (also known as Talib Kibwe, born Eugene Rhynie, February 7, 1953)TK Blue Artist Profile
Motéma Music. is an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

saxophonist,

flautist The flute is a family of classical music instrument in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, meaning they make sound by vibrating a column of air. However, unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is a reedless ...

, composer and educator from

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. His parents were

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...

n and

Trinidadian Trinidadians and Tobagonians, colloquially known as Trinis or Trinbagonians, are the people who are identified with the country of Trinidad and Tobago. The country is home to people of many different national, ethnic and religious origins. As a ...

, and he has used their Afro-Caribbean musical styles in his own work. He has worked with, among others, Don Cherry, Jayne Cortez, the South African pianist

Dollar Brand Abdullah Ibrahim (born Adolph Johannes Brand on 9 October 1934 and formerly known as Dollar Brand) is a South African pianist and composer. His music reflects many of the musical influences of his childhood in the multicultural port areas of Cap ...

(now Abdullah Ibrahim), and

Randy Weston Randolph Edward "Randy" Weston (April 6, 1926 – September 1, 2018) was an American jazz pianist and composer whose creativity was inspired by his ancestral African connection. Weston's piano style owed much to Duke Ellington and Thelonious M ...

, for whom he was musical director. Blue has also taught at professorial level at of jazz studies at educational institutions including

Suffolk Community College Suffolk County Community College (SCCC) is a public community college in Selden, New York. It is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system and is funded in part by Suffolk County, New York. Suffolk County Community College was ...

, Montclair State University, and

Long Island University Long Island University (LIU) is a private university with two main campuses, LIU Post and LIU Brooklyn, in the U.S. state of New York. It offers more than 500 academic programs at its main campuses, online, and at multiple non-residential. LIU ...

Biography

Early years and education

He was born in the Bronx, NY, to a Trinidadian mother and Jamaican father, and grew up on Long Island, NY. T.K. Blue began his life in music from his Lakeview hometown by playing trumpet from the ages of eight to 10, and then switching to drums for a year. After a hiatus, at the age of 17 he dedicated himself to music by learning flute. While attending

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, the ...

between 1971 and 1975 with a double major in Music and Psychology, Blue threw himself headlong into music, concentrating on the saxophone. During these undergraduate years, he lived in the East Village, partaking in the full range of the scene, from lessons with elders to deep involvement in the avant-garde. He participated in the Jazzmobile program, studying jazz theory, harmony, sight-reading, rhythmic training, improvisation and big-band performance, with

Jimmy Heath James Edward Heath (October 25, 1926 – January 19, 2020), nicknamed Little Bird, was an American jazz saxophonist, composer, arranger, and big band A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually co ...

Chris Woods Christopher Charles Eric Woods (born 14 November 1959) is an English football coach and former professional footballer, who is goalkeeping coach for the Scotland national team. As a player, he was a goalkeeper who played in the Football Leag ...

Sonny Red Sylvester Kyner Jr. (December 17, 1932 – March 20, 1981), known as Sonny Red, was an American jazz alto saxophonist and composer associated with the hard bop idiom among other styles. Sonny Red played with Art Blakey, Curtis Fuller, Paul Quin ...

, Frank Foster, Jimmy Owens,

Ernie Wilkins Ernest Brooks Wilkins Jr. (July 20, 1922 – June 5, 1999) was an American jazz saxophonist, conductor and arranger who spent several years with Count Basie. He also wrote for Tommy Dorsey, Harry James, and Dizzy Gillespie. He was musical direc ...

, Thad Jones and Billy Taylor."Biography"
T.K. Blue website. At

Jazz Interactions Jazz Interactions, Inc. is a non-profit-making organization whose aim is "to stimulate a greater awareness of jazz by providing jazz information and educational services to New York metropolitan area." The organization was founded in the early 1960 ...

, Blue studied with

Rahsaan Roland Kirk Rahsaan Roland Kirk (born Ronald Theodore Kirk; August 7, 1935Kernfeld, Barry.Kirk, Roland" ''The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz'', 2nd ed. Ed. Barry Kernfeld. ''Grove Music Online''. ''Oxford Music Online''. Retrieved February 1, 2009-. "The year ...

Yusef Lateef Yusef Abdul Lateef (born William Emanuel Huddleston; October 9, 1920 – December 23, 2013) was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist, composer, and prominent figure among the Ahmadiyya Community in America. Although Lateef's main instruments ...

and Joe Newman, and at the Henry Street Settlement with Billy Mitchell and bassist Paul West. In 1979 Blue received his Master's in Music Education from Teachers College at

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

Career

After performing and traveling extensively with Abdullah Ibrahim (Dollar Brand) from 1977 to 1980 – variously billed during this period as Talib Qadr, Talib Qadir Kibwe and Talib Abdul Kadr – Blue moved to

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

in December 1981, remaining there until 1989. In 1986 he recorded ''Egyptian Oasis'', his first record as a leader, and that sparked a number of

State Department The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the Federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government responsible for the country's fore ...

tours to some 20 countries in Africa. Back in the USA since 1990, he has worked constantly, in a wide range of styles and situations, and recorded his second CD, ''Introducing Talib Kibwe'', released on

Evidence Evidence for a proposition is what supports this proposition. It is usually understood as an indication that the supported proposition is true. What role evidence plays and how it is conceived varies from field to field. In epistemology, evidenc ...

in 1996. His more recent recordings as leader include 2008's ''Follow the North Star'', a suite inspired by the life of

Solomon Northup Solomon Northup (born July 10, 1807-1808) was an American abolitionist and the primary author of the memoir ''Twelve Years a Slave''. A free-born African American from New York, he was the son of a freed slave and a free woman of color. A far ...

(commissioned by the

New York State Council on the Arts The New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) is an arts council serving the U.S. state of New York. It was established in 1960 through a bill introduced in the New York State Legislature by New York State Senator MacNeil Mitchell (1905–1996), ...

), ''Latin Bird'' (2011 – "Highly recommended" by

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

's reviewer Ken Dryden), and in 2014 ''A Warm Embrace'', about which Don Bilawsky on '' All About Jazz'' has written: "Blue's skills as an arranger, perhaps more than anything else, are responsible for the success of this project, as he's able to create beauty from simplicity at times.... ''A Warm Embrace'' is simply a beautiful work of art." His 2019 album ''The Rhythms Continue'' is a tribute to

, with whose group T. K. Blue worked from the 1980s, taking on the role of music director and arranger in 1989. The ''

New York City Jazz Record ''The New York City Jazz Record'' is a monthly New York City based publication that includes features, reviews and concert announcements regarding jazz music. It is available in print form (black and white hardcopy) as well as online at www.nycjazz ...

'' characterized the CD as "possibly his most heartfelt, a dedication to the memory of his longtime employer and mentor. ... Blue performed in Weston's African Rhythms band for 38 years, his life deeply affected by his relationship with the legendary pianist." Described by the ''

New York Amsterdam News The ''Amsterdam News'' (also known as ''New York Amsterdam News'') is a weekly Black-owned newspaper serving New York City. It is one of the oldest newspapers geared toward African Americans in the United States and has published columns by s ...

'' as "a memorable suite of 19 enthralling compositions by Weston, Melba Liston and Blue", it features other members of Weston's band – bassist

Alex Blake Alex Blake (born Alejandro Blake Fearon Jr.) is a jazz bass player. Biography Blake was born in Panama and moved to the United States at the age of 7, growing up in Brooklyn, NY. He began his career with Sun Ra in his band Arkestra. He became o ...

, tenor saxophonist

Billy Harper Billy Harper (born January 17, 1943) is an American jazz saxophonist, "one of a generation of John Coltrane, Coltrane-influenced tenor saxophonists" with a distinctively stern, hard-as-nails sound on his instrument.Chris KelseyBilly Harper Biogr ...

, and percussionist Neil Clarke – with guest pianists Sharp Radway, Mike King, Keith Brown and Kelly Green, as well as

Min Xiao Fen Min Xiao-Fen () is a Chinese-American pipa player, vocalist, and composer known for her work in traditional Chinese music, contemporary classical music, and jazz. Life Min Xiao-Fen studied with her father, Min Jiqian (闵季骞), a music profess ...

on pipa. Augmenting his long-term relationships as musical director with Weston, as well as with the

Spirit of Life Ensemble Spirit or spirits may refer to: Liquor and other volatile liquids * Spirits, a.k.a. liquor, distilled alcoholic drinks * Spirit or tincture, an extract of plant or animal material dissolved in ethanol * Volatile (especially flammable) liquids, ...

at New York's Sweet Basil jazzclub, Blue's other recent affiliations include: Odadaa, a group led by a drummer from

Ghana Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...

Yacub Addy Yacub Addy (April 15, 1931 – December 18, 2014) was a Ghanaian traditional drummer, composer, choreographer and educator who collaborated with many musicians in various genres, including Wynton Marsalis. He has been referred to as "the leading ...

; percussionist Norman Hedman's pan-African band Tropique;

tap dance Tap dance is a form of dance characterized by using the sounds of tap shoes striking the floor as a form of percussion. Two major variations on tap dance exist: rhythm (jazz) tap and Broadway tap. Broadway tap focuses on dance; it is widely perfo ...

r Joseph's Tap and Rap, to jazz tunes by

Charlie Parker Charles Parker Jr. (August 29, 1920 – March 12, 1955), nicknamed "Bird" or "Yardbird", was an American jazz saxophonist, band leader and composer. Parker was a highly influential soloist and leading figure in the development of bebop, a form ...

and John Coltrane; and emerging singer Jeffrey Smith. T.K. was part of the June 2008 photo session called "A Great Day In Paris" — in homage to Art Kane's historic 1958 photograph '' A Great Day in Harlem'' — that featured more than 50 musicians from the USA who resided there. For several years an adjunct professor at

and Montclair State University, Blue was also a full-time professor and director of jazz studies at Long Island University-LIU-Post."Biography"
T.K.Blue.

Discography

As leader

* 1986: ''Egyptian Oasis'' (Anais Records)Discography
T.K.Blue. * 1993: ''Taja – A Night at Birdland'' (Rise Up; B000005R1G) * 1996: ''Introducing Talib Kibwe'' (

) * 1999: ''Another Blue'' (

Arkadia Jazz Arkadia Records is an independent record label that was founded in 1996. The label was founded in New York City by Bob Karcy, who had been a manager for musicians and an independent record producer. The first release was Billy Taylor's ''Music Kee ...

) * 2001: ''Eyes of the Elders'', with Randy Brecker, Joanne Brackeen, Lonnie Plaxico and Jeff "Tain" Watts (Arkadia Jazz) * 2003: ''Rhythm in Blue'' (Jaja Records) * 2007: ''In a Sentimental Mood: A Jazz Tribute to Dr Chris Culver'' (T.K. Blue) * 2008: ''Follow the North Star'', with

Steve Turre Stephen Johnson Turre (born September 12, 1948, in Omaha, Nebraska) is an American jazz trombonist and a pioneer of using Conch (instrument), seashells as instruments, a composer, arranger, and educator at the collegiate-conservatory level. For ...

James Weidman James Edward Weidman Jr. , (born July 14, 1953, in Youngstown, Ohio) is an American jazz pianist. Weidman's father was a saxophonist who led his own band. He began playing piano when he was eight years old and eventually became electric organist ...

Onaje Allan Gumbs Onaje Allan Gumbs (born Allan Bentley Gumbs, September 3, 1949 – April 6, 2020) ...

Essiet Okon Essiet Essiet Okon Essiet (born September 1, 1956 in Omaha, Nebraska) is an American jazz double-bassist. Essiet's parents were Nigerian immigrants to the United States.Lara Pellegrinelli, "Essiet Essiet". '' The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz''. 2nd editi ...

, Willie Martinez and Kevin Jones (a musical retelling of the story of

(Jaja Records) * 2010: ''C.W. Post Jazz'' * 2011: ''Latin Bird'' ( Motéma Music) * 2013: ''Live at Hillwood Recital Hall'' * 2014: ''A Warm Embrace'' (Jaja Records) * 2017: ''Amour'' (Dot Time Records) * 2019: ''The Rhythms Continue'' (Jaja Records)Consideine, J. D.
"T.K. Blue: The Rhythms Continue (JAJA) , A review of the alto saxophonist's tribute album to Randy Weston"
''JazzTimes'', November 18, 2019.

As sideman

With

All-Stars *''Thank You, Duke! Our Tribute To Duke Ellington'' (1998) With Jayne Cortez and The Firespitters *''Cheerful And Optimistic'' (1995) *''Taking The Blues Back Home'' (1996) *''Borders Of Disorderly Time'' (2003) With Abdullah Ibrahim *'' The Journey'' (1977) *''African Tears and Laughter'' (1977) *''South African Liberation Songs'' (1979) With

Benny Powell Benny Powell (March 1, 1930 – June 26, 2010) was an American jazz trombonist. He played both standard (tenor) trombone and bass trombone. Biography Born Benjamin Gordon Powell Jr in New Orleans, Louisiana, he first played professionally ...

*''Why Don’t You Say Yes Sometime'' (1991) *''The Gift Of Love'' (2003) With Sam Rivers *''

Colours Color (American English) or colour (British English) is the visual perceptual property deriving from the spectrum of light interacting with the photoreceptor cells of the eyes. Color categories and physical specifications of color are associa ...

'' (Black Saint, 1982) With

Jimmy Scott James Victor Scott (July 17, 1925 – June 12, 2014), known professionally as Little Jimmy Scott or Jimmy Scott, was an American jazz vocalist known for his high natural contralto voice and his sensitivity on ballads and love songs. After ...

*''All Of Me: Live In Tokyo'' (2004) With The Spirit of Life Ensemble *''Inspiration'' (1992) *''Feel The Spirit'' (1994) *''Live At The Pori Jazz Festival'' (1996) *''Collage'' (1998) *''25 Twenty-Five'' (2000) With

*''

The Spirits of Our Ancestors ''The Spirits Of Our Ancestors'' is an album by pianist Randy Weston that was recorded in 1991 and issued on the Verve label. While all of the compositions (with the exception of one traditional Moroccan song) were composed by Weston himself, the ...

'' (1991) *''Volcano Blues'' (1993) *''Saga'' (1995) *'' Khepera'' (1998) *'' Spirit! The Power Of Music'' (2000) *''The African Nubian Suite'' (2016)

References

External links

Official website

Verve on T. Kibwe
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blue, T.K. 1953 births 20th-century American male musicians 20th-century American saxophonists 21st-century American male musicians 21st-century American saxophonists American jazz flautists African-American jazz musicians African-American saxophonists American jazz educators American jazz saxophonists American male saxophonists American male jazz musicians American musicians of Caribbean descent American musicians of Jamaican descent American people of Trinidad and Tobago descent Columbia University alumni Living people Long Island University faculty People from the East Village, Manhattan Motéma Music artists Montclair State University faculty Musicians from New York City Suffolk County Community College faculty Jazz musicians from New York (state) 20th-century African-American musicians 21st-century African-American musicians 20th-century flautists 21st-century flautists