Edmund Leonard Thigpen (December 28, 1930 – January 13, 2010) was an American jazz drummer, best known for his work with the

Oscar Peterson Oscar Emmanuel Peterson (August 15, 1925 – December 23, 2007) was a Canadian virtuoso jazz pianist and composer. Considered one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time, Peterson released more than 200 recordings, won seven Grammy Awards, ...

trio from 1959 to 1965. Thigpen also performed with the Billy Taylor trio from 1956 to 1959.

Biography

Born in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rock ...

, United States, Thigpen was raised in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

, and attended Thomas Jefferson High School, where

Art Farmer Arthur Stewart Farmer (August 21, 1928 – October 4, 1999) was an American jazz trumpeter and flugelhorn player. He also played flumpet, a trumpet–flugelhorn combination especially designed for him. He and his identical twin brother, doub ...

Dexter Gordon Dexter Gordon (February 27, 1923 – April 25, 1990) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, composer, bandleader, and actor. He was among the most influential early bebop musicians, which included other greats such as Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gi ...

and

Chico Hamilton Foreststorn "Chico" Hamilton (September 20, 1921 – November 25, 2013) was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. He came to prominence as sideman for Lester Young, Gerry Mulligan, Count Basie, and Lena Horne. Hamilton became a bandleader ...

also attended. After majoring in sociology at

Los Angeles City College Los Angeles City College (LACC) is a public community college in East Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. A part of the Los Angeles Community College District, it is located on Vermont Avenue south of Santa Monica Boulevard on the former campu ...

, Thigpen returned to East St. Louis for one year to pursue music while living with his father who had been playing with Andy Kirk's Clouds of Joy. His father, Ben Thigpen, was a drummer who played with Andy Kirk for sixteen years during the 1930s and 1940s. Thigpen first worked professionally in New York City with the

Cootie Williams Charles Melvin "Cootie" Williams (July 10, 1911 – September 15, 1985) was an American jazz, jump blues, and rhythm and blues trumpeter. Biography Born in Mobile, Alabama, Williams began his professional career at the age of 14 with the Y ...

orchestra from 1951 to 1952 at the

Savoy Ballroom The Savoy Ballroom was a large ballroom for music and public dancing located at 596 Lenox Avenue, between 140th and 141st Streets in the Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. Lenox Avenue was the main thoroughfare through upper Harlem ...

. During this time he played with musicians such as

Dinah Washington Dinah Washington (born Ruth Lee Jones; August 29, 1924 – December 14, 1963) was an American singer and pianist, who has been cited as "the most popular black female recording artist of the 1950s songs". Primarily a jazz vocalist, she performe ...

Gil Mellé Gilbert John Mellé (31 December 1931 – 28 October 2004) was an American artist, jazz musician and film composer. Life and career In the 1950s, Mellé created the cover art for albums by Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk and Sonny Rollins. Mel ...

, Oscar Pettiford, Eddie Vinson, Paul Quinichette, Ernie Wilkins, Charlie Rouse, Lennie Tristano,

Jutta Hipp Jutta Hipp (February 4, 1925 – April 7, 2003) was a jazz pianist and composer. Born in Leipzig during the Weimar Republic, Hipp initially listened to jazz in secret, as it was not approved of by the Nazi authorities. After World War II, she bec ...

Johnny Hodges Cornelius "Johnny" Hodges (July 25, 1907 – May 11, 1970) was an American alto saxophonist, best known for solo work with Duke Ellington's big band. He played lead alto in the saxophone section for many years. Hodges was also featured on soprano ...

, Dorothy Ashby,

Bud Powell Earl Rudolph "Bud" Powell (September 27, 1924 – July 31, 1966) was an American jazz pianist and composer. Along with Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, Kenny Clarke and Dizzy Gillespie, Powell was a leading figure in the development of mode ...

, and Billy Taylor. In 1959, he replaced guitarist

Herb Ellis Mitchell Herbert Ellis (August 4, 1921 – March 28, 2010), known professionally as Herb Ellis, was an American jazz guitarist. During the 1950s, he was in a trio with pianist Oscar Peterson. Biography Born in Farmersville, Texas, and raised ...

in the

Trio in

Toronto, Ontario Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

, Canada. In 1961 he recorded in Los Angeles, featuring on the Teddy Edwards–

Howard McGhee Howard McGhee (March 6, 1918 – July 17, 1987) was one of the first American bebop jazz trumpeters, with Dizzy Gillespie, Fats Navarro and Idrees Sulieman. He was known for his fast fingering and high notes. He had an influence on younger beb ...

Quintet album entitled ''Together Again'' for the

Contemporary Contemporary history, in English-language historiography, is a subset of modern history that describes the historical period from approximately 1945 to the present. Contemporary history is either a subset of the late modern period, or it is o ...

label with Phineas Newborn Jr. and Ray Brown. After leaving Peterson, Thigpen recorded the album ''Out of the Storm'' as a leader for Verve in 1966. He then went on to tour with

Ella Fitzgerald Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917June 15, 1996) was an American jazz singer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, in ...

from 1967 to 1972. In 1972, Thigpen moved to

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan a ...

, joining several other American jazz musicians who had settled in that city over the previous two decades. There he worked with fellow American expatriates, including Kenny Drew, Ernie Wilkins,

Thad Jones Thaddeus Joseph Jones (March 28, 1923 – August 20, 1986) was an American jazz trumpeter, composer, and bandleader who has been called "one of the all-time greatest jazz trumpet soloists". Biography Thad Jones was born in Pontiac, Michigan, U ...

, as well as leading

Danish jazz Danish jazz dates back to 1923 when Valdemar Eiberg formed a jazz orchestra and recorded what are thought to be the first Danish jazz records in August 1924 (" I've Got a Cross-Eyed Papa" and "In Bluebird Land"). However, jazz in Denmark is typic ...

musicians such as Svend Asmussen,

Mads Vinding Mads Vinding (born 7 December 1948, Copenhagen, Denmark) is a Danish jazz double-bassist. Music career Vinding began his professional career when he was 16 as the house bassist for Jazzhus Montmartre, a jazz club in Copenhagen. He has played ...

Alex Riel Alex Riel (born 13 September 1940) is a Danish jazz and rock drummer.''Jeg skal sgu sidde ved trommerne'' Af Bine Madsen. Dagbladenes Bureau, 9 February 2010. Same interview in Flensborg Avis, 17 February 2010, Side 18''Alex Riel'' Horsens F ...

and

Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen (, 27 May 1946 – 19 April 2005), also known by his abbreviated nickname NHØP, was a Danish jazz double bassist. Biography Pedersen was born in Osted, near Roskilde, on the Danish island of Zealand, the son of ...

. He also played with a variety of other leading musicians of the time, such as

Clark Terry Clark Virgil Terry Jr. (December 14, 1920 – February 21, 2015) was an American swing and bebop trumpeter, a pioneer of the flugelhorn in jazz, and a composer and educator. He played with Charlie Barnet (1947), Count Basie (1948–51), Duk ...

, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis,

Milt Jackson Milton Jackson (January 1, 1923 – October 9, 1999), nicknamed "Bags", was an American jazz vibraphonist, usually thought of as a bebop player, although he performed in several jazz idioms. He is especially remembered for his cool swinging so ...

and Monty Alexander. Thigpen died peacefully after a brief period in

Hvidovre Hospital Hvidovre Hospital is a hospital in Hvidovre near Copenhagen in Denmark. It is administered by the Capital Region of Denmark. The hospital was built from 1968 to 1979 and was officially opened on March 26, 1976. The hospital stands out for not ...

in Copenhagen on January 13, 2010. He had been hospitalized for heart and lung problems and was also suffering from

Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a long-term degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that mainly affects the motor system. The symptoms usually emerge slowly, and as the disease worsens, non-motor symptoms beco ...

. He is buried at Vestre Kirkegård.

Awards and recognition

Thigpen was inducted into the

Percussive Arts Society Percussive Arts Society (PAS) is a non-profit organization for professional percussionists and percussion educators. It was founded in 1961 in the United States and has over 5,000 members in 40 American chapters, with another 28 chapters abroad. It ...

Hall of Fame in 2002.

Discography

As leader

*1966: '' Out of the Storm'' (Verve) *1974: ''Action-Re-Action'' (

Sonet Records Sonet Records was a jazz, pop and rock record label operating as an imprint of Universal Music Sweden. It was founded in Sweden in 1956. Sonet Records was established by Sven Lindholm and Gunnar Bergström, who managed the label into the 1980s ...

) *1974: Explosive Drums (Black & Blue) *1990: ''Young Men and Olds'' ( Timeless Records) *1992: ''Mr. Taste'' (

Justin Time Records Justin Time Records is a Canadian record company and independent record label founded in Montreal by Jim West. It was established in 1983 and specialises in jazz and blues. Although Justin Time initially recorded Canadian musicians such as Olive ...

) ;

Stunt Records Stunt Records is an independent record label formed in 1990 by Daniel Amos, Terry Scott Taylor, and Tom Gulotta. This is different from the Stunt Records which is a jazz record label in Denmark. Discography # The Swirling Eddies – ''Swirling ...

*1990: ''Easy Flight'' *1998: ''It's Entertainment'' *2002: ''Element of Swing'' *2004: ''#1''

As sideman

With

Gene Ammons Eugene "Jug" Ammons (April 14, 1925 – August 6, 1974), also known as "The Boss", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. The son of boogie-woogie pianist Albert Ammons, Gene Ammons is remembered for his accessible music, steeped in soul and ...

*'' Velvet Soul'' (

Prestige Prestige refers to a good reputation or high esteem; in earlier usage, ''prestige'' meant "showiness". (19th c.) Prestige may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Films * ''Prestige'' (film), a 1932 American film directed by Tay Garnet ...

, 1962 964 *'' Angel Eyes'' (Prestige, 1962

965 Year 965 ( CMLXV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * Arab–Byzantine War: Emperor Nikephoros II conquers the fortress cities of Ta ...

*'' Sock!'' (Prestige, 1962,

With

Toshiko Akiyoshi is a Japanese–American jazz pianist, composer, arranger, and bandleader. Akiyoshi received fourteen Grammy Award nominations and was the first woman to win Best Arranger and Composer awards in '' Down Beat'' magazine's annual Readers' Poll. ...

*'' The Toshiko Trio'' ( Storyville, 1956) With Dorothy Ashby *'' The Jazz Harpist'' (Regent, 1957) With

Kenny Burrell Kenneth Earl Burrell (born July 31, 1931) is an American jazz guitarist known for his work on numerous top jazz labels: Prestige, Blue Note, Verve, CTI, Muse, and Concord. His collaborations with Jimmy Smith were notable, and produced the 1965 ...

*'' Earthy'' (Prestige, 1957) With

Benny Carter Bennett Lester Carter (August 8, 1907 – July 12, 2003) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, trumpeter, composer, arranger, and bandleader. With Johnny Hodges, he was a pioneer on the alto saxophone. From the beginning of his career ...

*'' Summer Serenade'' (Storyville, 1980 982 With Kenny Drew *'' Your Soft Eyes'' (Soul Note, 1981) With

*''

Three Trumpets ''Three Trumpets'' is an album by the Prestige All Stars nominally led by trumpeters Art Farmer, Donald Byrd and Idrees Sulieman, recorded in 1957 and released on the New Jazz label.Donald Byrd Donaldson Toussaint L'Ouverture Byrd II (December 9, 1932 – February 4, 2013) was an American jazz and rhythm & blues trumpeter and vocalist. A sideman for many other jazz musicians of his generation, Byrd was one of the few hard bop ...

and

Idrees Sulieman Idrees Sulieman (August 7, 1923 – July 23, 2002) was an American bop and hard bop trumpeter. Biography He was born Leonard Graham in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States, later changing his name to Idrees Sulieman, after converting to Is ...

*''

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

'' (Soul Note, 1981) With

*'' More Than You Know'' (SteepleChase, 1975) With Johnny Griffin *'' Blues for Harvey'' (SteepleChase, 1973) With

*'' At the Hickory House Volume 1'' (1956) *'' At the Hickory House Volume 2'' (1956) *'' Jutta Hipp with Zoot Sims'' (1956) With

Duke Jordan Irving Sidney "Duke" Jordan (April 1, 1922 – August 8, 2006) was an American jazz pianist. Biography Jordan was born in New York and raised in Brooklyn where he attended Boys High School. An imaginative and gifted pianist, Jordan was a regul ...

* '' Flight to Denmark'' (

SteepleChase Steeplechase may refer to: * Steeplechase (horse racing), a type of horse race in which participants are required to jump over obstacles * Steeplechase (athletics), an event in athletics that derives its name from the steeplechase in horse racing ...

, 1973 974 *''

Two Loves ''Two Loves'' is a 1961 American drama film directed by Charles Walters and starring Shirley MacLaine, Laurence Harvey, Jack Hawkins, and Nobu McCarthy. It is based on the book ''Spinster'' by Sylvia Ashton-Warner. It was entered into the 11th B ...

'' (SteepleChase, 1973 975 *''

Truth Truth is the property of being in accord with fact or reality.Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionarytruth 2005 In everyday language, truth is typically ascribed to things that aim to represent reality or otherwise correspond to it, such as belief ...

'' (SteepleChase, 1975 983 With

Mundell Lowe James Mundell Lowe (April 21, 1922 – December 2, 2017) was an American jazz guitarist who worked often in radio, television, and film, and as a session musician. He produced film and TV scores in the 1970s, such as the '' Billy Jack'' soundtra ...

*'' A Grand Night for Swinging'' (Riverside, 1957) With

and Teddy Edwards *'' Together Again!!!!'' (Contemporary, 1961) With

* '' Patterns in Jazz'' (1956; Blue Note) *''

Primitive Modern ''Primitive Modern'' is an album by saxophonist and composer Gil Mellé recorded in 1956 and released on the Prestige label.Gil's Guests ''Gil's Guests'' is an album by American saxophonist Gil Mellé recorded in 1956 and released on the Prestige label.

'' (1957;

) With Oscar Pettiford * ''Winner's Circle'' (1957;

Bethlehem Bethlehem (; ar, بيت لحم ; he, בֵּית לֶחֶם '' '') is a city in the central West Bank, Palestine, about south of Jerusalem. Its population is approximately 25,000,Amara, 1999p. 18.Brynen, 2000p. 202. and it is the capital ...

) With

* '' Oscar Peterson Plays "My Fair Lady"'' (1958, Verve) * ''

Sonny Stitt Sits in with the Oscar Peterson Trio ''Sonny Stitt Sits in with the Oscar Peterson Trio'' is a 1959 album by Sonny Stitt, accompanied by the Oscar Peterson trio. Reception '' The Penguin Guide to Jazz'' rated the album three and a half stars out of four and wrote of the session, " ...

Very Tall ''Very Tall'' is a 1962 album by the jazz pianist Oscar Peterson and his trio, with the vibraphonist Milt Jackson. This album marked the first recorded collaboration between Peterson and Jackson; they would later appear together on the albums '' R ...

'' (1961, Verve) * '' Night Train'' (1962, Verve) * '' Affinity'' (1962, Verve) * West Side Story (1962, Verve) * ''The Oscar Peterson Trio in Tokyo 1964'' (1964; Pablo) * '' We Get Requests'' (1964, Verve) * '' Oscar Peterson Trio + One'' – with Clark Terry (1964, Verve) * '' I/We Had a Ball'' (Limelight, 1965) - 1 track * ''

Eloquence Eloquence (from French ''eloquence'' from Latin ''eloquentia'') is fluent, elegant, persuasive, and forceful speech, persuading an audience. Eloquence is both a natural talent and improved by knowledge of language, study of a specific subject ...

'' (1965, Limelight) * ''Oscar Peterson with Clark Terry'' (1982, Mercury Jazz Masters) With Paul Quinichette *'' On the Sunny Side'' (Prestige, 1957) With Teddy Charles * ''Salute to Hamp'' (1958;

) With

Tony Ortega Anthony "Tony" Ortega is an American journalist and editor who is best known for his daily blog about the Church of Scientology called ''The Underground Bunker''. He was executive editor of ''The Raw Story'' from 2013 until 2015. Previously, ...

* ''Jazz for Young Moderns'' (1958, 1959;

) With Frank Minion * ''The Soft Land of Make Believe'' (1959;

) With Teddy Edwards–

Quintet * ''Howard McGhee/Teddy Edwards – Together Again!'' (Contemporary M 3588, S 7588; Fantasy OJC 424, OJCCD 424-2) With

: * '' Ella in Budapest, Hungary'' (1970; Pablo) * ''

Ella à Nice ''Ella à Nice'' is a 1982 album recorded live in 1971 by American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, accompanied by a jazz trio led by the pianist Tommy Flanagan. This recording remained unreleased until the early 1980s. Track listing For the 1982 LP ...

'' (1971; Pablo Live) * '' Jazz at Santa Monica Civic '72'' (1972; Pablo) * '' Ella Loves Cole'' (1972;

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

), reissued as '' Dream Dancing'' (1978; Pablo) With

Horace Parlan Horace Parlan (January 19, 1931 – February 23, 2017) was an American pianist and composer known for working in the hard bop and post-bop styles of jazz. In addition to his work as a bandleader Parlan was known for his contributions to the Cha ...

* '' Arrival'' (1973,

) With Charlie Rouse and Paul Quinichette *''

The Chase Is On ''The Chase Is On'' is an album by saxophonists Charlie Rouse and Paul Quinichette recorded in 1957 and released on the Bethlehem label.Billy Taylor * '' My Fair Lady Loves Jazz'' (ABC-Paramount, 1957) * '' The New Billy Taylor Trio'' (ABC-Paramount, 1957) * '' The Billy Taylor Touch'' (Atlantic, 1957) *'' Taylor Made Jazz'' (Argo, 1959) With Cal Tjader * ''The Prophet'' (Verve 1968) With Paul Quinichette and Charlie Rouse * ''"The Chase Is On"'' (1957;

) * ''When The Blues Comes On, Pt. 1&2'' (1957;

) With

Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson (born Edward L. Vinson Jr.; December 18, 1917 – July 2, 1988) was an American jump blues, jazz, bebop and R&B alto saxophonist and blues shouter. He was nicknamed Cleanhead after an incident in which his hair was a ...

*''

Clean Head's Back in Town ''Clean Head's Back in Town'', subtitled ''Eddie Vinson Sings'', is an album by the American saxophonist and vocalist Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson. Recorded in 1957, it was released by Bethlehem Records.Frank Wess Frank Wellington Wess (January 4, 1922 – October 30, 2013) was an American jazz saxophonist and flutist. In addition to his extensive solo work, Wess is remembered for his time in Count Basie's band from the early 1950s into the 1960s. Critic ...

*'' Jazz for Playboys'' (Savoy, 1957) With

Webster Young Webster English Young (December 3, 1932 – December 13, 2003) was an American jazz trumpeter and cornetist. Born in Columbia, South Carolina and raised in Washington, D.C., Young was known for his lyrical playing, and performed with John Colt ...

*'' For Lady'' (Prestige, 1957) With Svend Asmussen * ''As Time Goes By'' (1978; Sonet Records) With Jack van Poll: * ''Cat's Groove'' (1988; September Records) With Oliver Jones: * ''A Class Act'' (1991;

) With John Lindberg,

Albert Mangelsdorff Albert Mangelsdorff (September 5, 1928 – July 25, 2005) was a German jazz trombonist. Working mainly in free jazz, he was an innovator in multiphonics. Early life Mangelsdorff was born in Frankfurt on September 5, 1928, as the son of the book ...

& Eric Watson: * ''Quartet Afterstorm'' (1994; Black Saint) With Eric Watson and

Mark Dresser Mark Dresser (born September 26, 1952) is an American double bass player and composer. Career Dresser was born in Los Angeles, California, United States. In the 1970s, he was a member of Black Music Infinity led by Stanley Crouch and performed ...

: * ''Silent Hearts'' (2001; Sunnyside Records) With Ernie Wilkins on the

Everest Mount Everest (; Tibetic languages, Tibetan: ''Chomolungma'' ; ) is List of highest mountains on Earth, Earth's highest mountain above sea level, located in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas. The China–Nepal border ru ...

label: * ''Everest Years'' (CD; 1959, 1960; 2005;

VI Music VI Music is a Puerto Rican record label specializing in the reggaeton genre, founded by reggaeton producers Mario VI, Alex Gargolas and Juan Vidal. The record label came to prominence after securing a joint venture with Universal Latino and M ...

) With

Kai Winding Kai Chresten Winding ( ; May 18, 1922 – May 6, 1983) was a Danish-born American trombonist and jazz composer. He is known for his collaborations with fellow trombonist J. J. Johnson. His version of "More", the theme from the movie '' Mondo Ca ...

and

Curtis Fuller Curtis DuBois Fuller (December 15, 1932May 8, 2021) was an American jazz trombonist. He was a member of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers and contributed to many classic jazz recordings. Early life Fuller was born in Detroit on December 15, 19 ...

*'' Giant Bones '80'' (Sonet, 1980) With Kresten Osgood * ''Sound'' (vinyl; 2011
Ilk Records
With Berlin Contemporary Jazz Orchestra * '' Berlin Contemporary Jazz Orchestra'' (ECM, 1990)

References

External links

* * * *
Ed Thigpen Interview
NAMM Oral History Library (2004) {{DEFAULTSORT:Thigpen, Ed African-American drummers American jazz drummers Hard bop drummers Bebop drummers Verve Records artists Timeless Records artists Musicians from Chicago 1930 births 2010 deaths Burials at Vestre Cemetery, Copenhagen American expatriates in Denmark American emigrants to Denmark Naturalised citizens of Denmark Jazz musicians from Illinois Almost Big Band members Justin Time Records artists Black Saint/Soul Note artists Ilk Records artists Jefferson High School (Los Angeles) alumni 20th-century African-American people 21st-century African-American people Oscar Peterson Trio members