Eugene Rhynie (born February 7, 1953),TK Blue Artist Profile
Motéma Music. known professionally as T. K. Blue (or Talib Kibwe and other variants), 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. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

saxophonist The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of Single-reed instrument, single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed (mouthpi ...

flautist The flute is a member of a family of musical instruments in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, producing sound with a vibrating column of air. Flutes produce sound when the player's air flows across an opening. In th ...

, composer and educator from

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. His parents were

Jamaica Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...

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 population of Trinidad is notably diverse, with approximately 35% Indo-Trinidadian, 34% ...

, and he has used their Afro-Caribbean musical styles in his own work. He has worked with, among others,

Don Cherry Donald Stewart Cherry (born February 5, 1934) is a Canadian former ice hockey player, coach, and television commentator. He played one game in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Boston Bruins. After concluding a playing career in the A ...

Jayne Cortez Jayne Cortez (May 10, 1934 – December 28, 2012) was an African-American poet, activist, small press publisher and spoken-word performance artist. Her writing is part of the canon of the Black Arts Movement. She was married to jazz saxophonist ...

, the South African pianist

Dollar Brand Abdullah Ibrahim (born Adolph Johannes Brand on 9 October 1934), previously 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 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 f ...

Montclair State University Montclair State University (MSU) is a public research university in Montclair, New Jersey, with parts of the campus extending into Clifton and into Little Falls. As of fall 2018, Montclair State was, by enrollment, the second largest public un ...

, and

Long Island University Long Island University (LIU) is a private university in Brooklyn and Brookville, New York, United States. The university enrolls over 16,000 students and offers over 500 academic programs at its main campuses, LIU Brooklyn and LIU Post on Long I ...

Biography

Early years and education

He was born in the

Bronx, NY The Bronx ( ) is the northernmost of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County, New York, West ...

, to a Trinidadian mother and Jamaican father, and grew up on

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...

, 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 university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...

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 Jazzmobile, Inc. is based in New York City, and was founded in 1964 by Daphne Arnstein, an arts patron and founder of the Harlem Cultural Council and Dr. William "Billy" Taylor. It is a multifaceted, outreach organization committed to bringing ...

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 leader. He was the brother of bassist Percy Heath and drummer Albert Heath. Biography Heath w ...

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 (association football), goalke ...

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

, 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 direct ...

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". Early life, family and education Thad Jones was born i ...

and

Billy Taylor Billy Taylor (July 24, 1921 – December 28, 2010) was an American jazz pianist, composer, broadcaster and educator. He was the Robert L. Jones Distinguished Professor of Music at East Carolina University in Greenville, and from 1994 was the a ...

."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 Dictionary of Music and Musicians, Grove Music Online''. ''Grove Dictionary of M ...

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 the United States. Although Lateef's main i ...

and Joe Newman, and at the

Henry Street Settlement The Henry Street Settlement is a not-for-profit social service agency on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, New York City that provides social services, arts programs and health care services to New Yorkers of all ages. It was founded under the ...

with

Billy Mitchell William Lendrum Mitchell (December 29, 1879 – February 19, 1936) was a United States Army officer who had a major role in the creation of the United States Air Force. Mitchell served in France during World War I and, by the conflict's end, ...

and bassist Paul West. In 1979 Blue received his Master's in Music Education from Teachers College at

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

Career

After performing and traveling extensively with

Abdullah Ibrahim Abdullah Ibrahim (born Adolph Johannes Brand on 9 October 1934), previously 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 ...

(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 city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

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 simply the State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs o ...

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 the proposition. It is usually understood as an indication that the proposition is truth, true. The exact definition and role of evidence vary across different fields. In epistemology, evidence is what J ...

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

(commissioned by the

New York State Council on the Arts The New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) serves to foster and advance the arts, culture, and creativity throughout New York State, according to its website. The goal of the council is to allow all New Yorkers to benefit from the contribution ...

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

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

's reviewer Ken Dryden), and in 2014 ''A Warm Embrace'', about which Don Bilawsky on ''

All About Jazz ''All About Jazz'' is a website established by Michael Ricci in 1995. A volunteer staff publishes news, album reviews, articles, videos, and listings of concerts and other events having to do with jazz. Ricci maintains a related site, ''Jazz Near ...

'' 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'' 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 Melba Doretta Liston (January 13, 1926 – April 23, 1999) was an American jazz trombonist, arranger, and composer. Other than those playing in all-female bands, she was the first woman trombonist to play in big bands during the 1940s and 1960s, ...

and Blue", it features other members of Weston's band – bassist

Alex Blake Alex Blake (born Alejandro Blake Fearon Jr., 1951) is a jazz bass player. Biography Blake was born in 1951 in Panama and moved to the United States at the age of seven, growing up in Brooklyn, New York. He began his career with Sun Ra's band A ...

, tenor saxophonist

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

, and percussionist Neil Clarke – with guest pianists Sharp Radway, Mike King, Keith Brown and Kelly Green, as well as Min Xiao Fen on pipa. Augmenting his long-term relationships as musical director with Weston, as well as with the Spirit of Life Ensemble at New York's

Sweet Basil Genovese basil or sweet basil ( or ; ) is a cultivar of ''Ocimum basilicum'' produced in the Italian provinces of Metropolitan City of Genoa, Genoa, province of Savona, Savona and province of Imperia, Imperia, Liguria. It is one of the mos ...

jazzclub, Blue's other recent affiliations include: Odadaa, a group led by a drummer from

Ghana Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and shares borders with Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to t ...

Yacub Addy Yacub Addy (15 April 1931 – 18 December 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 (or tap) is a form of dance that uses the sounds of tap shoes striking the floor as a form of percussion; it is often accompanied by music. Tap dancing can also be performed with no musical accompaniment; the sound of the taps is its ow ...

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 Saxophone, saxophonist, bandleader, and composer. Parker was a highly influential soloist and leading figure in the development of beb ...

and

John Coltrane John William Coltrane (September 23, 1926 – July 17, 1967) was an American jazz saxophonist, bandleader and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the Jazz#Post-war jazz, history of jazz and 20th-century musi ...

; and emerging singer Jeffrey Smith. T. K. Blue was part of the June 2008 photo session called "A Great Day In Paris" — in homage to

Art Kane Art Kane (born Arthur Kanofsky; April 9, 1925 – February 3, 1995) was an American fashion and music photographer active from the 1950s through the early 1990s. He created many portraits of contemporary musicians, including Bob Dylan, Jefferson A ...

'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

, Blue was also a full-time professor and director of jazz studies at Long Island University-LIU-Post."Biography"
T.K.Blue. The 2023 release of ''The Tide of Love'' earned Blue acclaim from such outlets as ''

'', where the reviewer hailed it as "a striking album ... that offers a diverse and engaging musical journey through various genres of the jazz spectrum", and concluded: "The album shows T.K. Blue's skill, passion, and commitment to musical diversity." Blue's most recent album, ''Planet Bluu'', was released in October 2024 to further positive reviews, described by ''

The Arts Fuse ''The Arts Fuse'' is an online arts magazine covering cultural events in Greater Boston, as well as Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, and New York. The Arts Fuse has published more than 2,000 articles and ...

'' as a "multigenerational affair...a fun and engaging listen as the seasoned pros pass the tradition to the next generation." ''

DownBeat ''DownBeat'' (styled in all caps) is an American music magazine devoted to "jazz, blues and beyond", the last word indicating its expansion beyond the jazz realm that it covered exclusively in previous years. The publication was established in 1 ...

'' magazine's reviewer called ''Planet Bluu'' "so special", giving it a four-star rating, while ''

The Toledo Blade ''The Blade'', also known as the ''Toledo Blade'', is a newspaper in Toledo, Ohio, published daily online and printed Thursday and Sunday by Block Communications. The newspaper was first published on December 19, 1835. Overview The first issue ...

'' praised it by noting: "It includes a wonderful mix of musicians and a diverse array of instruments while maintaining its tight, jazz combo feel....''DownBeat'' magazine once wrote that Blue 'exudes armloads of dexterity and guileless charm' and that he 'is a craftsman so in love with his work that it doesn’t even feel like work.' That's a pretty apt description for this album, which is complex in arrangements, filled with fascinating solos, and yet flows effortlessly."

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) * 2001: ''Eyes of the Elders'', with

Randy Brecker Randal Edward Brecker (born November 27, 1945) is an American trumpeter, flugelhornist, and composer. His versatility has made him a popular studio musician who has recorded with acts in jazz, rock music, rock, and R&B. Early life Brecker was ...

Joanne Brackeen Joanne Brackeen (born Joanne Grogan; July 26, 1938) is an American jazz pianist and music educator. Music career Brackeen was born in Ventura, California, United States, and attended the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music. She was a fan of pop p ...

Lonnie Plaxico Lonnie Plaxico (born September 4, 1960) is an American jazz double bassist. Biography Plaxico was born in Chicago, into a musical family, and started playing the bass at the age of twelve, turning professional at fourteen (playing both double ba ...

and

Jeff "Tain" Watts Jeff "Tain" Watts (born January 20, 1960) is an American jazz drummer who has performed with Wynton Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, Betty Carter, Michael Brecker, Alice Coltrane, Ravi Coltrane, and others. Biography Watts got the nickname "Tain" ...

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

(Jaja Records) * 2010: ''C.W. Post Jazz'' * 2011: ''Latin Bird'' (

Motéma Music Motéma Music is a jazz and world music record label in the United States. It was founded in 2003 in San Francisco Bay Area by label president and recording artist Jana Herzen. The label has received Grammy recognition more than 25 times for a ...

) * 2013: ''Live at Hillwood Recital Hall'' * 2014: ''A Warm Embrace'' (Jaja Records) * 2017: ''Amour'' (Dot Time Records) * 2019: ''The Rhythms Continue'' (Jaja Records) * 2023: ''The Tide of Love'' (Arkadia) * 2024: ''Planet Bluu'' (Jaja Records)

As sideman

With Arkadia Jazz All-Stars *''Thank You, Duke! Our Tribute To Duke Ellington'' (1998) With

and The Firespitters *''Cheerful And Optimistic'' (1995) *''Taking The Blues Back Home'' (1996) *''Borders Of Disorderly Time'' (2003) With

*''

The Journey The Journey may refer to: Film * ''The Journey'' (1942 film), or ''El viaje'', an Argentine film * ''The Journey'' (1959 film), an American drama starring Deborah Kerr, Yul Brynner, and Jason Robards about the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 * ' ...

'' (1977) *''African Tears and Laughter'' (1977) *''South African Liberation Songs'' (1979) With

Benny Powell Benjamin Gordon Powell Jr. (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 pr ...

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

Nextep ''Nextep'' is an album by trombonist Benny Powell. Featuring ten original compositions by Powell, his band members, and his ex-wife, it was recorded on February 9 and 10, 2007, at Alleycat Studio in South Orange, New Jersey, and was issued on CD ...

'' (2008) With Sam Rivers *''

Colours Color (or colour in Commonwealth English; see spelling differences) is the visual perception based on the electromagnetic spectrum. Though color is not an inherent property of matter, color perception is related to an object's light absorpt ...

'' (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'' (1991) *'' Volcano Blues'' (1993) *''Saga'' (1995) *''

Khepera Khepri (Egyptian: ''ḫprj,'' also transliterated Khepera, Kheper, Khepra, Chepri) is a scarab-faced god in ancient Egyptian religion who represents the rising or morning sun. By extension, he can also represent creation and the renewal of life.v ...

'' (1998) *'' Spirit! The Power Of Music'' (2000) *''The African Nubian Suite'' (2016)

References

External links

Official website

Verve on T. Kibwe

T.K. Blue

YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...

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