ABOUT T.K. BLUE (Talib Kibwe)
Of West Indian parentage, T.K. Blue began his life in music from his Lakeview, Long Island,
hometown by playing trumpet from ages 8 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 between 1971 and 1975 with a double major in Music and Psychology, Blue threw
himself headlong into music, concentrating on the saxophone. He took lessons (as part of the
Jazzmobile program) with Jimmy Heath, Frank Foster and Ernie Wilkins, as well as from tenor
legend Billy Mitchell. During these undergraduate years, T.K. lived in the East Village,
partaking the full range of the scene, from lessons with elders to deep involvement in the
avant-garde. In 1979 Blue received his Masters in Music Education from Columbia University.
After performing and traveling extensively with Abdullah Ibrahim (Dollar Brand) from 1977
to 1980, T.K. moved to Paris in December, 1981, remaining until 1989. In 1986 he recorded
Egyptian Oasis, his first record as a leader, and that sparked a number of State Department
tours to some 20 countries in Africa. Back in the U.S. since 1990, T.K. has worked constantly,
in a wide range of styles and situations, and recorded his second CD "Introducing Talib Kibwe",
released on Evidence in 1996. Augmenting his long-term relationships as Musical Director with
Randy Weston and the Spirit of Life Orchestra, recent affiliations include: Odadaa, a group
led by a renowned drummer from Ghana, Yacub Addy; percussionist Norman Hedman's pan-African
band Tropique; tap dancer Joseph's Tap and Rap, to jazz tunes by Charlie Parker and John
Coltrane; and emerging singer Jeffrey Smith. His recent long-term signing to Arkadia Jazz and
the release of his first CD with Arkadia ("Another Blue") heralds the start of a new turning
point in T.K.'s blossoming career.