Keith Tippett

Keith Tippett
Background information
Birth name Keith Graham Tippetts
Born (1947-08-25) 25 August 1947
Bristol, United Kingdom
Genres Jazz, free jazz, free improvisation
Occupation(s) Musician, composer, conductor, film scorer
Instruments Piano, prepared piano, electric piano, organ, zither, marimba, harmonium, harpsichord
Years active 1969–present
Labels Ogun Records
Associated acts

The Keith Tippett Group, Julie Tippetts, Ovary Lodge,

Centipede, King Crimson, Mujician, The Dedication Orchestra, etc.
Website Mind Your Own Music

Keith Tippett (born Keith Graham Tippetts; 25 August 1947) is a British jazz pianist and composer.

Early life

Tippett was born in Southmead, Bristol. The son of an English father who was a policeman and an Irish mother name of Kitty. Keith wrote music dedicated to her after she died. Keith was the oldest of three siblings and had Clive and Thomas as brothers. Tippett went to Greenway Secondary Modern school in Southmead, Bristol. He formed his first band when he was fourteen with school friends, such as Richard Murch, Mike Milton, Terry Pratt and Bob Chard. They were called the KT Trad Lads performing Traditional jazz. Later Keith formed a modern jazz trio in Bristol and played regularly at the Dugout Club in Park Row, Bristol. He studied Piano and Church Organ, was a chorister and played with the school and Bristol youth brass bands. He moved to London in 1967, to pursue a musical life.[1]

Later life and career

In the late 1960s, Tippett led a sextet featuring Elton Dean on saxophone, Mark Charig on trumpet and Nick Evans on trombone. Tippett married singer Julie Driscoll and wrote scores for TV.

In the early 1970s, his big band Centipede brought together much of a generation of young British jazz and rock musicians. As well as performing some concerts (limited economically by the size of the band), they recorded one double-album, Septober Energy.

He formed, with Harry Miller and Louis Moholo a formidable rhythm section at the centre of some the most exciting combinations in the country, including the Elton Dean quartet, and Elton Dean's Ninesense. Around the same time, he was also in the vicinity of King Crimson, contributing piano to several of their records including "Cat Food" (and even appearing with them on Top of the Pops). His own groups, such as Ovary Lodge tended towards a more contemplative form of European free improvisation. He continues to perform with the improvising ensemble Mujician and more recently (2006) Work in Progress.

Tippett has appeared and recorded in a wide variety of settings, including a duet with Stan Tracey, duets with his wife Julie Tippetts, solo performances, and appeared on three King Crimson albums.

Discography

with King Crimson:

other selected work (arranged by recording date):

See external links for his complete discography.

References

  1. ↑ Keith Tippett 2016
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