Keith Tippett
Encyclopedia
Keith Tippett is a British
jazz
pianist
and composer
.
Tippett, the son of a local police officer, went to Greenway Boys Secondary Modern school in Southmead
, Bristol
. He formed his first jazz
band called The KT7 whilst still at school and they performed numbers popular at the time by The Temperance Seven
. In the late 1960s, he 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.
other selected work (arranged by recording date):
See external links for his complete discography.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
and composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
.
Tippett, the son of a local police officer, went to Greenway Boys Secondary Modern school in Southmead
Southmead
Southmead is a northern suburb and council ward of Bristol, in the southwest of England. The town of Filton , and the Bristol suburbs of Monks Park, Horfield, Henleaze and Westbury on Trym lie on its boundaries....
, Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
. He formed his first jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
band called The KT7 whilst still at school and they performed numbers popular at the time by The Temperance Seven
The Temperance Seven
The Temperance Seven is a British band specializing in 1920s-style jazz music.- Career :The Temperance Seven were founded at Christmas 1955, although it has been alleged they first "saw the light" in the Pasadena Cocoa Rooms, Balls Pond Road, North London, in 1904...
. In the late 1960s, he led a sextet featuring Elton Dean
Elton Dean
Elton Dean was an English jazz musician who performed on alto saxophone, saxello and occasionally keyboard....
on saxophone, Mark Charig on trumpet and Nick Evans
Nick Evans (trombonist)
Nicholas "Nick" Evans is a Welsh jazz and progressive rock trombonist.- Career :He worked in the Graham Collier Sextet , Keith Tippett Group , Soft Machine , Brotherhood of Breath , Centipede , Just Us , Ambush , Ninesense , Intercontinental Express , Ark Nicholas "Nick" Evans (born 1947 in...
on trombone. Tippett married singer Julie Driscoll
Julie Driscoll
Julie Tippetts is an English singer and actress, known for her 1960s versions of Bob Dylan's "This Wheel's on Fire", and Donovan's "Season of the Witch", both with Brian Auger & The Trinity...
and wrote scores for TV.
In the early 1970s, his big band
Big band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
Centipede
Centipede (band)
Centipede were an English jazz/progressive rock/Canterbury sound big band with more than 50 members, organized and led by the British free jazz pianist Keith Tippett...
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
Septober Energy
Septober Energy is the only album of the jazz/progressive rock big band Centipede. Produced by Robert Fripp, it was originally released 1971 in the UK as a double LP, and 1974 in the USA with a different cover...
.
He formed, with Harry Miller
Harry Miller (jazz bassist)
Harold Simon 'Harry' Miller was a South African jazz bass player.Miller began his career as a bassist with Manfred Mann, and came to settle in London...
and Louis Moholo
Louis Moholo
Louis Tebugo Moholo , is a South African jazz drummer.He formed The Blue Notes with Chris McGregor, Johnny Dyani, Nikele Moyake, Mongezi Feza and Dudu Pukwana, and emigrated to Europe with them in 1964, eventually settling in London, where he formed part of a South African exile community that made...
a formidable rhythm section at the centre of some the most exciting combinations in the country, including the Elton Dean
Elton Dean
Elton Dean was an English jazz musician who performed on alto saxophone, saxello and occasionally keyboard....
quartet, and Elton Dean
Elton Dean
Elton Dean was an English jazz musician who performed on alto saxophone, saxello and occasionally keyboard....
's Ninesense.
Around the same time, he was also in the vicinity of King Crimson
King Crimson
King Crimson are a rock band founded in London, England in 1969. Often categorised as a foundational progressive rock group, the band have incorporated diverse influences and instrumentation during their history...
, contributing piano to several of their records including Cat Food
Cat food
Cat food is food intended for consumption by cats.As with all species, cats have requirements for specific dietary nutrients, rather than ingredients. Certain nutrients, including many vitamins and amino acids, are degraded by the temperatures, pressures and chemical treatments used during...
(and even appearing with them on Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
). His own groups, such as Ovary Lodge tended towards a more contemplative form of European free improvisation
Free improvisation
Free improvisation or free music is improvised music without any rules beyond the logic or inclination of the musician involved. The term can refer to both a technique and as a recognizable genre in its own right....
. He continues to perform with the improvising ensemble Mujician
Mujician
Mujician is an improvisational jazz quartet founded in 1988.The group's pianist, Keith Tippett, played briefly with King Crimson and also works with his group Centipede; the group's drummer is named Tony Levin, though he is not the same Tony Levin who played in King Crimson...
and more recently (2006) Work in Progress.
Tippett has appeared and recorded in a wide variety of settings, including a duet with Stan Tracey
Stan Tracey
Stanley William Tracey CBE is a British jazz pianist and composer, most influenced by Duke Ellington and Thelonious Monk.-Early career:...
, duets with his wife Julie Tippetts, solo performances, and appeared on three King Crimson
King Crimson
King Crimson are a rock band founded in London, England in 1969. Often categorised as a foundational progressive rock group, the band have incorporated diverse influences and instrumentation during their history...
Albums.
Discography
with King Crimson:- 1970 - In the Wake of PoseidonIn the Wake of PoseidonIn the Wake of Poseidon is the second album by the progressive rock group King Crimson. By the time this album was released, the band had already undergone their first change in line-up, however they still maintained much of the style of their first album, In the Court of the Crimson King.Greg Lake...
, as session musicianSession musicianSession musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
(piano) - 1970 - LizardLizard (album)Lizard is the third album by the British band King Crimson, released in 1970. It was the second recorded by a transitional line-up of the group that never had the opportunity to perform live, following In the Wake of Poseidon...
, as session musician (piano & electric pianoElectric pianoAn electric piano is an electric musical instrument.Electric pianos produce sounds mechanically and the sounds are turned into electrical signals by pickups. Unlike a synthesizer, the electric piano is not an electronic instrument, but electro-mechanical. The earliest electric pianos were invented...
) - 1971 - IslandsIslands (King Crimson album)Islands is the fourth album by the British band King Crimson, released in 1971.The last King Crimson studio album before the group's trilogy of Larks' Tongues in Aspic, Starless and Bible Black and Red, it is also the last to feature the lyrics of Peter Sinfield and the last to feature the band's...
as session musician (piano)
other selected work (arranged by recording date):
- 1969 - 1970, Album (with Shelagh McDonaldShelagh McDonaldShelagh McDonald is a Scottish folk singer, song-writer and guitarist who released two albums before her abrupt and mysterious disappearance in 1971...
) - 1970 - (January) The Keith Tippett Group - You Are Here... I Am There (recorded at Advision Studios, London)
- 1971 - The Keith Tippett Group - Dedicated To You, But You Weren't Listening (featuring Robert WyattRobert WyattRobert Wyatt is an English musician, and founding member of the influential Canterbury scene band Soft Machine, with a long and distinguished solo career...
on drums) - 1971 - (June) CentipedeCentipede (band)Centipede were an English jazz/progressive rock/Canterbury sound big band with more than 50 members, organized and led by the British free jazz pianist Keith Tippett...
- Septober EnergySeptober EnergySeptober Energy is the only album of the jazz/progressive rock big band Centipede. Produced by Robert Fripp, it was originally released 1971 in the UK as a double LP, and 1974 in the USA with a different cover...
(recorded at Wessex Sound StudiosWessex Sound StudiosWessex Sound Studios was a recording studio located in Highbury New Park, London, England. Many renowned popular music artists recorded there, including The Sex Pistols, King Crimson, The Clash, Theatre of Hate, XTC, The Sinceros, Queen, Talk Talk and The Rolling Stones...
, London, during three days, produced by Robert FrippRobert FrippRobert Fripp is an English guitarist, composer and record producer. He was ranked 42nd on Rolling Stone magazine's 2003 list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" and #47 on Gibson.com’s "Top 50 Guitarists of All Time". Among rock guitarists, Fripp is a master of crosspicking, a technique...
) - 1972 - Keith Tippett, with Roy BabbingtonRoy BabbingtonRoy Babbington is a rock and jazz bassist. He became well known for being a member of the Canterbury scene progressive rock/jazz fusion band Soft Machine.-Biography:...
, Julie Tippetts, Frank PerryFrank PerryFrank J. Perry, Jr. was an American stage and film director, producer and screenwriter. His directorial debut, the 1962 film David and Lisa, earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Director....
& Keith BaileyKeith BaileyKeith Bailey is a former Irish cricketer. He was a right-handed batsman and a wicket-keeper. He made his debut for Ireland in June 1985 against Sussex, and went on to play for Ireland on eleven occasions. Of these, one match had first-class status and two had List A status. His last game was...
- Blueprint (produced by Robert Fripp) - 1973 - Ovary Lodge (with Roy Babbington & Frank Perry)
- 1974 - (November 12) with Trevor WattsTrevor WattsTrevor Charles Watts is an English jazz and free-improvising alto and soprano saxophonist. He is largely self-taught, having taken up the cornet at age 12 then switched to saxophone at 18. While stationed in Germany with the RAF , he encountered the drummer John Stevens and trombonist Paul...
' Amalgam - Innovation (recorded at Chipping Norton Studios, OxfordshireOxfordshireOxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
, UK) - 1974 - (December 21) piano duo with Stan TraceyStan TraceyStanley William Tracey CBE is a British jazz pianist and composer, most influenced by Duke Ellington and Thelonious Monk.-Early career:...
- TNT (recorded live at the Wigmore HallWigmore HallWigmore Hall is a leading international recital venue that specialises in hosting performances of chamber music and is best known for classical recitals of piano, song and instrumental music. It is located at 36 Wigmore Street, London, UK and was built to provide London with a venue that was both...
, London) - 1975 - (May 19) with Elton DeanElton DeanElton Dean was an English jazz musician who performed on alto saxophone, saxello and occasionally keyboard....
's Ninesense - Live at The BBC Radio 3BBC Radio 3BBC Radio 3 is a national radio station operated by the BBC within the United Kingdom. Its output centres on classical music and opera, but jazz, world music, drama, culture and the arts also feature. The station is the world’s most significant commissioner of new music, and its New Generation... - 1975 - (August 6) Ovary Lodge (with Harry MillerHarry Miller (jazz bassist)Harold Simon 'Harry' Miller was a South African jazz bass player.Miller began his career as a bassist with Manfred Mann, and came to settle in London...
, Julie Tippetts & Frank Perry) - Live at Nettlefold Hall, London - 1975 - (November 20) with Harry Miller's Isipingo - Which Way Now? (recorded at Post-Aula, BremenBremenThe City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is...
, Germany) - 1975 - with Dudu PukwanaDudu PukwanaMtutuzel Dudu Pukwana was a South African saxophonist, composer and pianist .-Early years in South Africa:...
Group - Diamond Express (a.k.a. Ubagile) - 1975 - with Gary BrookerGary BrookerGary Brooker, MBE, is an English singer, songwriter, pianist and founder of the rock band Procol Harum. Brooker was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen's Birthday Honours on 14 June 2003, in recognition of his charitable services.-Early life:Brooker was born in...
, Bill BrufordBill BrufordWilliam Scott "Bill" Bruford is an English drummer, percussionist, composer, producer, and record label owner. He was the original drummer for the progressive rock group Yes, from 1968-1972. Bruford has performed for numerous popular acts since the early 1970s, including a stint as touring...
, Phil CollinsPhil CollinsPhilip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....
, Stephane GrappelliStéphane GrappelliStéphane Grappelli was a French jazz violinist who founded the Quintette du Hot Club de France with guitarist Django Reinhardt in 1934. It was one of the first all-string jazz bands....
, Jack LancasterJack LancasterJack Lancaster is a British composer, record producer and musician.In the late 1960s, Lancaster co-founded the British rock group Blodwyn Pig with Jethro Tull guitarist Mick Abrahams...
, Jon HisemanJon HisemanJon Hiseman is an English drummer, recording engineer, record producer and music publisher.-Career:...
, Brian EnoBrian EnoBrian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno , commonly known as Brian Eno or simply as Eno , is an English musician, composer, record producer, singer and visual artist, known as one of the principal innovators of ambient music.Eno studied at Colchester Institute art school in Essex,...
, Alvin LeeAlvin LeeAlvin Lee is an English rock guitarist and singer. He began playing guitar at the age of 13, and with Leo Lyons formed the core of the band Ten Years After in 1960...
, Gary MooreGary MooreRobert William Gary Moore , better known simply as Gary Moore, was a Northern Irish musician from Belfast, best recognised as a blues rock guitarist and singer....
, Cozy PowellCozy PowellColin Flooks , better known as Cozy Powell, was an English rock drummer who made his name with many major rock bands.-Early history:...
, Manfred MannManfred MannManfred Mann was a British beat, rhythm and blues and pop band of the 1960s, named after their South African keyboardist, Manfred Mann, who later led the successful 1970s group Manfred Mann's Earth Band...
, Julie Tippetts, Viv Stanshall, etc. - The Rock Peter and the Wolf (an arrangement of songs of the classic Peter and the WolfPeter and the WolfPeter and the Wolf , Op. 67, is a composition written by Sergei Prokofiev in 1936 in the USSR. It is a children's story , spoken by a narrator accompanied by the orchestra....
story) - 1976 - with Elton Dean's Ninesense - Happy Daze
- 1976 - with Harry Miller's Isipingo for studio recording of a track named Family Affair, recorded in London, released on Miller's Isipingo album Full Steam Ahead (2009)
- 1976 - (August 15) with Harry Miller's Isipingo for concert recording of a track named Dancing Damon, recorded in London ICAInstitute of Contemporary ArtsThe Institute of Contemporary Arts is an artistic and cultural centre on The Mall in London, just off Trafalgar Square. It is located within Nash House, part of Carlton House Terrace, near the Duke of York Steps and Admiralty Arch...
, released on Miller's Isipingo album Full Steam Ahead (2009) - 1976 - (October) with Hugh HopperHugh HopperHugh Colin Hopper was a progressive rock and jazz fusion bass guitarist. He was a prominent member of the Canterbury scene, as a member of Soft Machine and various other related bands.-Early career:...
, Elton DeanElton DeanElton Dean was an English jazz musician who performed on alto saxophone, saxello and occasionally keyboard....
, Joe GallivanJoe GallivanJoe Gallivan is an American jazz and avant-garde musician. He plays drums, percussion and synthesizer....
- Cruel But Fair (recorded at The Basement, OsloOsloOslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
) - 1976 - (December 20) with Harry Miller's Isipingo - Live at 100 Club100 ClubThe 100 Club is a music venue in London situated at 100 Oxford Street, W1, originally called The Feldman Swing Club.The 100 Club attained legendary status in modern British music, having played host to live music since 24 October 1942....
(bootleg recordingBootleg recordingA bootleg recording is an audio or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority. The process of making and distributing such recordings is known as bootlegging...
) - 1977 - (January 14 & 15) with Mark Charig & Ann Winter - Pipedream (recorded at St. Stephen's Church, SouthmeadSouthmeadSouthmead is a northern suburb and council ward of Bristol, in the southwest of England. The town of Filton , and the Bristol suburbs of Monks Park, Horfield, Henleaze and Westbury on Trym lie on its boundaries....
, BristolBristolBristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
, UK) - 1977 - with Elton Dean's Ninesense - Oh For The Edge
- 1977 - (August 21) piano duo with Stan Tracey - Supernova (recorded live at the ICAInstitute of Contemporary ArtsThe Institute of Contemporary Arts is an artistic and cultural centre on The Mall in London, just off Trafalgar Square. It is located within Nash House, part of Carlton House Terrace, near the Duke of York Steps and Admiralty Arch...
, London) - 1978 - (March 17) with Elton Dean's Ninesense - Live at The BBC Radio 3BBC Radio 3BBC Radio 3 is a national radio station operated by the BBC within the United Kingdom. Its output centres on classical music and opera, but jazz, world music, drama, culture and the arts also feature. The station is the world’s most significant commissioner of new music, and its New Generation...
- 1978 - (May 22 thru 24) Keith Tippett's Ark - Frames: Music For An Imaginary Film (recorded at Wessex Sound StudiosWessex Sound StudiosWessex Sound Studios was a recording studio located in Highbury New Park, London, England. Many renowned popular music artists recorded there, including The Sex Pistols, King Crimson, The Clash, Theatre of Hate, XTC, The Sinceros, Queen, Talk Talk and The Rolling Stones...
, London) - 1979 - (February 25) with Elton Dean's Quartet (K. Tippett/E. Dean/H. Miller/L. Moholo) - Live at Teatro Cristallo, Milan, Italy (bootleg recording)
- 1979 - (April 13 & 20 thru 22) The Unlonely Raindancer (his first soloSolo (music)In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
tour) - 1979 - (May 7) Live in Milan '79 (his first solo tour - bootleg recordingBootleg recordingA bootleg recording is an audio or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority. The process of making and distributing such recordings is known as bootlegging...
) - 1980 - (February) with Elton Dean Quintet (Dean, Tippett, Mark Charig, Louis MoholoLouis MoholoLouis Tebugo Moholo , is a South African jazz drummer.He formed The Blue Notes with Chris McGregor, Johnny Dyani, Nikele Moyake, Mongezi Feza and Dudu Pukwana, and emigrated to Europe with them in 1964, eventually settling in London, where he formed part of a South African exile community that made...
& Marcio Mattos) - Boundaries (recorded at Tonstudio Bauer, LudwigsburgLudwigsburgLudwigsburg is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, about north of Stuttgart city centre, near the river Neckar. It is the largest and primary city of the Ludwigsburg urban district with about 87,000 inhabitants...
, Germany) - 1981 - Mujician I (piano Solo)
- 1981 - (May 22) piano duo with Howard RileyHoward RileyJohn Howard Riley is an English jazz pianist and composer.Riley began on piano at age six, and began playing jazz as early as age 13. He studied at the University of Wales , Indiana University in America under Dave Baker , and then at York University...
- First Encounter (recorded live at Goldsmith's College, London) - 1981 - (June 20) with Elton Dean's Ninesense - Suite (featuring Harry BeckettHarry BeckettHarold Winston "Harry" Beckett was a British trumpeter and flugelhorn player.-Biography:A resident in the UK since 1954, Harry Beckett had an international reputation. In 1961, he played with Charles Mingus in the film All Night Long. In the 1960s he worked and recorded within the band of bass...
, Harry Miller, Louis Moholo and others) (recorded at Jazzwerkstatt Peitz No. 41 , Berlin, released for the first time in June 2011) - 1982 - (June 29 thru July 3) with Company (Ursula OppensUrsula OppensUrsula Oppens is an American classical pianist.-Biography:After earning her master's degree from the Juilliard School of Music, Oppens won the Young Concert Artists International Auditions in 1968. This win led to her New York City debut at Carnegie Hall in 1969...
, Fred FrithFred FrithFred Frith is an English multi-instrumentalist, composer and improvisor.Probably best known for his guitar work, Frith first came to attention as one of the founding members of the English avant-rock group Henry Cow. Frith was also a member of Art Bears, Massacre and Skeleton Crew...
, George LewisGeorge Lewis (trombonist)George E. Lewis is a trombone player, composer, and scholar in the fields of jazz and experimental music. He has been a member of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians since 1971, and is a pioneer of computer music.- Biography :Lewis graduated from Yale University with a...
, Akio Suzuki, Julie Tippetts, Moto Yoshizawa, Anne Le Baron, Phil WachsmannPhil WachsmannPhil Wachsmann is an African avant-garde jazz/jazz fusion violinist born in Kampala, Uganda, probably better known for having founded his own group Chamberpot. He has worked with many musicians in the free jazz idiom, including Tony Oxley, Fred van Hove, Barry Guy, Derek Bailey and Paul...
& Derek Bailey (recorded at ICA, London during Company Week) - 1982 - (November 3 & 5) with Louis MoholoLouis MoholoLouis Tebugo Moholo , is a South African jazz drummer.He formed The Blue Notes with Chris McGregor, Johnny Dyani, Nikele Moyake, Mongezi Feza and Dudu Pukwana, and emigrated to Europe with them in 1964, eventually settling in London, where he formed part of a South African exile community that made...
& Larry StabbinsLarry StabbinsLarry Stabbins is a British jazz saxophonist, flutist and composer.-Biography:Larry Stabbons learned clarinet at school at the age of eight, when his musical idol was Acker Bilk. He started playing saxophone at the age of eleven...
- Tern (recorded during the Total Music Meeting, Quartier Latin, Berlin) - 1983 - (July 5) with Peter BrötzmannPeter BrötzmannPeter Brötzmann is a German artist and free jazz saxophonist and clarinetist.Brötzmann is among the most important European free jazz musicians. His rough, lyrical timbre is easily recognized on his many recordings.-Early life:...
, Harry MillerHarry Miller (jazz bassist)Harold Simon 'Harry' Miller was a South African jazz bass player.Miller began his career as a bassist with Manfred Mann, and came to settle in London...
& Willi Kellers - Live at Jazzclub Unterfahrt, MunichMunichMunich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, Germany (undocumented quartet - bootleg recording) - 1984 - (June 13) piano duo with Howard Riley, In Focus (recorded live at The Tramshed, WoolwichWoolwichWoolwich is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.Woolwich formed part of Kent until 1889 when the County of London was created...
, London, as part of the Greenwich Festival) - 1984 - (October 25) Keith Tippett Septet (with Larry Stabbins, Elton Dean, Mark Charig, Nick EvansNick Evans (trombonist)Nicholas "Nick" Evans is a Welsh jazz and progressive rock trombonist.- Career :He worked in the Graham Collier Sextet , Keith Tippett Group , Soft Machine , Brotherhood of Breath , Centipede , Just Us , Ambush , Ninesense , Intercontinental Express , Ark Nicholas "Nick" Evans (born 1947 in...
, Paul Rogers & Tony LevinTony Levin (drummer)Tony Levin was an English jazz drummer.Levin played at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in the 1960s with artists including Joe Harriott, Al Cohn, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Zoot Sims, and Toots Thielemanns....
) - A Loose Kite In A Gentle Wind Floating With Only My Will For An Anchor (Live at the Barnfield TheatreBarnfield TheatreThe Barnfield Theatre in Exeter, England was originally built as The Barnfield Hall near the end of the 19th century by Exeter Literary Society and converted to a theatre in 1972, and is located near the centre of the city on Barnfield Road, Southernhay....
, ExeterExeterExeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
, UK) - 1985 - with Hugh Hopper, Elton Dean, Joe Gallivan - Mercy Dash
- 1985 - with Hans ReichelHans ReichelHans Reichel was a German improvisational guitarist, experimental luthier, inventor, and type designer.-Career:...
- Duet Improvisation (Vand'Oeuvre #8501) - 1986 - Mujician II (piano solo)
- 1986 - (June) with Dreamtime (Roberto Bellatalla, Gary Curson, Jim Dvorak, Nick Evans & Jim Lebaigue) - Cathanger '86 (recorded at Cathanger Studios, SomersetSomersetThe ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
) - 1987 - (June 25 & 26) Mujician III (August Air)Mujician III (August Air)Mujician III is a solo album by the English jazz pianist Keith Tippett. It was released on the FMP record label in 1987.The Allmusic review by Thom Jurek awards the album with 4.5 stars and states: 'The last — and perhaps most brilliant — part in a trilogy of solo works by British pianist and...
(piano solo) (recorded live during the JUST MUSIC concert series at the FMPFMP (Free Music Production)Free Music Production is a German record label founded by Jost Gebers, Peter Brötzmann, Peter Kowald, and Alexander von Schlippenbach in 1969, specializing in free improvisation and free jazz, usually by European, often German musicians....
Studio, Berlin) - 1987 - duet with Julie Tippetts - Couple in SpiritCouple in SpiritCouple in Spirit is an album by the English jazz pianist Keith Tippett and singer Julie Tippetts. It was released on the EG record label in 1987....
(mixed by Robert FrippRobert FrippRobert Fripp is an English guitarist, composer and record producer. He was ranked 42nd on Rolling Stone magazine's 2003 list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" and #47 on Gibson.com’s "Top 50 Guitarists of All Time". Among rock guitarists, Fripp is a master of crosspicking, a technique...
) - 1987 - with David CrossDavid Cross (musician)David Cross is an electric violinist born in Turnchapel near Plymouth, England, best known for playing with progressive rock band King Crimson during the 1970s...
, Dan Maurer & Jim Juhn - Low Flying Aircraft (a RockRock musicRock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
/FusionFusion (music)A fusion genre is music that combines two or more styles. For example, rock and roll originally developed as a fusion of blues, gospel and country music. The main characteristics of fusion genres are variations in tempo, rhythm, i a sometimes the use of long musical "journeys" that can be divided...
album) - 1990 - (April 9 thru 11) 66 Shades of Lipstick (with Andy SheppardAndy SheppardAndy Sheppard is a British jazz saxophonist and composer. He has been awarded several prizes at the British Jazz Awards, and has worked with some notable figures in contemporary jazz, including Gil Evans, Carla Bley, George Russell and Steve Swallow.-Biography:Sheppard was born in Warminster,...
) - 1990 - (August 2) The Dartington Concert (piano solo) (recorded in The Great Hall, DartingtonDartington HallThe Dartington Hall Trust, near Totnes, Devon, United Kingdom is a charity specialising in the arts, social justice and sustainability.The Trust currently runs 16 charitable programmes, including The Dartington International Summer School and Schumacher Environmental College...
, during the DartingtonDartington College of ArtsDartington College of Arts was a specialist arts institution near Totnes, Devon, South West England, it specialized in post-dramatic theatre, music, choreography, Performance Writing and visual performance, focusing on a performative and multi-disciplinary approach to the arts. In addition to this,...
International Summer School) - 1990 - (September 25) with Elton Dean, Louis Moholo & Marcio Mattos for a track named Second Thoughts, released on Elton Dean's album The Vortex Tapes (recorded live at the Vortex Jazz Bar, London)
- 1990 - (November 3 & 4) Keith conducts track #9, Sun-the Living Son, on Mary Wiegold's Songbook (The Composers Ensemble)(recorded at All Saints' Church, PetershamPetershamPetersham is a place in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames on the east of the bend in the River Thames south of Richmond, which it shares with neighbouring Ham. It provides the foreground of the scenic view from Richmond Hill across Petersham Meadows, with Ham House further along the River...
) - 1991 - (June 1) MujicianMujicianMujician is an improvisational jazz quartet founded in 1988.The group's pianist, Keith Tippett, played briefly with King Crimson and also works with his group Centipede; the group's drummer is named Tony Levin, though he is not the same Tony Levin who played in King Crimson...
& The Georgian Ensemble - The Bristol Concert (recorded live at St. George's concert hall, Brandon HillBrandon HillBrandon Hill is the highest mountain in County Kilkenny, Ireland. It has an elevation of . It is situated 7 miles east of Thomastown, in the south of County Kilkenny. Brandon Hill is in the barony of Gowran and in the province of Leinster...
, Bristol, UK, for BBC) - 1992 - (January 2 & 3) The Dedication OrchestraThe Dedication OrchestraThe Dedication Orchestra is a jazz ensemble formed as a tribute to the exiled South African musicians who formed the core of the The Blue Notes and the Brotherhood of Breath, it features Alan Skidmore, Radu Malfatti, Django Bates, Kenny Wheeler, Elton Dean, Lol Coxhill, Evan Parker, Paul Rutherford...
- Spirits Rejoice (recorded at Gateway Studios, Kingston, Surrey, UK) - 1993 - (October 23) with Willi Kellers & Julie Tippetts - Twilight Etchings (recorded at the Podewil in Berlin during the Total Music Meeting)
- 1993 - (December 8) piano duo with Howard Riley, Interchange (a.k.a. The Bern Concert) (recorded at Studio Bern Swiss Radio DRSSchweizer Radio DRSSchweizer Radio: Radio der deutschen und rätoromanischen Schweiz is a company of SRG SSR idée suisse. - Broadcasting :SR DRS own six radio stations, which in German-speaking Switzerland has a market share of over 60 percent....
) - 1994 - January 3 thru 5) The Dedication Orchestra - Ixesha (Time) (recorded at Gateway Studios, Kingston, Surrey, UK)
- 1994 - (February 5) Mujician - Poem About The Hero (recorded live at The Michael Tippett Centre, Bath, England)
- 1994 - (May 21) Une Croix Dans L'Océan (solo piano) (recorded live at Festival International de Musique Actuelle de VictoriavilleFestival International de Musique Actuelle de VictoriavilleThe Festival International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville is an annual international music festival held in Victoriaville, Quebec that showcases contemporary music.-External links:*...
) - 1995 - (May 6) Mujician - Birdman (recorded at The Michael Tippett Centre, Bath, England)
- 1995 - (August 31) with Stefano Maltese, Evan Parker & Antonio Moncada - Double Mirror (recorded live at the Noto Jazz Festival, NotoNotoNoto is a city and comune in the Province of Syracuse, Sicily . Its located 32 km southwest of the city of Syracuse at the foot of the Iblean Mountains and gives its name to the surrounding valley, Val di Noto...
, Sicily, Italy) - 1995 - (September) with Louis Moholo-MoholoLouis MoholoLouis Tebugo Moholo , is a South African jazz drummer.He formed The Blue Notes with Chris McGregor, Johnny Dyani, Nikele Moyake, Mongezi Feza and Dudu Pukwana, and emigrated to Europe with them in 1964, eventually settling in London, where he formed part of a South African exile community that made...
, Mervyn Africa & Pule Pheto - Mpumi (recorded at Gateway Studios, Kingston, Surrey, UK) - 1996 - with Dennis GonzálezDennis GonzálezDennis González is a jazz musician, poet, visual artist and music educator based in Dallas, Texas....
Dallas-London Sextet (featuring Elton Dean, Louis Moholo-Moholo, et al.) - Catechism (The Names We Are Known By) (recorded at The Boathouse Studio, London) - 1996 - (September) with Francine Luce - Bo Kay La Vi-a (Next To The House of Life) (recorded at Gateway Studio, Kingston, Surrey, UK)
- 1996 - (October 28) with Elton Dean, Paul DunmallPaul DunmallPaul Dunmall is a British jazz saxophonist who plays tenor and soprano saxophone as well as the baritone and the more exotic Saxello and the Northumbrian pipes.He has a long discography on the Duns Limited Edition label....
, Tony LevinTony Levin (drummer)Tony Levin was an English jazz drummer.Levin played at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in the 1960s with artists including Joe Harriott, Al Cohn, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Zoot Sims, and Toots Thielemanns....
, Paul Rogers, & Roswell RuddRoswell RuddRoswell Rudd is a Grammy Award-nominated American jazz trombonist and composer....
- Bladik (recorded at Protocol Studios, London) - 1996 - (November 19) with Paul Dunmall Octet - Desire and Liberation (recorded at The Arnolfini Arts CentreArnolfiniThe Arnolfini is an arts centre and gallery in Bristol, England. It has a programme of contemporary art exhibitions, live art, music and dance events, poetry and book readings, talks, lectures and cinema. There is also a specialist art bookshop and a café bar. Educational activities are undertaken...
, Bristol, UK, by BBC Radio 3BBC Radio 3BBC Radio 3 is a national radio station operated by the BBC within the United Kingdom. Its output centres on classical music and opera, but jazz, world music, drama, culture and the arts also feature. The station is the world’s most significant commissioner of new music, and its New Generation...
) - 1996 - duet with Julie Tippetts - Couple In Spirit II (recorded live at The Stadtgarten, CologneCologneCologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
) - 1997 - (May 18) Mujician - Colours Fulfilled (recorded at Gateway Studio, Kingston, Surrey, UK)
- 1997 - (June 13) Friday the 13th (solo piano) (recorded on Friday the 13th, in Sendai, Japan)
- 1997 - (June 22) with Paul Dunmall Octet - Bebop Starburst (recorded at Gateway Studio, Kingston, Surrey, UK)
- 1998 - (February) with Dreamtime - Zen Fish (recorded at Gateway Studios, Kingston, Surrey, UK)
- 1998 - (February 6 & April 30) with RoTToR (Paul RutherfordPaul RutherfordPaul Rutherford is the former backing vocalist, dancer and occasional keyboardist with 1980s pop band Frankie Goes to Hollywood , one of the group's two openly gay singers....
, Julie & Keith Tippett, Paul Rogers) - The First Full Turn (recorded various locations) - 1998 - (May 3) Keith Tippett Tapestry Orchestra - First Weaving: Live at Le MansLe MansLe Mans is a city in France, located on the Sarthe River. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Mans. Le Mans is a part of the Pays de la Loire region.Its inhabitants are called Manceaux...
Jazz Festival - 1999 - (July 27) with Daryl RunswickDaryl RunswickDaryl Runswick is a classically trained English composer, arranger, musician, producer and educationalist.He started playing bass with leading UK jazz musicians in the mid-60s, including Dick Morrissey and John Dankworth, with whom he would tour and compose for extensively for some 12 years...
- Set of 5 (2 pianos) (recorded live at Dartington Great HallDartington HallThe Dartington Hall Trust, near Totnes, Devon, United Kingdom is a charity specialising in the arts, social justice and sustainability.The Trust currently runs 16 charitable programmes, including The Dartington International Summer School and Schumacher Environmental College...
, UK) - 2000 - (March 26) with Paul Dunmall Octet - The Great Divide (recorded at Gateway Studio, Kingston, Surrey, UK)
- 2000 - (March) Linuckea (Let The Music Speak) (recorded at Gateway Studios, Kingston, Surrey, UK)
- 2000 - (November 15) with Paul Dunmall, Peter Fairlough & Philip Gibbs - Onosante (recorded at Victoria Rooms StudioVictoria Rooms (Bristol)The Victoria Rooms, also known as the Vic Rooms, houses the University of Bristol's music department in Clifton, Bristol, England, on a prominent site at the junction of Queens Road and Whiteladies Road...
, Bristol, UK) - 2001 - (February 24) Mujician - Spacetime (recorded at Victoria Rooms, Bristol, UK)
- 2001 - (October 7) with Paul Dunmall, Peter Fairlough, Philip Gibbs & Roberto Bellatalla - Kanikazu (recorded at Victoria Rooms, Bristol, UK)
- 2001 - (October 11) with Peter Fairclough - Imago (recorded at the Bluecoat Arts Centre, LiverpoolLiverpoolLiverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
) - 2002 - (Augusr 8) with Paul Dunmall Octet - Bridging: The Great Divide Live (recorded at Calouste Gulbenkian FoundationCalouste Gulbenkian FoundationThe Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation is a Portuguese private foundation of public utility whose statutory aims are in the fields of arts, charity, education, and science...
's "open air theatre" during the Jazz em Agosto Festival, LisbonLisbonLisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, Portugal) - 2002 - (August 12) with Howard Riley & John TilburyJohn TilburyJohn Tilbury is a British pianist. He is considered one of the foremost interpreters of Morton Feldman's music, and since 1980 has been a member of the free improvisation group AMM.- Early life and education :...
- Another Part of The Story (recorded at Gateway Studios, Richmond, London) - 2003 - (March 29) with Paul Dunmall Moksha Big Band - I Wish You Peace (recorded at Gateway Studios, Richmond, London)
- 2003 - (October 28) with Howard Riley, Stephen Grew & Pat Thomas - Pianoforte (recorded at Sheffield University, First Hall)
- 2003 - The Dartington Trio (with Julie Tippetts & Paul Dunmall) - Live at The BBC & Live at The Vortex
- 2004 - (August 8) Dartington Improvising Trio (with Julie Tippetts & Paul Dunmall) - Live at The Priory (recorded live at Priory ParkPriory Park, Southend-on-SeaPriory Park is a public park situated in Prittlewell, Southend-on-Sea, England, adjacent to Prittlewell Priory.-External links:...
, 3rd SouthendSouthend-on-SeaSouthend-on-Sea is a unitary authority area, town, and seaside resort in Essex, England. The district has Borough status, and comprises the towns of Chalkwell, Eastwood, Leigh-on-Sea, North Shoebury, Prittlewell, Shoeburyness, Southchurch, Thorpe Bay, and Westcliff-on-Sea. The district is situated...
International Jazz Festival) - 2004 - (September 5) with Julie Tippetts, Louis Moholo-Moholo & Canto General - Viva La Black: Live at Ruvo Jazz Festival, in Ruvo di PugliaRuvo di PugliaRuvo di Puglia is a town and comune in the province of Bari, Puglia, Italy that is essentially devoted to agriculture, wine and olive growing. It is part of the Murge karst landscape.-Geography and territory:...
, BariBariBari is the capital city of the province of Bari and of the Apulia region, on the Adriatic Sea, in Italy. It is the second most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy after Naples, and is well known as a port and university city, as well as the city of Saint Nicholas...
, Puglia, Italy - 2005 - (March) with George Burt/Raymond McDonald Sextet - A Day for A Reason (recorded at An Tobar Arts Centre, Tobermory, Mull, Scotland)
- 2005 - (April 24) with Paul Dunmall, Philip Gibbs & Julie Tippetts - Mahogany Rain (recorded at Victoria Rooms, Bristol, UK)
- 2005 - (May 5) RoToR (Paul Rutherford, Keith Tippett & Paul Roegrs) - RoToR (recorded live at Jazz Atelier, Ulrichsberger Kaleidophon, Austria -bootleg recordingBootleg recordingA bootleg recording is an audio or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority. The process of making and distributing such recordings is known as bootlegging...
) - 2005 - (June 12) Mujician - There's No Going Back Now (recorded at Voctoria Rooms, Bristol, UK)
- 2005 - (July 19 & 20) with The Number (Gary Curson, John Edwards & Mark Sanders) - The Making of Quiet Things
- 2006 - (March) with George Burt/Raymond McDonald Sextet - Boohoo Fever (recorded at An Tobar Arts Centre, Tobermory, Isle of Mull, Scotland)
- 2007 - (September 24 & 25) with Stefano Maltese - The Lion Is Dreaming (recorded at Sonoria Studio, ScordiaScordiaScordia is a comune in the Province of Catania in the Italian region Sicily, located about 160 km southeast of Palermo and about 30 km southwest of Catania. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 17,202 and an area of 24.3 km².Scordia borders the following municipalities:...
, SicilySicilySicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
, Italy) - 2007 - (November 8) Mujician - The Wise Sage (recorded live in GatesheadGatesheadGateshead is a town in Tyne and Wear, England and is the main settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead. Historically a part of County Durham, it lies on the southern bank of the River Tyne opposite Newcastle upon Tyne and together they form the urban core of Tyneside...
, UK) (BBC Radio 3 broadcast in 11 January 2008) - 2008 - (September 2) with Julie Tippetts, Louis Moholo-Moholo & Minafric Orchestra - Viva La Black (recorded live at Piazza del Nuraghe, in Sant'Anna ArresiSant'Anna ArresiSant'Anna Arresi is a comune in the Province of Carbonia-Iglesias in the Italian region Sardinia, located about 45 km southwest of Cagliari and about 20 km southeast of Carbonia...
, CagliariCagliariCagliari is the capital of the island of Sardinia, a region of Italy. Cagliari's Sardinian name Casteddu literally means castle. It has about 156,000 inhabitants, or about 480,000 including the outlying townships : Elmas, Assemini, Capoterra, Selargius, Sestu, Monserrato, Quartucciu, Quartu...
, Italy - bootleg recordingBootleg recordingA bootleg recording is an audio or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority. The process of making and distributing such recordings is known as bootlegging...
) - 2008 - Nostalgia 77 Sessions featuring Keith & Julie Tippett (recorded at Red Kite Studios, WalesWalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, released in 2009) - 2008 - (November 14) duet with Julie Tippetts, Couple In Spirit - Live at the Purcell Room (recorded at the Purcell RoomPurcell RoomThe Purcell Room is a concert and performance venue which forms part of the Southbank Centre, one of central London's leading cultural complexes. It is named after the 17th century English composer Henry Purcell and has 370 seats....
, London, as part of the 2008 London Jazz Festival) - 2011 - (January 30 & 31) Keith Tippett Octet (with Paul Dunmall, James Gardiner-Bateman, Peter Fairclough, Kevin Figes, Thad Kelly, Julie Tippetts & Ben Waghorn) - From Granite To Wind (recorded at Real World StudiosReal World StudiosReal World Studios is a residential recording studio in Box, Wiltshire, England associated with the Real World Records Ltd. record label founded by rock musician Peter Gabriel...
, Box, WiltshireBox, WiltshireBox is a village located in Wiltshire, England, about east of Bath and west of Chippenham. It is quite a large parish with several settlements, apart from the village of Box, within its boundaries....
, UK) - 2011 - with Michael Giles MAD BAND - In The Moment (recorded at Real World Studios, Box, Wiltshire, UK)
See external links for his complete discography.
External links
- Mind Your Own Music, the Keith Tippett/Julie Tippetts website.
- Free Music Production, Tippetts FMP releases
- Keith Tippett Discography
- Keith Tippett at Calyx
- Interview with Keith Tippett