This is a great name in british jazz who has just passed away. The pianist Keith Tippet, dubbed by his admirers “the man of the west with a heart as big as this,” has died at the age of 72 years. On Facebook, Riccardo Bergerone, a close friend of the family, said that the musician died of a heart attack a few days after his admission to the hospital.
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Jazz inspired, Tippett had a unique gift for improvisation. Curious of all styles and genres, he has worked in particular with the drummer’s south african Louis Moholo and the keyboardist of English, Robert Wyatt.
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Keith Tippet was born in Bristol on August 25, 1947. Just a teenager, he created his first jazz group, the KT7, with classmates from college. He plays with fervor, the songs of the jazz surreal Temperence Seven, training in vogue in the 60’s.
It traces its furrow, and in 1968, the pianist becomes the leader of a formation consisting of Elton Dean on saxophone, Mark Charig on trumpet and Nick Evans on trombone. His meeting with Julie Driscoll, who became his wife and muse, is decisive. With it, he starts composing tunes, melodies, particularly for the BBC who has noticed the originality of his talent.
In the 70s, it explores the possibilities offered by the marriage of rock and jazz. He founded a big band, the Centipede, with whom he gave birth to one of his albums the most important are : Septober Energy.
The rest of his career is devoted to the search of new musical experiences. With Harry Miller and Louis Moholo, they join for the best and for the jazz with instrumentalists the most gifted of England as the saxophonist Elton Dean.
incessant Research of new rhythmic, new influences, Keith Tippett has been one of the spearheads of the global free jazz of the late Twentieth century and early Twenty-first century.
tribute to his talent, Le Figaro presents an excerpt of an improvisation jazzy on the air of the Godfather played in 2011 in Italy to Castel San Pietro Terme.
Louis Moholo on drums, and Keith Tippett at the piano in 2011
