TK Blue

T.K. Blue, also known as Talib Kibwe, was born in New York City of a Trinidadian mother and Jamaican father, but was raised on Long Island. T.K. began playing music at the age of 8 years old on trumpet, then at 10 he switched to drums. Shortly after his interest shifted to academic and athletic endeavors. While attending Malverne High School the flute became his muse. Blue took lessons from Billy Mitchell, the legendary tenor saxophonist with Count Basie and Dizzy Gillespie. He earned a bachelor’s degree in both music and psychology. T.K. Blue went on to earn a master’s degree in music education from Teacher’s College at Columbia University.

After touring with Abdullah Ibrahim for three years, T.K. Blue moved to Paris, France to quench his cultural thirsts. Living in Paris afforded Blue numerous opportunities in traveling and performing in Africa.

T.K. Blue toured Europe with Sam Rivers and his eleven-piece saxophone choir called The Winds Of Manhattan, with a subsequent recording for Black Saint Records in Milan, Italy.

In Paris, T.K. connected with a group from Senegal called Xalam. He toured and recorded with Xalam for three years with the culmination in a feature film by Michel Blanc called “Marche A’ L’Ombre.”
In Paris T.K. Blue recorded his first project as a leader called Egyptian Oasis in 1986. This recording garnered many great reviews and eventually led Blue to tour Africa on three occasions for the USIA State Department, where he visited over 25 countries.

fter moving back to NYC in 1989, T.K. debuted as Dr. Weston’s musical director during the recording of Spirit Of Our Ancestors on Verve Records. This project featured many jazz giants: Dizzy Gillespie, Pharoah Sanders, Idrees Sulieman, Benny Powell, Billy Harper, Dewey Redman, Alex Blake, Jamil Nasser, Idres Muhammad, Big Black, and Azzedin Weston.

T.K. Blue is the arranger, conductor, and featured soloist for three significant projects concerning Dr. Randy Weston and his African Rhythms Orchestra. T.K. Blue released his 8th CD as a leader entitled “Follow the North Star” on JAJA Records 2007, which received rave reviews and critical acclaim. T.K. is a musician of the highest caliber who is at the peak of his creative output. Mr. Blue’s artistry is found on over eighty-five recordings and he has performed with a long list of great international artists.

In 2017 T.K. released his 11th CD entitled Amour on Dot Time Records. This recording was awarded 4 Stars in Downbeat Magazine. in 2024 TK released his 14th recording, Planet Bluu.

T.K. Blue, also known as Talib Kibwe, was born in New York City of a Trinidadian mother and Jamaican father, but was raised on Long Island. T.K. began playing music at the age of 8 years old on trumpet, then at 10 he switched to drums. Shortly after his interest shifted to academic and athletic endeavors. While attending Malverne High School the flute became his muse. Blue took lessons from Billy Mitchell, the legendary tenor saxophonist with Count Basie and Dizzy Gillespie. He earned a bachelor’s degree in both music and psychology. T.K. Blue went on to earn a master’s degree in music education from Teacher’s College at Columbia University. After touring with Abdullah Ibrahim for three years, T.K. Blue moved to Paris, France to quench his cultural thirsts. Living in Paris afforded Blue numerous opportunities in traveling and performing in Africa. T.K. Blue toured Europe with Sam Rivers and his eleven-piece saxophone choir called The Winds Of Manhattan, with a subsequent recording for Black Saint Records in Milan, Italy. In Paris, T.K. connected with a group from Senegal called Xalam. He toured and recorded with Xalam for three years with the culmination in a feature film by Michel Blanc called “Marche A’ L’Ombre.” In Paris T.K. Blue recorded his first project as a leader called Egyptian Oasis in 1986. This recording garnered many great reviews and eventually led Blue to tour Africa on three occasions for the USIA State Department, where he visited over 25 countries. fter moving back to NYC in 1989, T.K. debuted as Dr. Weston’s musical director during the recording of Spirit Of Our Ancestors on Verve Records. This project featured many jazz giants: Dizzy Gillespie, Pharoah Sanders, Idrees Sulieman, Benny Powell, Billy Harper, Dewey Redman, Alex Blake, Jamil Nasser, Idres Muhammad, Big Black, and Azzedin Weston. T.K. Blue is the arranger, conductor, and featured soloist for three significant projects concerning Dr. Randy Weston and his African Rhythms Orchestra. T.K. Blue released his 8th CD as a leader entitled “Follow the North Star” on JAJA Records 2007, which received rave reviews and critical acclaim. T.K. is a musician of the highest caliber who is at the peak of his creative output. Mr. Blue’s artistry is found on over eighty-five recordings and he has performed with a long list of great international artists. In 2017 T.K. released his 11th CD entitled Amour on Dot Time Records. This recording was awarded 4 Stars in Downbeat Magazine. in 2024 TK released his 14th recording, Planet Bluu.