T.K. BLUE
(MADISON, NJ) -- In the history of jazz, no American musician's career has been more interconnected with the continent of Africa than that of the great pianist and composer Randy Weston. Weston, whose centennial birthday was celebrated on April 6, 2026, was a giant, not only as a creative and spiritual force, but standing six feet, seven inches, an imposing figure in the venues at which he performed throughout the world.
On Sunday, May 3, 2026 at 3:00pm, saxophonist/flutist/composer/arranger/educator T.K. Blue (Talib Kibwe) will lead a quartet paying tribute to Weston at the New Jersey Jazz Society's Jersey Jazz LIVE! concert at the Madison (NJ) Community Arts Center. Blue was a member of Weston's African Rhythms Quintet for 38 years. Joining him at this event will be pianist Orrin Evans, bassist Santi Dibriano, and drummer George Coleman, Jr. Prior to the concert, Blue will be interviewed by jazz historian Noal Cohen.
Interestingly, Weston didn't consider himself primarily a musician. In his own words, "I come to be a storyteller; I'm not a jazz musician. I'm really a storyteller through music and I've had some amazing and unique experiences...God is the real musician. I'm an instrument, and the piano is another instrument. Africa taught me that" (African Rhythms: The Autobiography of Randy Weston by Randy Weston & Willard Jenkins, Duke University Press: 2010).
Influenced by both Thelonious Monk and Duke Ellington, Weston created a significant legacy throughout a 70-year career, involving 150 compositions, many of them waltzes such as the haunting "Little Niles"; and 50 albums as a leader on record labels both foreign and domestic including his most commercially successful effort Blue Moses for the CTI label in 1972. Although emerging during the hard bop period of the 1950s, his creative work, starting in the 1960s, incorporated the music and spiritual content of Africa, especially the Gnawa people of Morocco with whom he developed an enduring bond.
The Jersey Jazz LIVE! concerts begin at 3:00pm. Admission is $15 for NJJS members and $20 for non-members. Student admission is $5 with valid ID. Tickets are available for purchase online. The Madison Community Arts Center is located at 10 Kings Road in Madison, New Jersey.There will be light refreshments for purchase. This performance is generously sponsored by NJJS member Noal Cohen.
Weston was the recipient of many awards and honors including the French Order of Arts and Letters (1997), NEA Jazz Master (2001), Honorary Doctor of Music from Brooklyn College (2003), Guggenheim Fellowship (2011) and Doris Duke Artist Award (2014). He died in Brooklyn, NY, in 2018, at the age of 92.
T. K. Blue is at the peak of his creative output. His artistry is found on more than 85 recordings, and he has performed with a long list of great international artists. In addition to Weston, they include: pianist/composer Abdullah Ibrahim, bassist Sam Rivers, the Spirit of Life Ensemble, and poet/activist Jayne Cortez. He garnered tremendous experience in pedagogy teaching Pre-K through 12 in the Roosevelt, L.I., school district. He also taught in an adjunct capacity for several years at Montclair State University and Suffolk Community College. Blue has issued 15 albums under his own leadership, the most recent of which is Planet Bluu on the Jaja Records label (2024).
PHOTO BY ARIANE SMOLDEREN
Founded in 1972, the New Jersey Jazz Society is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the performance, promotion, and preservation of America’s original art form — jazz. The Society seeks to ensure continuity of the jazz art form through its commitment to nurture and champion young musicians, along with showcasing outstanding national and international artists.
