[Dixielandjazz] Ed Thigpen, 1930-2010

[Robert Ringwald]

Ed Thigpen, 1930-2010
"Mr. Taste" drummed for pianist Oscar Peterson's trio in the late 1950s and '60s
by Howard Reich
Chicago Tribune, January 15, 2010

Jazz lovers called him "Mr. Taste," and the nickname couldn't have been more fitting.
Always fashionably dressed -- and sounding as impeccable as he looked -- Ed Thigpen
conveyed elegance in every aspect of his life and art.
At the same time, his ability to generate propulsive, hard-hitting swing rhythm made
him a driving force in pianist Oscar Peterson's great trio of the late 1950s and
'60s, which also included bassist Ray Brown.
This high-profile spot established Mr. Thigpen, born in Chicago and raised in Los
Angeles, as an international figure. It also made him a featured player at Chicago's
long-gone London House, where Peterson's trio enjoyed extended residencies.
Mr. Thigpen, 79, died Wednesday, Jan. 13, in Copenhagen, said his daughter, Denise.
The drummer, who had moved to Denmark in 1972, performed regularly through October.
He was hospitalized in the last two weeks with "weak lungs and weak heart," said
his daughter, speaking from Copenhagen.
Practically born to the art of jazz percussion, Mr. Thigpen was the son of drummer
Ben Thigpen, who is best known for his work in the 1930s and '40s in one of the most
popular bands in the kingdom of swing, Andy Kirk's Clouds of Joy.
But Mr. Thigpen also drew inspiration from a more famous and influential swing drummer,
Jo Jones, who powered the Count Basie Band.
"That's how Ed got the name 'Mr. Taste,'" said Chicagoan Donald Meade, Mr. Thigpen's
friend and business partner for the last 56 years. "If you'll notice, he always had
the right suit on, dressed very conservatively and smartly. Jo Jones taught him that.
'Papa' Jo taught him how to sit behind the drum throne, and that posture was everything.
If you look at any film clip of Ed, he sat erect, always."
More important, he played with a degree of clarity, control and precision not often
encountered in the bebop and post-bop eras. His use of brushes, especially, made
him an elite player, the delicacy of his solos matched by his phenomenally crisp
articulation.
"He had about the best brushwork of any drummer you could possibly want to hear,"
said Kent Richmond, a board member of the Jazz Institute of Chicago.
Mr. Thigpen also used his hands alone on the drums, crafting sensitive phrases and
the gentlest pastels.
"It was just stunning," said Chicago drummer Paul Wertico. "His playing was so elegant
-- it was almost symphonic in its delivery."
For all Mr. Thigpen's acclaim as pianist Peterson's collaborator, he also distinguished
himself in tours with vocalist Ella Fitzgerald and pianist Tommy Flanagan. As educator,
he published instruction books analyzing jazz rhythm and percussion technique, influencing
generations of players.
"People don't think of him as a technical drummer, the way they think of Buddy Rich
or Tony Williams," said Wertico, referring to two hyper-virtuosos who pushed the
high end of the decibel range. "Ed had had plenty of technique, but his technical
thing was about the music."
Mr. Thigpen is the subject of a 2009 documentary film, "Ed Thigpen: Master of Time,
Rhythm and Taste."
His wife, Ingelise, died in 1981.
Besides his daughter, he is survived by a son, Michel; a sister, Nikita; a brother,
Bensid; and a granddaughter.
Memorial services are being planned for this year in Copenhagen and the United States,
including Chicago, said his daughter.
-30



--Bob Ringwald K6YBV
rsr at ringwald.com
Fulton Street Jazz Band
916/806-9551

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