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.
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.
