Early years and education He was born in the
Bronx, New York, United States, to a Trinidadian mother and Jamaican father, and grew up on
Long Island, NY. and while attending there between 1971 and 1975, with a double major in Music and Psychology, Blue threw himself headlong into music, concentrating on the saxophone. During these undergraduate years, he lived in the
East Village, partaking in the full range of the scene, from lessons with elders to deep involvement in the avant-garde. He participated in the
Jazzmobile program, studying jazz theory, harmony, sight-reading, rhythmic training, improvisation and big-band performance, with
Jimmy Heath,
Chris Woods,
Sonny Red,
Frank Foster,
Jimmy Owens,
Ernie Wilkins,
Thad Jones and
Billy Taylor. At
Jazz Interactions, Blue studied with
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
Yusef Lateef and
Joe Newman, and at the
Henry Street Settlement with
Billy Mitchell and bassist Paul West. – Blue moved to
Paris in December 1981, remaining there until 1989. In 1986, he recorded
Egyptian Oasis, his first record as a leader, and that sparked a number of
State Department tours to some 20 countries in Africa. Back in the USA since 1990, he has worked constantly, in a wide range of styles and situations, and recorded his second CD,
Introducing Talib Kibwe, released on
Evidence in 1996. His more recent recordings as leader include 2008's
Follow the North Star, a suite inspired by the life of
Solomon Northup (a "compelling opus", commissioned by the
New York State Council on the Arts),
Latin Bird (2011 – "Highly recommended" by
AllMusic's reviewer Ken Dryden), and in 2014
A Warm Embrace, about which Don Bilawsky on
All About Jazz has written: "Blue's skills as an arranger, perhaps more than anything else, are responsible for the success of this project, as he's able to create beauty from simplicity at times....
A Warm Embrace is simply a beautiful work of art." His 2019 album
The Rhythms Continue is a tribute to
Randy Weston, with whose group T. K. Blue worked from the 1980s, taking on the role of music director and arranger in 1989. The
New York City Jazz Record characterized the CD as "possibly his most heartfelt, a dedication to the memory of his longtime employer and mentor. ... Blue performed in Weston's African Rhythms band for 38 years, his life deeply affected by his relationship with the legendary pianist." Described by the
New York Amsterdam News as "a memorable suite of 19 enthralling compositions by Weston,
Melba Liston and Blue", it features other members of Weston's band – bassist
Alex Blake, tenor saxophonist
Billy Harper, and percussionist Neil Clarke – with guest pianists Sharp Radway, Mike King, Keith Brown and Kelly Green, as well as
Min Xiao Fen on pipa. Augmenting his long-term relationships as musical director with Weston, as well as with the
Spirit of Life Ensemble at New York's
Sweet Basil jazzclub, Blue's other recent affiliations include: Odadaa, a group led by a drummer from
Ghana,
Yacub Addy; percussionist Norman Hedman's pan-African band Tropique;
tap dancer Joseph's Tap and Rap, to jazz tunes by
Charlie Parker and
John Coltrane; and emerging singer Jeffrey Smith. T. K. Blue was part of the June 2008 photo session called "A Great Day In Paris" — in homage to
Art Kane's historic 1958 photograph
A Great Day in Harlem — that featured more than 50 musicians from the USA who resided there. For several years an adjunct professor at
Suffolk Community College and
Montclair State University, Blue was also a full-time professor and director of jazz studies at
Long Island University-LIU-Post. The 2023 release of
The Tide of Love earned Blue acclaim from such outlets as
All About Jazz, where the reviewer hailed it as "a striking album ... that offers a diverse and engaging musical journey through various genres of the jazz spectrum", and concluded: "The album shows T.K. Blue's skill, passion, and commitment to musical diversity." Blue's most recent album,
Planet Bluu, was released in October 2024 to further positive reviews, described by
The Arts Fuse as a "multigenerational affair...a fun and engaging listen as the seasoned pros pass the tradition to the next generation."
DownBeat magazine's reviewer called
Planet Bluu "so special", giving it a four-star rating, while
The Toledo Blade praised it by noting: "It includes a wonderful mix of musicians and a diverse array of instruments while maintaining its tight, jazz combo feel....
DownBeat magazine once wrote that Blue 'exudes armloads of dexterity and guileless charm' and that he 'is a craftsman so in love with his work that it doesn’t even feel like work.' That's a pretty apt description for this album, which is complex in arrangements, filled with fascinating solos, and yet flows effortlessly." ==Discography==