RIP - Ed Thigpen

In memory of Ed Thigpen (1930 - 2010)

Saddly we had found this on his webpage.


"We are very sad to announce that Ed Thigpen has passed away today January 13th 2010.
An update will be up soon on this page, if you would like to share your thoughts, please feel free to visit the temporary Facebook Group here.
Thank you for your support in this difficult time

Sincerely The Thigpen family"



Ed Thigpen was an American jazz drummer, perhaps best-known for his work with the Oscar Peterson trio from 1959-1965. Thigpen also performed with the Billy Taylor trio from 1956-1959. 

His father, Ben, was a drummer who played with Andy Kirk for sixteen years during the 1930s and 1940s. Thigpen first worked professionally in New York City with the Cootie Williams orchestra from 1951-1952 at the Savoy Ballroom. After working with Dinah Washington, Gil Melle, Oscar Pettiford, Eddie Vinson, Paul Quinichette, Ernie Wilkins, Charlie Rouse, Lennie Tristano, Jutta Hipp, Johnny Hodges, Dorothy Ashby, Bud Powell, and Billy Taylor, he replaced guitarist Herb Ellis in the Oscar Peterson Trio in 1959 in Toronto, Canada.
In 1961 he recorded with the Teddy Edwards - Howard McGhee Quintet in Los Angeles with Phineas Newborn, Jr. and Ray Brown.
After leaving Peterson he recorded one album as a leader for Verve, Out of the Storm of 1966. He then toured with Ella Fitzgerald from 1967-1972, after which he settled in Copenhagen, Denmark. In Denmark Thigpen has worked with a variety of artists, including Alice Babs, Kenny Drew, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Ernie Wilkins, Svend Asmussen, Clark Terry, Milt Jackson, Monty Alexander and Thad Jones.
He was Inducted into the Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame.

Ed Thigpen passed away peacefully after a brief period in Hvidovre Hospital (Copenhagen, Denmark) on January 13th, 2010.