T.K. Blue for Randy & Melba - Celebrating the Centennial of Randy Weston & Melba Liston

T.K. Blue honors the life and legacy of legendary NEA Jazz Master Randy Weston and Melba Liston through the music of one of his closest collaborators. Long Island native, T.K. Blue (Talib Kibwe) is an internationally recognized saxophonist, flutist, composer, and educator whose career has taken him around the world. Influenced by jazz greats and African musical traditions, Blue had spent decades performing, recording, and sharing the history and spirit of jazz with audiences worldwide.

For more than 30 years, T.K. Blue worked closely with NEA Jazz Master Randy Weston as his saxophonist, flutist, arranger, and musical director. Their partnership led to countless concerts, recordings, and international tours that celebrated the connections between jazz and African culture. This special centennial tribute pays homage to Weston’s extraordinary contributions to music through the perspective of a longtime student, musical partner and friend.

Melba Liston (January 13, 1926 – April 23, 1999) was an American jazz trombonist, arranger and composer. She was the first woman trombonist to play alongside men in big bands during the 1940s and 1960s, but as her career progressed, she became better known as an arranger, particularly in partnership with pianist Randy Weston.