Search - Eddie Gip Noble :: Love T.K.O.

Pianist and keyboardist Eddie Gip Noble, a music veteran of both the jazz and rhythm n blues scenes for the past three decades, has released his debut album, Love T.K.O., titled after the huge hit he wrote for a Teddy Pendergrass Platinum album. Although Noble s primarily-instrumental CD will appeal to smooth jazz enthusiasts, its unique style comes from the blending of R&B and funk rhythms with jazz soloing on acoustic and electric pianos. An admitted fan of Herbie Hancock s keyboard work (especially his classic Sixties and Seventies performances), Noble on this new recording specifically attempted to capture that historic jazz-funk fusion sound, although updated with his own contemporary embellishments. The result is frisky, funky beats masterfully blended in select spots with melodic improvisation. Gip is featured on piano and various synthesizers, and is joined by several special guest musicians including female singers on the choruses of a couple of tunes. Noble is a former child prodigy turned jazz patriarch. Because of his extensive musical background playing with top R&B, blues and jazz artists, Gip brings a lot of variety to his own music. He has toured extensively supporting such R&B notables as Brothers Johnson (serving as musical director as well), Gladys Knight & The Pips, Patti Austin, Barry White, Shalamar, Mary Wells, the Marvelettes, Teena Marie, The Drifters, The Platters, Brenton Woods, Arpeggio, The Jones Girls, Mona Raye Campbell, Munyungo (Stevie Wonder, Patti LaBelle), Ricky Minor (Whitney Houston, Lionel Richie), Tisha Campbell (Lenny Kravitz), Gil Askey (Diana Ross, The Temptations) and others. Gip also has played with top blues artists including Johnny Guitar Watson (they toured for four years and Gip served as musical director), Etta James (as her musical director), Albert Collins and blues-rocker Joe Walsh. In addition, Noble has extensive credentials in the jazz field having performed with saxophonist Gerald Albright, saxophonist Plas Johnson (Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald), trumpet and flugelhorn player Rahmlee Michael Davis (Earth Wind & Fire, Ramsey Lewis), bassist Larry Gales (Thelonious Monk, Herbie Mann), bassist Henry The Skipper Franklin (Freddie Hubbard, Archie Shepp), bassist Andy Simkins (The Three Sounds, George Shearing), drummer James Gatson (Norman Connors), saxophonist and singer Pamela Williams (Teddy Pendergrass, Patti LaBelle), singer Linda Hopkins (Jackie Wilson), singer Debra Laws (Dianne Reeves, Ronnie Laws), guitarist Ronald Muldrow (Eddie Harris, Maceo Parker), bassist Hilliard Wilson (Dionne Warwick, Paul Taylor), and singer Ernie Andrews (Harry James Orchestra, Gene Harris), among others. On his Love T.K.O. album, Gip brought in special guests: drummer and co-producer David Williams (The O Jays, Patti LaBelle), bassist Andre Berry (Brothers Johnson), saxophonist Louis Taylor (Ray Charles, Michael Bolton), trumpet player Jon Barnes, and vocalists Mona Raye Campbell (Tisha Campbell) and Zuri (Chaka Kahn, Brenton Woods). Noble s version of Love T.K.O. is mostly-instrumental ( I had just left a relationship when I wrote it so I could relate to the idea of a technical knock-out . ). Noble wrote a half-dozen other tunes for this recording including Noble Cause ( making music is the most noble cause I know ), Nite Song ( I envisioned two lovers walking hand-in-hand in the moonlight along the ocean ), the goodtimey Carousel and the urban beats of Gip Hop. Noble does a seven-minute-plus version of Burt Bacharach s Trains & Boats & Planes (made famous by Dionne Warwick) full of piano soloing ( I first arranged this in 1970 ), and smooth jazz version of the big pop hit Sailing. Noble also covers Christo Redentor ( I was inspired by the version with Herbie Hancock playing piano behind trumpet player Donald Byrd ). I m still influenced by the amaz