Keith Tippett (born Keith Graham Tippetts; 25 August 1947) is a British jazz pianist and composer.
Tippett was born in Bristol. The son of a local police officer, Tippett went to Greenway Boys Secondary Modern school in Southmead, Bristol. He formed his first jazz band called The KT7 whilst still at school and they performed numbers popular at the time by The Temperance Seven.
In the late 1960s, Tippett led a sextet featuring Elton Dean on saxophone, Mark Charig on trumpet and Nick Evans on trombone. Tippett married singer Julie Driscoll and wrote scores for TV.
In the early 1970s, his big band Centipede brought together much of a generation of young British jazz and rock musicians. As well as performing some concerts (limited economically by the size of the band), they recorded one double-album, Septober Energy.
He formed, with Harry Miller and Louis Moholo a formidable rhythm section at the centre of some the most exciting combinations in the country, including the Elton Dean quartet, and Elton Dean's Ninesense. Around the same time, he was also in the vicinity of King Crimson, contributing piano to several of their records including "Cat Food" (and even appearing with them on Top of the Pops). His own groups, such as Ovary Lodge tended towards a more contemplative form of European free improvisation. He continues to perform with the improvising ensemble Mujician and more recently (2006) Work in Progress.
Today is gonna go my way 'Cause the lord showed me how to play
I'll dance with the insects in the breeze
And suck the sap from all trees
I am sunshine- I am winter's freeze
I am autumns leaves
What is normal and what do you expect from me?
What do you expect from me?
The path I chose I had to follow
The path I chose I had to follow
The path I chose I had to follow
If there's no road, there's no tomorrow
Hold on for as long as you can see
It doesn't matter, nothing matters
For it's only make believe now
Today was gonna go my way
But the Lord laughed and said "no way"
I am gloomy and I am dismal, stained
I'm coming down on heads with sour pain
I miss my smile, I miss my soulful swing
A fit of weeping lingers inside of me
What is normal and what do you expect from me?
What do you expect from me?
The path I chose I had to follow
The path I chose I had to follow
The path I chose I had to follow
If there's no road, there's no tomorrow
Hold on for as long as you can see
It doesn't matter, nothing matters