Kirk Lightsey


Kirkland "Kirk" Lightsey, is an American jazz pianist.

Biography

He was born in Detroit, Michigan, United States. Lightsey had piano instruction from the age of five and studied piano and clarinet through high school. After serving in the army, Lightsey worked in Detroit and California in the 1960s as an accompanist to singers. He also worked with jazz musicians such as Yusef Lateef, Betty Carter, Pharoah Sanders, Bobby Hutcherson, Sonny Stitt, Chet Baker, and Kenny Burrell. From 1979 to 1983 he toured with Dexter Gordon and was a member of The Leaders in the late 1980s. During the 1980s he led several sessions of his own, including duets with pianist Harold Danko.
He is also an accomplished flutist and occasionally doubles on flute in live performances. He has been living in Paris since 2000.

Discography

As leader

  • Habiba with Rudolph Johnson
  • Lightsey 1
  • Isotope
  • Everything Happens to Me with Chet Baker
  • Shorter by Two with Harold Danko
  • Lightsey 2
  • Lightsey Live
  • First Affairs
  • Everything Is Changed
  • Kirk 'n Marcus with Marcus Belgrave
  • From Kirk to Nat
  • Goodbye Mr. Evans
  • The Nights of Bradley's
  • Estate
  • Everybody’s Song But Our Own with Louise Gibbs
  • Lightsey To Gladden
  • Le Corbu with Tibor Elekes, Don Moye
  • Some Place Called Where with Marilena Paradisi
  • ''Coltrane Revisited''

    As sideman

With Chet Baker
  • Smokin' with the Chet Baker Quintet
  • Groovin' with the Chet Baker Quintet
  • Comin' On with the Chet Baker Quintet
  • Cool Burnin' with the Chet Baker Quintet
  • Boppin' with the Chet Baker Quintet
With Kenny Burrell
  • Sky Street
With Agostino Di Giorgio
  • The Path
With Ricky Ford
  • Shorter Ideas
  • Looking Ahead
  • Saxotic Stomp
With Sonny Fortune
  • Four in One
With Dexter Gordon
With Clifford Jordan
  • Two Tenor Winner
With Louis Hayes
With Blue Mitchell and Harold Land
  • Mapenzi
With David "Fathead" Newman
With David Murray
  • Black & Black
With The Leaders
  • Mudfoot
  • Out Here Like This
  • Unforeseen Blessings
  • Heaven Dance
  • Slipping and Sliding
With Jimmy Raney
With Rufus Reid
  • Perpetual Stroll
With Roots
With Saheb Sarbib
  • It Couldn't Happen Without You
With Woody Shaw
  • Imagination
With Sonny Stitt
  • Pow!
With Rudolph Johnson
  • ''The Second Coming''