Mickey Tucker

As a child in North Carolina and Pennsylvania, Mickey was drawn to the family's piano before beginning schooling, and his fascination and determination never wavered. Blessed with a succession of excellent teachers who recognized and encouraged his latent abilities, Mickey made steady progress on the classical repertoire through his school years, so much so that in his late teens he was performing important concerts and had pupils of his own. Faced with an uncertain future in the classical music world of the period, Mickey chose to develop the long-suppressed rhythmic sense he possessed and moved into the entertainment sphere. Some years of experience included gospel, rock and jazz and embraced stints with Damita Jo, comedian Timmie Rogers, Little Anthony & the Imperials, followed by work with rhythm 'n' blues artists which led to his learning the Hammond B3 organ, a skill that brought him a three-year gig with saxophonist James Moody, sharing the stage with vocalese innovator Eddie Jefferson. Mickey continued working with "EJ" until the latter's untimely death in 1979, as well as working with Thad Jones/Mel Lewis, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Frank Foster, Eric Kloss, Sonny Fortune and Willis Jackson.

In the early part of the 70's Mickey recorded an album for Blue Note entitled The New Heritage Ketboard Quartet. Mickey and Sir Roland Hanna played piano, harpsichord and clavinet, with Richard Davis on bass and Eddie Gladden on drums and percussion. Downbeat Magazine review summed up by saying - "Tucker and Hanna are both masters, of technique, but especially of conception of their instruments". During this period Mickey also recorded his first album for the Xanadu label - Triplicity - and Downbeat had the following comments: "Tucker's dazzling harmonic sensibility is impressively united with an idiomatic eclecticism embracing everything from ragtime to Cecil Taylorish flurries." Of Mickey's organ rendition of Giant Steps, Downbeat commented, "Tucker demonstrates his kaleidoscopic musical persona and a set of new directions for the electric organ..."

By 1976 Mickey was touring with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, working at home with Frank Foster's Loud Minority and Living Color groups, leading his own groups that included Junior Cook, Bill Hardman, Marcus Belgrave, Slide Hampton and Eddie Gladden, and recording as both leader and sideman. Of the Muse album, "The Crawl", the Chicago Tribune remarked, "Tucker writes and plays with more inventiveness and subtlety than one would think possible.."

Mickey recorded a second album for Muse—Mister Mysterious—as well as recording two albums for the Denon label—Theme for a Woogie-Boogie and Sweet Lotus Lips. The latter two titles are still available on one CD under the name Sweet Lotus Lips.

The late 70's and early 80's saw Mickey working, recording and touring extensively with artists such as Charlie Rouse, Archie Shepp, Billie Harper, Sonny Stitt, "Philly" Joe Jones, Ted Dunbar, Stanley Turrentine, John Stubblefield and Reggie Workman, to name just a few. In 1982 the Benny Golson/Art Farmer Jazztet Reunion was formed with Mickey in the piano chair. After a 1983 performance at Ronnie Scott's, the London Times review said that, "...Tucker is an entirely exceptional musician." He continued with the Jazztet until migrating to Australia at the end of 1989.

Just prior to leaving the USA Mickey recorded the first of his three Steeplechase CD's Blues In Five Dimensions. This was later followed by Hang In There and the piano solo CD Gettin' There. These are all still available; as is a limited number of copies of his second two-piano recording (directly from Tucker by contacting [email protected]). The title of this is 176 Keys - Piano Thunder from Down Under, which received rave reviews in Australia, as well as being in the Jazz Rhythms Magazine Top Ten.

In 1991 Mickey was involved in a freak accident while teaching at an Arts College in Melbourne, Australia. The base of his spine was seriously damaged, and eventually it became imperative that surgery be performed. The surgery was successful but, unfortunately, Mickey was left with a condition called Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy in his right foot and leg that precludes his being able to play the piano for more than minutes at any one time. Nevertheless, Mickey's interest in the music has never waned, as can be heard on "Now and Then", an independently produced CD of mostly live performances, taped over almost a 30-year peiod and now digitally cleaned up to make for some very interesting listening. Show less