Edmund Leonard (Ed) Thigpen (born December 28, 1930 - died January 13, 2010… Read Full Bio ↴Edmund Leonard (Ed) Thigpen (born December 28, 1930 - died January 13, 2010) was an American jazz drummer from Chicago, Illinois, perhaps best-known for his work with the Oscar Peterson trio from 1959-1965. Thigpen also performed with the Billy Taylor trio from 1956-1959.

Ed's father, Ben, was a drummer who played with Andy Kirk for sixteen years during the 1930s and 1940s. Ed was raised in Los Angeles, California and attended Thomas Jefferson High School, which was also attended by Art Farmer, Dexter Gordon and Chico Hamilton. Thigpen first worked professionally in New York City with the Cootie Williams orchestra from 1951-1952 at the Savoy Ballroom. After working with Dinah Washington, Gil Melle, Oscar Pettiford, Eddie Vinson, Paul Quinichette, Ernie Wilkins, Charlie Rouse, Lennie Tristano, Jutta Hipp, Johnny Hodges, Dorothy Ashby, Bud Powell, and Billy Taylor, he replaced guitarist Herb Ellis in the Oscar Peterson Trio in 1959 in Toronto, Canada.

After leaving Peterson he recorded one album as a leader for Verve, Out Of The Storm of 1966. He then toured with Ella Fitzgerald from 1967-1972, after which he settled in Copenhagen, Denmark. In Denmark, Thigpen worked with a variety of artists, including Alice Babs, Kenny Drew, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Ernie Wilkins, Svend Asmussen, Clark Terry, Milt Jackson, Monty Alexander and Thad Jones

In A Sentimental Mood
Ed Thigpen Lyrics

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In A Sentimental Mood
I can see the stars come thru my room
While your loving attitude
Is like a flame that lights the gloom
On the wings of ev'ry kiss
Drift a melody so strange and sweet
In this sentimental bliss you make my
Paradise complete

Rose pearls seem to fall
It's all like a dream to call you mine
My heart's lighter thing
Since you made me this night a thing divine
In A Sentimental Mood
I'm within a world so heavenly
For I never dreamt
That you'd be loving sentimental me
In A Sentimental Mood
I can see the stars come thru my room
While your loving attitude
Is like a flame that lights the gloom
On the wings of ev'ry kiss
Drift a melody so strange and sweet
In this sentimental bliss you make my
Paradise complete
Rose pearls seem to fall
It's all like a dream to call you mine
My heart's lighter thing
Since you made me this night a thing divine
In A Sentimental Mood
I'm within a world so heavenly

For I never dreamt
That you'd be loving sentimental me

Overall Meaning

In "In A Sentimental Mood" by Ed Thigpen, the singer is overwhelmed by the power of love they feel for their partner. The lyrics are an ode to the blissful, dreamlike state that the singer finds themselves in when they are with the person they love. They describe the feeling of being in a world that is heavenly, where even the stars seem to shine brighter and the melody of every kiss is both strange and sweet.

The central metaphor in the song is fire, as the singer compares their lover's attitude to a flame that lights up the darkness around them. The chorus repeats the phrase "In a Sentimental Mood" several times throughout the song, underscoring the idea that there is something ephemeral and otherworldly about the feeling of being in love.

The song is both romantic and nostalgic, and the gentle, slow tempo of the music reinforces the dreamlike quality of the lyrics. Overall, "In A Sentimental Mood" is a celebration of the intense emotional connection that can exist between two people and the way that love can transform the world around us.

Line by Line Meaning

In A Sentimental Mood
Being in a state of deep emotional feeling

I can see the stars come thru my room
The night sky is visible through my window

While your loving attitude
Your affectionate behavior

Is like a flame that lights the gloom
Your love brings brightness to the darkness

On the wings of ev'ry kiss
With every kiss shared

Drift a melody so strange and sweet
There is a strange and sweet tune in the air

In this sentimental bliss you make my
In this emotional happiness that you create for me

Paradise complete
My world is now perfect

Rose pearls seem to fall
I am experiencing such beauty that it appears as though rose pearls are falling around me

It's all like a dream to call you mine
It seems like a dream to have you as mine

My heart's lighter thing
My heart feels lighter and free