Album Notes

Tiombe Lockhart was born in Southwest Atlanta, Georgia. She began singing at the tender age of seven. Tiombe later moved to Los Angeles when she was 12 years old. Going to high school in LA (L.A. County High School for the Arts) exposed her to hip hop artists such as Mobb Depp, A Tribe Called Quest, Gangstarr, DJ Quik, Common Sense, RZA, and The Living Legends. Her musical taste and style were further refined during her years at the New School University in Manhattan. The burgeoning New York jazz scene introduced her to the sounds of Branford Marsalis, Betty Carter, Brian Blade, Kenny Garrett, and Sun Ra. She remembers frequenting Cleopatra's Needle, Smalls, Visiones or catching a Hip Hop show at Tramps or the Wetlands (R.I.P.).
Since receiving her BFA in vocal jazz performance her music background has expanded. She now takes her morning coffee to the raucous accompaniment of Bad Brains, the muted driving rhythms of ESG, or the campy plastic beach glamour of the B 52's.
While in school Tiombe began crafting her writing and production skills. Merging her newfound technical savvy and the experience of leading a rhythm section with the aforementioned multifaceted universe of her musical tastes, she was able to experiment with different sounds and communicate her vision to other musicians. This combination of technique and connoisseurship eventually led to her refining her own unique style.
Tiombe Lockhart is best known for her contributions to the Platinum Pied Piper's album, "Triple P". She wrote and sung on the critically acclaimed first single, "Stay With Me" and the BBC Radio 1 show "Worldwide" nominated the B -side, "I Got You" for track of year. The second PPP 12 inch features the Jay Dee song "Act Like You Know" with Tiombe's "Now or Never" and remixes by Ge-ology and Rich Medina.
Tiombe's been busy lately, touring sold out shows through most of Europe, the west coast, Detroit, Atlanta, and most recently celebrating the much anticipated PPP record release party at SOB's (NYC). In London they were the main act for Giles Peterson's night at Cargo and featured guests on Benji B's BBC 1 Xtra radio show. This summer the Platinum Pied Pipers will be opening for Roy Ayers at Summerstage and Prince Paul at The Black Cat in D.C., along with more U.S. and European tours.
Tiombe's work extends to various other projects, including collaborations with her former classmate, Bilal. Their work together yielded "Mr. Johnnie Walker" which was released on DJ Spinna's Suite 903 compilation and later as a 7 inch single for Giant Step's "Simple Good Music Vol. 2". Tiombe Lockhart's credits also include "Don't Understand" featured on Team Shadtek's "The Girls E.P.". This song was also nominated for Track of the Year by BBC Radio 1show "Worldwide". "Don't Understand" also appears on "The Tiombe Lockhart Bootleg #1", along with other exclusive vintage Lockhart compositions.
As anyone who has been there can attest, a Platinum Pied Piper show appeals to the eyes as well as the ears. Audience participation, a unique sense of glamour and fashion, offbeat, but well rehearsed, gyrating and a tongue in cheek humor set them apart from your casual take-yourself-too-seriously cookie cutter stage sensibility prevalent in most artist today. Overtly sexual, flamboyant, and sarcastic Tiombe is definitely there to entertain you. Alternately sweet and sexy, sincere and crass, she'll be pouring her heart out to you while demanding another scotch from the audience.
At once dark and poetic, oft times whimsical and ironic, Tiombe Lockhart's music reflects a complicated youthful soul whose expression leaves the listener wanting for more.