Don Thompson (musician)
Donald Winston "Don" Thompson ( born January 18, 1940 in Powell River (British Columbia) ) is a Canadian jazz musician, composer and arranger. Although primarily known as a double bass player, he is also on the piano and the vibraphone appreciated as a musician; in addition he also plays drums.
Life and work
Thompson is a self-taught with the exception of piano lessons. He began in 1960 as a freelance pianist, later working mainly bassist in Vancouver, including with Barney Kessel, Conte Candoli and Fraser MacPherson. In 1965 he was invited there by John Handy, to be a member of the quintet and moved to San Francisco. There he joined with mobile phone and Others at the Monterey Jazz Festival, playing alongside the recording of this concert yet another album a. In 1967 he returned to Canada, where he worked mainly in Toronto. In 1968 he played his first album one, Love Song for a Virgo Lady ( with guitarist Sonny Greenwich, with whom he collaborated in the coming years ). In 1974 he was a member of the trio of Jim Hall; 1975/76, he accompanied Paul Desmond. From 1982, he played for five years in the band of George Shearing (also known as second pianist ). In Toronto Thompson also worked with Rob McConnell, Moe Koffman, Ed Bickert and Lenny Breau, also with various American musicians such as Sarah Vaughan and Don Friedman. More pictures were taken with Jay McShann, Emily Remler, and John Abercrombie. He also was active between 1992 and 1998 and again in 2002 as the double bass teacher at the Banff Centre, where he in 1982 with Dave Holland and Kenny Wheeler was responsible for the jazz program and worked as a teacher for jazz piano in the 1980s and 1990s.
Prizes and awards
Thompson received the 1979 and 1984 Juno Award for Best Jazz Album. The magazine Jazz Report elected him in 1993, 1994, 1995 and 1997 vibraphonist of the year 1994, the composer of the year. In 2006 he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from Art of Jazz. In 2009 he received the Order of Canada.
Disco Graphical Notes
- Ed Bickert, Don Thompson, Doug Riley, Pat LaBarbera, Bernie Senensky - From Canada with Love (PM, 1976)
- John Abercrombie, Don Thompson - Witchcraft (Justin Time Records, 1991)
- Jay McShann featuring Don Thompson - Tuxedo Junction ( Sackville Recordings)
- Don Thompson Banff Jazz All Stars - Celebration