Ross Tompkins

Ross Tompkins ( born May 13, 1938 in Detroit, † June 30, 2006 in St. Augustine ( Florida)) was an American jazz pianist.

Ross Tompkins studied at the New England Conservatory of Music, then moved to New York City, where he played regularly in the band of Kai Winding ( 1960-67 ), but also with Eric Dolphy (1964) and Wes Montgomery ( 1966). He also worked with the quintet of Bob Brookmeyer / Clark Terry ( 1966), with Benny Goodman ( 1968), Bobby Hackett ( 1965-70 ) and with Al Cohn and Zoot Sims ( 1968-1972 ). In 1971 he moved to Los Angeles, where he worked as a pianist in the band of Doc Severinsen in Johnny Carson's Tonight Show was active until 1992. He played in the 1970s, with Louie Bellson, Joe Venuti, and Red Norvo, in the 1980s, with Jack Sheldon. Under his own name he recorded several albums for the label Concord Records, created in the 1990s, three solo albums for the Progressive label. In 2006, Tompkins died of lung cancer.

Disco Graphical Notes

• A Pair to Draw To ( Concord, 1975)
• Scrimshaw ( Concord, 1976)
• Ross Tompkins and Good Friends ( Concord, 1978)
• Festival Time ( Concord, 1979)
• Street of Dreams ( Famous Door, 1982)
• Solo Piano ( Progressive, 1994)
• Celebrates the Music of Jule Styne ( Progressive, 1995)
• Music ( Progressive, 1996)
• Ross Tompkins Celebrates the Music of Harold Arlen ( Progressive, 1999)
• Younger than Springtime ( Arbors Records, 2001)