Keywords Saxophonists

Thompson has been a member of the Boss Brass (bassist 1969-82 and pianist as of 1988) and the bands of Sonny Greenwich (pianist 1970-82 and again as of 1990) and Moe Koffman (bassist 1970-4 and pianist 1975-8). He also played bass or drums for Lenny Breau and has maintained a lengthy association with the guitarist Ed Bickert in various jazz settings. Thompson's work as a bassist at the Toronto jazz club Bourbon Street with (among others) the US guitarist Jim Hall and the US alto saxophonist Paul Desmond, documented by live recordings there in 1975 (for which Thompson served as recording engineer), renewed his international profile. In 1976 he began touring with Hall (Japan, the USA and Europe) and 1982-7 he was concert partner to the celebrated British pianist George Shearing, with whom he played both bass and piano. He was the sole accompanist to Shearing and the singer Mel Tormé on Top Drawer, winner of a (US) Grammy award in 1984. While working with Shearing, he began to teach each summer at the Banff CA Jazz Workshop in 1982, and established the short-lived record label, From Bebop to Now, in 1983.

Resuming his activities in Toronto in 1987, he has played piano in the Dave McMurdo Jazz Orchestra, accompanied Jane Bunnett, Trudy Desmond, and others locally, and taught privately. His pupils have included the pianists Hugh Fraser, James Gelfand, Jeff Johnston, Andy Milne, and Dave Restivo, and the bassists George Mitchell and Alec Walkington. Thompson's own groups have appeared intermittently in Toronto clubs. One quartet, with the leader at the piano, was heard in 1977 at the Laren's International Jazz Festival in Holland; another, with Thompson playing the vibraphone, appeared at several Canadian jazz festivals in 1991.

Thompson's comparably impressive facility as a bassist, pianist and vibraphonist has few precedents in jazz. He moves easily from instrument to instrument and from idiom to idiom, bringing to each an instinctive rather than schooled musicality. His recordings range from the mainstream Secret Love to the relatively avant garde Don Thompson Quartet Live. The albums Ed Bickert/Don Thompson and A Beautiful Friendship won Juno Awards (for best jazz recording) in 1980 and 1985 respectively.

Thompson's diverse body of compositions includes Trio '85 (for clarinet, double bass and piano, premiered by James Campbell and others), Journey to Skye (1987, for pipe band, recorded by the 78th Fraser Highlanders), Quartet '89 (for four double basses, premiered at NMC by the composer with Joel Quarrington and others), and Abstract & Dreams (1989, for jazz and string quartets, recorded by Jim Hall in 1990).

His best-known composition is Days Gone By, which he has arranged for big band and for symphony orchestra; it has been recorded by Thompson himself, the Boss Brass, a CBC-organized 'All Star Jazz Sextet', Moe Koffman, Pat LaBarbera and, with lyrics added, Jeff Dyer and Arlene Smith. Thompson also has written in the 12-tone idiom for big band, including Pluto (1974), recorded by Koffman, and Don't (1970) and Winter Mist (1987), played as suite by McMurdo. Other Thompson themes have been recorded (with the composer as a participant) by Hall (Circles), Koffman (Mercury, Bilbo, Wildlife), McMurdo (Blues for Jim-San, Ghoti), Doug Riley (Gandalf, Dreams), and Shearing (Stratford Stomp). Thompson has written several pieces in tribute to other musicians - eg, For Chris Gage, Song for Sonny [Greenwich], and For Scott LaFaro. His music is copyright Christopher Lambert Music.

Discography

Love Song for a Virgo Lady. Thompson piano, Park tenor saxophone, Greenwich guitar, Donato double-bass, Fuller drums. 1969. RCI 303/Sack 2003

Secret Love. Thompson vibraphone, Bickert guitar, Binstead double-bass, Clarke drums. 1970. RCI 350

Country Place. Thompson piano and vibraphone, Perla double-bass and (electric) bass guitar, LaBarbera drums. 1976. PM PMR-008

Don Thompson Quartet Live. Thompson piano, Stuart tenor and soprano saxophone, Homme double-bass, Ranger drums. 1977. RCI 480

Ed Bickert/Don Thompson. Bickert guitar, Thompson double-bass. 1978. Sack 4005

Dance to the Lady. Thompson piano, Bickert guitar. 1980. Sack 4010

Circles. Thompson piano, electric piano, double-bass, (electric) bass guitar and vibraphone, Bickert guitar, Clarke drums, Armin Str Quar. (1980). CTL CTLS-5234/Intercan IC-1008

Bells. Thompson piano and double-bass, R. Piltch guitar. 1981-2. Umbrella GEN-1-16

A Beautiful Friendship. Thompson piano and double-bass, Abercrombie guitar, Holland double-bass, Smith drums. 1984. Concord Jazz CJ-243

Winter Mist. Thompson vibraphone, Schwager guitar, Collins double-bass, Elmes drums. 1990. The Jazz Alliance TJA-1004

Also Days Gone By, for the Japanese Atlas label

WITH OTHERS

John Handy Live at Monterey. Thompson double-bass, also Clarke drums, and others. 1966. Col CS-9262

- Second Album. Thompson double-bass, also Clarke, and others. 1966. Col CS-9367

- Spirituals to Swing. Thompson double-bass, also Greenwich guitar, Clarke and others. 1967. 2-Col CG-30776

Jay McShann Man from Muskogee. Thompson double-bass, and others. 1972. Sack 3005. See Discography for Jim Galloway for other LPs

Jim Hall Live! Thompson double-bass, also Clarke. 1975. Horizon 705

- Commitment. Thompson piano, also Clarke, and others. 1976. Horizon 715

- Circles. Thompson piano and double-bass, also Clarke. 1981. Concord Jazz CJ-384

- Jim Hall & Friends, Vol 1. Thompson piano, also Clarke, and others. 1990. Musicmasters 5050 (CD)

- Also, two LPs made in 1976 in Japan for King, Live in Tokyo and Jazz Impressions of Japan

Emily Remler Take Two. Thompson double-bass, also Clarke. 1982. Concord Jazz CJ-195

George Shearing and Mel Tormé Top Drawer. Thompson double-bass. 1983. Concord Jazz CJ-219

- An Evening at Charlie's. Thompson double-bass. 1984. Concord Jazz CJ-248

George Shearing Live at the Café Carlyle. Thompson double-bass and piano. 1984. Concord Jazz CJ-246

Dave Liebman Sweet Fury. Thompson piano, double-bass and vibraphone, also Ranger drums. 1984. From Bebop to Now BBN-1002

Trudy Desmond R.S.V.P.. Thompson piano and arr, also Bickert or Piltch guitar, Swainson double-bass, Clarke drums. 1988. Unisson DDD-1010

Dave McMurdo The Dave McMurdo Jazz Orchestra. Thompson piano and arr. 1989. Innovation JCCD-0019

Others as a sideman to Bickert, Breau, Galloway, Greenwich, Koffman, Riley, Guido Basso, Ruby Braff, Paul Desmond, Pat LaBarbera, Frank Rosolino, and Buddy Tate, as a member of the Boss Brass and a CBC-sponsored 'All Star Jazz Sextet' (Jazz Canada Europe '79, 1979, RCI 503-G/H) and as a studio accompanist. See Bickert discography for Braff, Desmond, Rosolino, and Tate LPs

Bibliography

Gallagher, Greg, and Barnes, Lilly. 'Love of jazz dispels contrasts between musicians-composers,' MSc, 263, May-Jun 1975

Links to Other Sites
The Banff Centre: Jazz Faculty
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