Ross Tompkins - R.I.P.

[clinthopson]

Last week Pete Chrislieb told me that Ross Tompkins, a mutual friend is suffering from lung cancer. The three pack a day habit may have had something to do with it.

Ross was the house pianist for the Tonight Show band and has played and recorded with just about every LA based player for the last 30 years. He is a great jazz musician.

My best thoughts go out to The Phantom, may he not suffer too much from this terrible malady.

[stereojack]

Los Angeles Times

July 1, 2006 Saturday

Ross Tompkins, 68; Longtime Pianist for 'Tonight Show' Band

Ross Tompkins, 68, a pianist who played with Doc Severinsen's "Tonight Show" band for more than 20 years, died of lung cancer Thursday in St. Augustine, Fla., according to his partner and friend trumpeter/vocalist Jack Sheldon.

A native of Detroit, Tompkins also played with a long list of noted jazz musicians including Zoot Sims, Wes Montgomery, Herb Ellis and Eric Dolphy. In recent years Tompkins and Sheldon performed in clubs in Southern California.

[Mike Schwartz]

Clint had mentioned he heard of his declining health through Phil Kelley at the time of Phils recent BB upcoming release.

Guy was a great musician! RIP

[clinthopson]

Ross was not only a hugely talented musician but was a great guy to hang out with. We had the pleasure of joining Ross in some crawls after the Tonite show. Of course, Ross knew every jazzmucician in L.A. and wherever we went the players would drop by our table and visit.

I recall Bob Cooper, John Clayton, Marty Harris, Page Cavanaugh trading stories with Ross. Chuck Niles usually was also in attendance and needless to say, Chuck always had a ton of stories.

One evening Ross and I were expressing our admiration for Harold Arlen's music. We were in a club in Studio City and the band invited Ross to sit in. Ross declined but said he would be the intermission pianist. When the band broke, Ross headed to the piano and said "This is for my friend, Clint." He then launched into a 20 minute version of "Blues In The Night" which thoroughly explored Arlen's masterpiece. Need I say it was one of my lifetime jazz highlights?

A lot of us will miss The Phantom but that old demon, cigarettes (and probably a few other things), shortened the life of a special guy.

[graypencil]

I guess I forgot the discussion Clint, Pete Christleib, Andy Martin ,Bill Ramsay and I had during a hang when I was in LA last month. Now, I *DO* recall the discussion of the Phantoms' health problems -I guess I didn't realize what bad shape Ross was in.

RIP Phantom, You will be missed ..

[Ron Thorne]

What a shame.

I never had the pleasure of hearing The Phantom in person, but was well aware of his considerable talents and contributions.

R.I.P., Ross Tompkins~

[hornplayer]

another one gone too soon.

That Big Band in the Sky is getting awfully "full up!"

[graypencil]

Heres an obit from the Independent by Steve Voce ..a much more fitting tribute to the Phantom that the embarrasing few meager lines the LA times alotted to his passing:

>>This appears in today's The Independent:

Ross Tompkins
Versatile jazz pianist
Published: 03 July 2006
Ross Tompkins, pianist: born Detroit 13 May 1938; married; died St
Augustine, Florida 29 June 2006.

The pianist Ross Tompkins was one of the horde of immensely gifted jazz
musicians that moved to Los Angeles to take advantage of the abundant work
in the film, radio and television industries concentrated there. The studio
work was dull, but nights were free and there was, in the good years, a
multitude of jazz clubs. Because the musicians were so gifted, standards in
the jazz groups were exceptionally high. The result, during the Fifties and
Sixties, was that bandleaders like Shorty Rogers, Marty Paich or Bill Holman
had an unlimited choice of great soloists.

Moving to the city in 1971 Tompkins came late, but soon became ubiquitous.
He was both an outstanding soloist and a tasteful accompanist who could play
any kind of jazz. He was drawn into jazz when he heard Louis Armstrong; his
piano playing then became influenced by that of Duke Ellington, Earl Hines
and Fats Waller.

His family moved from Detroit to Florida when he was young and he was
brought up there. He studied music at the New England Conservatory in Boston
and moved to New York in 1960. There was no shortage of good pianists in New
York, but Tompkins found his niche and worked in clubs with giants such as
Al Cohn, Zoot Sims, Joe Newman and Wes Montgomery. He had a regular job with
the Kai Winding Trombones from 1960 to 1967, making exhausting tours to play
at clubs and college campuses.

When Winding accepted a job as musical director of the Playboy Clubs, the
touring slowed down and amongst his other work Tompkins became the pianist
of the Clark Terry-Bob Brookmeyer Quintet and that of another quintet led by
Al Cohn and Zoot Sims. He worked with Benny Goodman during 1968 and managed
to get a much-sought-after job in the New York studios.

On moving to Los Angeles he joined the orchestra of The Tonight Show, a
television programme presented by Johnny Carson that had a huge audience
across the United States. Tompkins stayed in the band from 1971 until 1992
when Carson left the show. He became the first-choice pianist for many local
musicians, notably the guitarist Herb Ellis and the trumpeter-comedian Jack
Sheldon.

Tompkins began recording albums under his own name in 1975, but mostly
recorded for other people. He was co-leader on albums with the violinist Joe
Venuti (1977) and with Red Norvo (1979) and worked often in the big band and
small groups led by the drummer Louie Bellson. In 1979 he appeared at the
Montreux Jazz Festival with Herb Ellis.

In New York Tompkins had been a key member in the quintet led by Zoot Sims
and Al Cohn and he was delighted when Zoot Sims came to Hollywood to record
in 1976. Sims chose Tompkins as his pianist on the album Hawthorne Nights,
recorded for Norman Granz's Pablo label. Another of his old bosses, Al Cohn,
came from New York in 1978 to work briefly on the West Coast orchestrating
music for the 50th anniversary of the Columbia Broadcasting System. Tompkins
took the chance to book a season for the two of them to play at Donte's,
then a jazz bistro in North Hollywood where Tompkins played regularly with
the guitarist Herb Ellis. Cohn joined Tompkins's regular trio to make the
album Ross Tompkins and Good Friends for Concord in 1977.

Throughout the Eighties Tompkins worked mainly with the bands of the
trumpeter Bill Berry and with his friend Jack Sheldon. "We hit it off," said
Sheldon:

I've always wanted to work with just a piano. It really is intimate. And
Ross is so good. He can do anything and he knows every tune. Every tune I've
ever called, he's known, and I know quite a few.

Tompkins made his last album of piano solos, Younger Than Springtime, for
the Arbors label in Florida in 2000.

Steve Voce

[Valerie]

i note that the above said he was married. does anyone here know if that means that he remarried after annie died?

[clinthopson]

I don't think Ross remarried.

The last time I saw him was about four or five years ago in a club. When I stopped by to say hello he introduced me to his companion, Lola Albright.

Remember her? Peter Gunn.

We have been listening to a lot of Ross the last few days. I particularly like his Julie Styne disc.His version of "I Fall In Love Too Easily" is a masterpiece.

[kyletompkins]

It's what everyone in the family called him...

Otherwise it just got too confusing when trying to refer to someone with 3 generations of Ross' (Big Ross, my dad Ross, and my brother Ross).

Big Ross was an amazing pianist. When I was a little boy I remember seeing him play at a crappy little club in St. Augustine, while briefly in town from LA. The gigantic smile on his face while he played has been an inspiration in my life.

I'll miss my Grandpa Ross. Life is too short, but through your music you'll live on. RIP.

Kyle Tompkins

[kyletompkins]

No, he was not remarried.

...as far as we know

[Terryrussell]

I only knew the PHANTOM for a couple of years when we were both clinicians for the Monterey Jazz Festival. One of the coolest people with whom I have ever had the pleasure of playing. I met the news of his passing with a tear in my eye and a Budweiser in my hand. See you soon Ross.

[Gentle Giant]

Originally Posted by kyletompkins

It's what everyone in the family called him...

Otherwise it just got too confusing when trying to refer to someone with 3 generations of Ross' (Big Ross, my dad Ross, and my brother Ross).

Big Ross was an amazing pianist. When I was a little boy I remember seeing him play at a crappy little club in St. Augustine, while briefly in town from LA. The gigantic smile on his face while he played has been an inspiration in my life.

I'll miss my Grandpa Ross. Life is too short, but through your music you'll live on. RIP.

Kyle Tompkins

Condolences.

[jverdi]

Can anyone tell me about Annie? Also a mutual friend or Ross and Annie. So sorry to hear about both of them. I remember Annie always sick with something.

[graypencil]

Ross died a couple months ago in Fla.

time to put this thread to bed ..

RIP Ross ..

[Jazzooo]

That's a shame. Best wishes for Ross.

It might not be right, but I usually a little hurt more for artists who are suffering, almost as if I know them personally. Maybe I just know a part of them personally.