Don Thompson (musician)

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Don Thompson (musician) bigraphy, stories - Canadian musician

Don Thompson (musician) : biography

18 January 1940 –

Donald Winston Thompson, OC (born 18 January 1940) is a Canadian jazz musician who plays bass, piano, and vibes. Thompson formed part of the Toronto Quartet of Paul Desmond during the mid seventies, and that effort produced two albums. Other personnel on those dates, mostly at Bourbon Street in Toronto, were Toronto guitarist Ed Bickert and drummer Jerry Fuller. Thompson has been a fixture on the Toronto jazz scene since the late 1960s when he moved there from British Columbia. Thompson played for a long time in Rob McConnell’s Boss Brass.

Discography

As leader

  • Love Song for a Virgo Lady (Sackville)
  • Country Place PM Records
  • Ed Bickert/Don Thompson (Sackville)
  • Don Thompson/Ed Bickert (Sackville)
  • Days Gone By (Atlas Records)
  • Beautiful Friendship Concord CJ 243
  • Witchcraft Justin Time
  • Circles Intercan
  • Bells Umbrella
  • Winter Mist Jazz Alliance
  • For Kenny Wheeler Sackville
  • Forgotten Memories Roadhouse

As co-leader

  • JMOG Sackville CD2 – 2031
  • Opus D’Amour Sackville CD2 – 3058

As sideman

with Jim Hall:

  • Jim Hall Live A&M Horizon SP 705
  • Commitment A&M Horizon SP 715
  • Jazz Impressions of Japan A&M GXU-1
  • Live in Tokyo Paddlewheel – GP3217
  • Circles Concord CJ 161
  • Live at Town Hall Musicmasters – 5050 2-C

With John Handy

  • Recorded Live at the Monterey Jazz Festival (Columbia, 1966)
  • The Second Album Columbia CS 9367
  • Live at Yoshi’s Nightspot Boulevard BLD 531 DCD

with Paul Desmond:

  • Like Someone in Love Telarchive CD 83319

with Jay McShann:

  • Man from Muskogee Sackville SKCD2-3005
  • Tuxedo Junction Sackville 3025
  • Just a Lucky So and So Sackville 3035
  • Swingmatism Sackville CD2-3046

with Buddy Tate:

  • The Ballad Artistry Sackville CD2-3034
  • Saturday Night Function (Sackville All Stars) Sackville SKCD2-3028

with Frank Rosolino:

  • Thinking of You Sackville 2014

with George Shearing:

  • Live at the Café Carlyle Concord CCD-4246
  • George Shearing/Barry Tuckwell Concord CCD-42010

with Mel Tormé:

  • A Night at Charlies Concord CJ 248
  • Top Drawer Concord CJ 219

with Rob McConnell & the Boss Brass:

  • Big Band Jazz Umbrella UMB CD-4
  • Again Umbrella UMB CD-12
  • Present Perfect MPS 0068 249
  • Tribute Pausa 7106
  • Live in Digital SeaBreeze CD-SB-106
  • The Brass is Back Concord CCD-4458
  • Brassy and Sassy Concord CCD-4508
  • Our 25th Year Concord CCD-4559

with Sonny Greenwich:

  • The Old Man and the Child Sackville C2002
  • Sun Song CBC Transcription RCI 399
  • Evol-lution Love’s Reverse PM PMR 016

with Pat LaBarbera:

  • Pass it On PM PMR 009
  • Necessary Evil CBC Transcription 478

with Emily Remler:

  • Take Two Concord CCD 4159

with Dave Liebman:

  • Sweet Fury BeBop to Now BBN 1002

with Bill King:

  • The Jazz Report All Stars Radioland RA CD 10001

with Moe Koffman:

  • Solar Explorations GRT 9230-1050
  • Museum Pieces GRT 9230-1072
  • Master Sessions GRT 9230-1041

with Rob McConnell Trio:

  • Three for the Road Concord CCD-4765-2

with Diana Panton

  • …Yesterday Perhaps (2005),
  • If The Moon Turns Green (2007),
  • Pink (2009)
  • To Brazil With Love (2011)
  • Christmas Kiss (2012)

Awards

  • 1979: Juno – Best Jazz album – duo with Ed Bickert
  • 1984: Juno – Best Jazz Album
  • 1993: Jazz Report – Vibraphonist of the Year
  • 1994: Jazz Report – Composer of the Year
  • 1994: Jazz Report – Vibraphonist of the Year
  • 1994: Socan – Original Jazz Composition
  • 1995: Jazz Report – Vibraphonist of the Year
  • 1996: Jazz Report – Vibraphonist of the Year
  • 1997: Jazz Report – Vibraphonist of the Year
  • 2006: Juno – Best Traditional Jazz Album
  • 2009: Order of Canada, Officer (awarded on 25 May 2009; invested on 3 September 2010)