10 Tracks by Pianist Ross Tompkins

Yesterday, I posted on Solo, a 1963 album for Verve by trombonist Kai Winding. Accompanying Winding on the three days of recording was pianist Ross Tompkins. Who was he? Tompkins was probably best known as the pianist on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson from 1971 to 1992, when Carson retired. [Photo above of Ross Tompkins]

Born in Detroit in 1938, Tompkins studied at Boston's New England Conservatory of Music. He then moved to New York and worked and recorded as a sideman with Kai Winding (1960–67), Eric Dolphy (1964), Wes Montgomery (1966), Bob Brookmeyer/Clark Terry (1966), Benny Goodman (1968), Bobby Hackett (1965–70), and Al Cohn and Zoot Sims (1968–72). He relocated to Los Angeles in 1971 to join The Tonight Show band and began recording as a leader in 1973.

Tompkins leaned toward lounge in his playing style, but he was more exceptional than just an easy-listening player. His technique was spirited and his chord voicings were rich and lush. He probably reminds me most of pianist Paul Smith, with shades of Oscar Peterson.

Ross Tompkins died in 2006 of lung cancer. He was 68.

Today, let's listen to 10 tracks by Ross Tompkins:

Here's I Should Care, from L.A. After Dark (1985) with Ross Tompkins (p), Herb Ellis (g), John Heard (b) and Nick Ceroli (d)...

From the same album, here's I Was Doin' Alright...

Here's It Might as Well Be Spring from Symphony (1983), with Ross Tompkins (p), Herb Ellis (g), John Heard (b) and Jake Hanna (d)...

Here's Lollipops and Roses from AKA "The Phantom" (1993), with Ross Tompkins playing solo piano...

Here's I'll Take Romance from the same album...

Here's the full album of Ross Tompkins & Good Friends (1977), with Al Cohn (ts), Ross Tompkins (p), Monty Budwig (b) and Nick Ceroli (d)...

Here's The Man That Got Away from Celebrates The Music of Harold Arlen (1997), with Tompkins playing solo piano...

Here's the full album of A Pair To Draw To (1976), with Ross Tompkins (p) and Herb Ellis (g)...

Here's Every Time We Say Goodbye from Younger Than Springtime (2000), with Tompkins playing solo piano...

And here's Tompkins in the Arbors studio in January 2000 recording My Foolish Heart for Younger Than Springtime...