About Ross Tompkins
Lived 1938 – 2006 (aged 68). Ross Tompkins was an American jazz musician and pianist.
Ross Tompkins (May 13, 1938 – June 30, 2006)
He was best known for his longtime association with The Tonight Show Band, led by Doc Severinsen, on the television program The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. He was a member of the band from 1971 until Carson's retirement in 1992. He recorded for Concord Jazz as a leader in the second half of the 1970s.
Discography As leader A Pair to Draw To (Concord Jazz, 1975) Scrimshaw (Concord, 1976) Live at Concord 1977 (Concord, 1977) Lost in the Stars (Concord, 1977) 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, 1996) Heart to Heart (HD, 1998) with Cathy Segal-Garcia Ross Tompkins Celebrates the Music of Harold Arlen (Progressive, 1999) Younger than Springtime (Arbors, 2001)
As sideman With Kai Winding The Great Kai & J. J. (1960) The Incredible Kai Winding Trombones (Impulse!, 1960) Kai Olé (Verve, 1961) Solo (Verve, 1963) Israel (A&M/CTI, 1968) with J. J. Johnson Stonebone (A&M/CTI (Japan), 1969) with J. J. Johnson
With Doc Severinsen 1970 Doc Severinsen's Closet 1986 The Tonight Show Band Vol. 1 1988 The Tonight Show Band Vol. 2 1991 Merry Christmas from Doc Severinsen 1991 Once More...With Feeling! 1992 Good Medicine 1999 Swingin' the Blues
With Tommy Newsom 1991 Tommy Newsom and His TV Jazz Stars 1996 I Remember You Johnny
With Louie Bellson 1974 150 MPH 1975 The Louis Bellson Explosion 1976 Louie Bellson's 7 1978 Louis Bellson Jam 1978 Matterhorn 1978 Prime Time 1978 Raincheck 1978 Sunshine Rock 1995 Live at Concord Summer Festival 1994 Cool Cool Blue
With Herb Ellis 1975 A Pair to Draw To 1975 Rhythm Willie 1979 Soft & Mellow 1979 Herb Ellis at Montreux
With Snooky Young Snooky & Marshall's Album (1978) Horn of Plenty (Concord Jazz, 1979) with John Collins, Ray Brown, and Jake Hanna.
With Bill Watrous 1980 I'll Play for You 2001 Bill Watrous & Carl Fontana
With Jack Sheldon 1983 Stand by for Jack Sheldon 1991 On My Own
With others 1962 In a Mellow Mood, Joe Newman 1968 Warm Wild & Wonderful, Tony Mottola 1976 Hawthorne Nights, Zoot Sims 1977 The Real Howard Roberts, Howard Roberts 1978 Sweet Lorraine, Lorraine Feather 1979 Peanuts Hucko with His Pied Piper Quintet, Peanuts Hucko 1979 Red and Ross, Red Norvo 1980 Play the Music of Michel LeGrand, Bob Cooper 1981 California Doings, Dick Cary 1988 Just a Bit o' Blues Vol. 1, Spike Robinson 1988 Just a Bit o' Blues Vol. 2, Harry Edison/Spike Robinson 1990 Doug MacDonald Quartet, Doug MacDonald 1990 Piano & Vocals, Jack Lemmon 1993 Bob Cooper/Conte Candoli Quintet, Bob Cooper & Conte Candoli 1994 Don't You Know I Care?, Polly Podewell 1994 Prez Impressions, Dick Hafer 1999 Evening Delight, Plas Johnson 2001 Live in Paradise, Dave Pell
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Important facts
People in Ross Tompkins's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Ross Tompkins's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Ross Tompkins?
American pianist (1938–2006)
When was Ross Tompkins born?
Ross Tompkins was born on 13 May 1938 in Detroit.
When did Ross Tompkins die?
Ross Tompkins died on 30 June 2006 in St. Augustine.
What was Ross Tompkins's occupation?
Ross Tompkins was a jazz musician and pianist.
What nationality was Ross Tompkins?
Ross Tompkins was American.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Ross Tompkins. https://biography.guide/ross-tompkins/
MLA: "Ross Tompkins." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/ross-tompkins/.
Chicago: "Ross Tompkins." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/ross-tompkins/.
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