Bob Thompson | |
---|---|
Birth name | Robert H. Thompson |
Born | Jamaica, Queens, New York, U.S. | December 12, 1942
Genres | Jazz, gospel |
Occupation(s) | Musician, composer, arranger |
Instrument | Piano |
Years active | 1970s–present |
Robert H. "Bob" Thompson (born December 12, 1942) is an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger based in West Virginia, whose music career has spanned for over 50 years. [1] [2] [3]
Thompson was born in Jamaica, Queens, New York, where as a teenager, he began his music career as the bass singer of a do-wop group called The Chanters. [1] He later on moved to Charleston, West Virginia in the mid-1960s to attend West Virginia State College, where he first played the trumpet, but later on switched to the piano in order to join a jazz band. [4] [1] After switching to piano, Thompson played with several jazz bands such as The Modern Jazz Interpreters, and Joi. [5]
In 1981, Thompson released his debut album Morning Star, under the Rainbow Records label; [6] he would release nine more albums under Rainbow Records, Intima Records and Ichiban Records . Thompson has played with several musicians throughout his career, such as guitarist Larry Coryell, violinist John Blake Jr., guitarist Kevin Eubanks, and drummer Omar Hakim. [1] His music has also been featured in the "Local Forecast" segments on The Weather Channel . [7]
Since 1991, Thompson has been the featured house pianist for West Virginia's Public Broadcasting nationally syndicated show, Mountain Stage. [1] [3] [5] In addition, he is the founder and member of the jazz fusion band, The Bob Thompson Unit. [8]
In 2015, Thompson was inducted into the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame. [1] [3] [5]
Discography Citation: [9]
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