Ross Tompkins (May 13, 1938 – June 30, 2006) was an American jazz pianist who was a member of The Tonight Show Band.
Tompkins attended the New England Conservatory of Music, then moved to New York City, where he worked 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 moved to Los Angeles in 1971, playing with Louie Bellson, Joe Venuti, and Red Norvo in the 1970s and Jack Sheldon in the 1980s.
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.
Tompkins died of lung cancer at the age of 68.
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-GarciaRoss Tompkins Celebrates the Music of Harold Arlen (Progressive, 1999)Younger than Springtime (Arbors, 2001)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. JohnsonStonebone (A&M/CTI (Japan), 1969) with J. J. JohnsonWith Doc Severinsen
1970 Doc Severinsen's Closet1986 The Tonight Show Band Vol. 11988 The Tonight Show Band Vol. 21991 Merry Christmas from Doc Severinsen1991 Once More...With Feeling!1992 Good Medicine1999 Swingin' the BluesWith Tommy Newsom
1991 Tommy Newsom and His TV Jazz Stars1996 I Remember You JohnnyWith Louie Bellson
1974 150 MPH1975 The Louis Bellson Explosion1976 Louie Bellson's 71978 Louis Bellson Jam1978 Matterhorn1978 Prime Time1978 Raincheck1978 Sunshine Rock1995 Live at Concord Summer Festival1994 Cool Cool BlueWith Herb Ellis
1975 A Pair to Draw To1975 Rhythm Willie1979 Soft & Mellow1979 Herb Ellis at MontreuxWith 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 You2001 Bill Watrous & Carl FontanaWith Jack Sheldon
1983 Stand by for Jack Sheldon1991 On My OwnWith others
1962 In a Mellow Mood, Joe Newman1968 Warm Wild & Wonderful, Tony Mottola1976 Hawthorne Nights, Zoot Sims1977 The Real Howard Roberts, Howard Roberts1978 Sweet Lorraine, Lorraine Feather1979 Peanuts Hucko with His Pied Piper Quintet, Peanuts Hucko1979 Red and Ross, Red Norvo1980 Play the Music of Michel LeGrand, Bob Cooper1981 California Doings, Dick Cary1988 Just a Bit o' Blues Vol. 1, Spike Robinson1988 Just a Bit o' Blues Vol. 2, Harry Edison/Spike Robinson1990 Doug MacDonald Quartet, Doug MacDonald1990 Piano & Vocals, Jack Lemmon1993 Bob Cooper/Conte Candoli Quintet, Bob Cooper & Conte Candoli1994 Don't You Know I Care?, Polly Podewell1994 Prez Impressions, Dick Hafer1999 Evening Delight, Plas Johnson2001 Live in Paradise, Dave Pell