Edgar
Charles Thompson, known professionally as Eddie Thompson (31 May 1925 – 6
November 1986) was a British jazz pianist.
Thompson
was born blind in Shoreditch, London, England. He attended the same school for
the blind (Linden Lodge, Wandsworth), as George Shearing and was introduced to
jazz through listening to the family radio and listening to Fats Waller, Earl
Hines, and especially Art Tatum. By 1947 he was part of the London jazz scene
and was able to supplement his jazz income, always precarious, with a career as
a piano tuner. In the late 1940's he recorded with Johnny Dankworth and a very
young Victor Feldman.
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| Eddie with Tommy Whittle's band |
In
1949 he played at the Paris Jazz Fair with Carlo Krahmer band and worked for a
time with Victor Feldman's Sextet. He had his own quintet and trio during the
early 1950s and also worked with Tony Crombie, Freddy Randall, Vic Ash, Ronnie
Scott and Tommy Whittle (1957/8). At the end of the 1950s he again had his own
trio and quintet. He was house pianist at Ronnie Scott's 1959-60 and also did
solo work at the Downbeat Club, London during 1960 before emigrating to the USA
in 1962. He secured a residency at the Hickory House between 1963-67 and made
many musical friendships including Duke Ellington, Erroll Garner, and
Thelonious Monk. He also performed at various clubs and recorded as leader and
soloist.
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Thompson
returned to the London area in 1972 for regular BBC Jazz Club gigs, and he
recorded for the German BASF label and Doug Dobell's 77 label. He toured as a
soloist, in a duo with Roger Kellaway and with his trio, visiting the USA,
Australia. New Zealand and Europe. He played regularly at the Pizza Express in
London. He regularly travelled up to Stockport on Fridays, with his dog of
course. During the day he would perform piano tuning at Nield and Hardy's, one
of the two major musical instrument stores in the town. Just round the corner
from the store was the Warren Buckley pub and beneath was a jazz cellar where
Eddie (with dog under the piano) played during the evening with two local
musicians making up the trio. One notable evening touring American greats, Al
Grey and Buddy Tate who was deputising for Jimmy Forrest, played a memorable
session with Eddie's trio.
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He
made further recordings in 1978, 1980 and 1983 including When Lights Are Low
and Memories Of You.. He performed on television and radio and played
frequently at various clubs in London. Eddie's strength other than his
prodigious technique was that he knew literally hundreds of tunes with a
preference for Gershwin.
He also had the ability, when he felt it necessary, to
drop into the style of his heroes Garner, Peterson, and Nat ColeHe was a
frequent first choice for accompanying visiting US musicians until the mid
1980s. He was at home playing mainstream or bop and
possessed a prodigious technique and the ability, when he felt it necessary, to
drop into the style of his heroes Garner, Peterson, and Nat Cole. Although
blind he travelled to evening work in London clubs by the Underground, and also
to clubs throughout the UK.
Derek
Sheinwald who knew Eddie for many years and played drums at times for him recollected
"Eddie always wore a waistcoat, 4 pockets, Jacket 3 pockets, Trousers 2
pockets. why? Ha'penny- Penny - Theepenny piece - sixpence -
Shilling - Florin - Half Crown - Ten shilling note - Pound note. each
distributed in order that when purchasing (for example drinks at a bar) he
could offer exact money and not hold his hand out for change which if not given
carefully could scatter.
Due
to a lifelong smoking habit, he developed emphysema which contributed to his
early death on 6th November, 1986, at the age of 61. At the time of his death
he was noted as being at "the height of his powers" as well as having
a considerable musical repertoire.
(Edited
from Wikipedia, New Grove Dictionary of Jazz & Henry Bebop)
