Rich Thompson began his career as a professional drummer in 1980. He has performed and recorded with jazz greats Count Basie Orchestra, Dizzy Gillespie, Clark Terry, Tito Puente, Glenn Miller Orchestra, and Bobby McFerrin, among others. In 1996 and 1997 he was touted by the Boston Globe as being the powerhouse drummer who drove the Basie sound during his world tour with the Count Basie Orchestra. His resume includes performing at Clintons 1997 Inauguration with Count Basie and Stevie Wonder, performing for the King of Thailand with Benny Carter and members of the Basie Band, and touring and recording throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe, Thailand, and Japan.In 1992, Rich was a finalist in the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz drum set competition. Other artists Rich regularly performs or tours with are Gene Bertoncini, Marion McPartland, James Williams, Bill Dobbins, Byron Stripling, and Dee Daniels. For the past decade Rich has been a featured artist leading the rhythm sections of major symphony orchestras across the U.S. and Canada, including the Rochester Philharmonic, Baltimore Symphony, Utah Symphony, Oregon Symphony, Nashville Symphony, Detroit Symphony, St. Louis Symphony, Cincinatti Pops, Toronto Symphony, Winnipeg Symphony, and Vancouver Symphony.During the Fall of 1996 Rich became the drum set professor of the Jazz and Contemporary Media Department at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY, where he continues to teach. He is a published author of drum set solo volumes and has been featured in trade magazines, including Modern Drummer and Downbeat Magazine. Most recently, Rich has been a member of Trio East, with trumpeter Clay Jenkins and bassist Jeff Campbell. Their most current recordings include Stop-Start, Live at Eastman, featuring saxophonist Rich Perry, and the newly released Best Bets. Rich performs regularly with Trio East, in addition to offering clinics in drumset and jazz studies throughout the U.S. and abroad. He can also be found teaching and performing with guitarist Gene Bertoncini and the Eastman jazz faculty at various camps and festivals in the midwest and on the East coast.
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