Sir Charles Thompson talks about touring and performing

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Sir Charles Thompson discusses his musical stylings

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Sir Charles Thompson discusses songwriting

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Q: “You’ve appeared on so many important record sessions because you seem to fill a gap in a way between the swing kind of music and the bop. You were on some sessions with the veteran swing players and on other sessions you turn around and you’d be working with the Young Turks (sp?). It didn’t seem to matter to you. You would adapt yourself and stay true to yourself but work with either of the fields when there was a lot of controversy about the differences.”

A: “Well, I guess, the reason for that was that I always had fun doing what I was doing and I was very fortunate in being able to sort of choose the people that I played with. And I tried to play with people who I thought played because they enjoyed it, too, more than for any other monetary reason. And in doing that I usually enjoyed what I was doing and I usually fit in with the musicians because as I said I'd rather have a time to choose the type of musicians that I played with and there are many musicians who are capable of playing different styles and go on from one to another. Whereas there are some who are dedicated to one original method of playing. And I always tried to be with the guys who were swinging. You know, when it comes down to jazz music as far as I'm concerned, the word itself per se, I always have to refer back to the really giants of swing. Like Louis Armstrong, Fats Waller, and people who really have established this swinging sound of jazz, which to me is very important. There's a feeling of happiness and depth to it that it goes beyond just to musical concept of technical, you know, experiences and all that.”