Photo: David Laws / CC BY-SA 3.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Danny Thompson is exactly the kind of musician I respect most: the indispensable sideman. An English double bassist out of Teignmouth, he spent a long career making everyone around him sound better — most famously alongside John Martyn and Richard Thompson, bridging jazz and British folk. The Times line about his technical virtuosity and intuitive feel says it perfectly; great bass playing is about listening, not showing off. He kept at it for decades, right up to his passing in 2025. To me he's a reminder that the players who never chase the spotlight are often the ones holding the whole record together.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Danny Thompson
- Name (Japanese)
- ダニー・トンプソン
- Reading
- だにー・とんぷそん
- Born
- April 4, 1939 (age 87)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aries / Rabbit
- Origin
- Teignmouth, United Kingdom
- Occupation
- bassist / musician / jazz musician / double-bassist
2. Background
- University
- Salesian College
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Danny Thompson born?
Born April 4, 1939 (age 87).
Where is Danny Thompson from?
Danny Thompson is from Teignmouth, United Kingdom.
What does Danny Thompson do?
Danny Thompson works as bassist, musician, jazz musician, double-bassist.
Bassist — see all → · Musician — see all → · More people from United Kingdom →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.