Cami Thompson
San Francisco, California, United States | SELF
Music
Press
This band has no press
Discography
Cami's CDs and songs can be found on iTunes, Amazon, Rhapsody, Napster, Spotify, CDBaby, MP3, etc., and heard on Last.fm
1. Cami Thompson: "No More Blues" (1993) studio album recorded in Los Angeles, featuring Cami with her LA jazz trio and guest artists; 5 originals, 7 jazz classics and R&B. Co-produced by Cami, Lizabeth Rogers, Benjamin Dowling (keys); engineered by Pat O'Reilly
2. Cami Thompson: "Colors of Christmas" (1998) CD featuring Cami with her Reno NV trio and 7-piece band "The Cosmopolitans"; holiday classics gone jazzy - swing, soul, gospel, bop, and a lovely jazz waltz original for her mom. Produced and arranged by Cami Thompson.
3. Cami Thompson: "By Request" (2000) 14 tracks of studio and live digital recordings of Great American Songbook classics - Cami's most-requested songs, featuring her 7-piece band "The Cosmopolitans" and studio big band musicians. Produced by Cami; engineered by Tom Gordon
4. Cami Thompson: "An Evening with Cami" (2003) A magical live 1992 concert, digitally recorded on 16 tracks, edited and mastered to recreate the lively, spirited, playful, soulful, musical event that took place that night! featuring her 5-piece band Peter Supersano (piano), Rich Ray (bass), Tony Savage (drums) , Larry Engstrom (trumpet) and Joel Edwards (saxes) Produced, edited and mastered by Lizabeth Rogers.
5. Cami Thompson: "Cafe Camille" (2003) a collection of live DAT recordings captured over several months at Cami's gig at the North Hollywood Club "Cafe Guisseppe" (destroyed in the '93 quake) featuring Benjamin Dowling on piano, Larry Steen on Bass, and Jack Kurtz on drums, with guest artists Robert Kyle and Irv Cox on sax. Produced, edited and mastered by Lizabeth Rogers
6. Cami Thompson: "Swing! Swang! Swung!" with The Reno Jazz Orchestra (2010) Swingin' arrangements of big band classics, produced from a 24-track digital recording of a live concert, then painstakingly edited, mixed, re-vocalized, and mastered by co-producer/engineer Guy Kowarsh. Executive Producers Scott Lenau and Cami Thompson.
7. Mike Vax and The New Oakland Jazz Orchestra: "Alternate Route" (2000) Cami is guest singer on 2 songs arranged specifically for her.
REVIEWS for ^: "Guest artist Cami Thompson, vocalist extraordinaire, adds her particular artistry that helps keep the high energy flowing. Thompson demonstrates an excellent feeling for jazz with her amazing range, vocal control and awesome scat singing on the Rogers and Hammerstein standard, It Might As Well Be Spring. The two-bar trade offs between her and Vax steals the show!" ... Stephen Fratallone, Jazz Connection
""It Might as Well Be Spring" showcases the remarkable range and swing of vocalist Cami Thompson"... Jack Sohmer, Jazz Times
8. The Mike Vax Jazz Orchestra: "BigBandJazz.Net" (2002) Cami is again the featured guest singer on 2 tracks.
9. Max Perkoff Ensemble: "Infinite Search" (2007) Cami is guest singer on the track "Waiting", one of 13 gems from this remarkable jazz trombonist/ pianist/ composer...
Review for ^ : "Thompson fills “Waiting” with a yearning that magnifies the lyric and as her voice soars, dives, and floats on gossamer wings - capturing every little nuance..." - Jerry D'Souza, allaboutjazz.com
Photos
Bio
" Thompson's finger-snapping flights of scat are as cliff-hanging as her ballads are touching."
Cami Thompson was born and raised in Reno, Nevada and grew up listening to all musical styles, especially musical theatre, swing, jazz, rock, R&B, funk, soul, and classical. With 9 years of classical piano training starting at age 6 through high school and college bands, 5 years of percussion (mallots), 10 years of music theory, and 8 years operatic voice training starting at 17--- while performing lead roles in musicals and playing piano and singing in rock, funk, R&B, and jazz bands at clubs around the west… Cami has covered it all!
She began songwriting at age 8, and has written over 100 songs, but so far only recorded about 7, as her career as a jazz singer and musical theater actress has her singing mostly selections from The Great American Song Book, Broadway and contemporary and traditional jazz. As a band leader and arranger, she guides her musicians through groove after varying groove of get-under-your-skin rhythms and genres. Comfortable with all size bands from solo piano to jazz trio to her 7-piece swing band “The Cosmopolitans” to big band (her latest CD) Cami can bring it all together to fit into any size hall, stage or budget.
With over 35 years of performing around the world in concerts, festivals, clubs and theaters, Cami captivates her audience with her beautiful, passionate 4-octave voice, her blistering scat solos, and her zany repartee. Combining elements from her varied musical background, she swings, scoops, dives, scats and soars elegantly through a century of American music with great musicality, honesty, wit, and vibrancy.
REVIEWS:
"Cami Thompson is one of the most evolved performers I've ever seen or had the opportunity to work with. She is a jazz singer of extraordinary talent and skill; she has the command of a room, the envy of many in musical theater. But it is her impact on an audience which transforms these abilities into an absolutely remarkable communication. To see her perform is to become an immediate fan; to play music with her is transcendental."...
Fritz Kasten, drummer - personal note (Feb 24, 2009)
"Freedom, humor, love and compassion--these are the things Thompson values most, and she hopes her creative endeavors can be a source of inspiration and encouragement to others. Her voice is beautifully diverse and moving, skillful and wise, and her outlook on life is so positive, you can't help but admire her--that's the inescapable aspect of her music: It makes your body move and makes you feel good." ... CASEY SCHUMACHER - Reno News and Review (Sep 30, 2004)
" Last weekend's "Jazz and Beyond" festival at the Brewery Arts Center was a spirited success... Sunday capped it all with the Reno Jazz Orchestra and Cami Thompson. She's a jewel, and sings the way the jazz angels should." ... Sam Baumann - Nevada Appeal (Aug 31, 2006)
"Cami Thompson sang on a recent night, backed by the superb expertise of her jazz trio. (She) energetically performed some of the most artistic scat styling in the Western states." ... WILLIAM F. SCHLEY - Reno News and Review (Aug 12, 2004)
"The hour-long concert embracing some 20 love songs of George Gershwin, Cole Porter and Duke Ellington before a large, enthusiastic audience ... was the most exciting star turn I've heard since Liza Minelli was at the peak of her powers. ... (Cami) generates that kind of excitement, while remaining indelibly her own person. She's self-effacing in a fun-loving way, with a voice that caresses, scats, soars, and gets way under the skin of every tune she sings.... (She's) a first-rate actress with what it takes to touch the soul of a song."... JACK NEAL - Reno Gazette Journal (Jul 20, 1996)
"The world has yet to learn that Cami Thompson is among its great entertainers... She is a singer, composer, lyricist, band leader and serious and comedic actress of limitless promise, with a majestic voice that suggests a new Streisand or Ella Fitzgerald is dawning. But thankfully what we don't have is an imitator. Cami is original!" ... ROLLAN MELTON, Editor - Reno Gazette-Journal (Jul 20, 1998)
CLUBS, CABARETS, CONCERTS, FESTIVALS:
I have been the Opening Act for:
The Manhattan Transfer, Nancy Wilson, Dianne Reeves,
Lou Rawls, Bob Newhart, Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers,
Jon Hendricks, Eddie Jefferson, Ernestine Anderson
WESTERN USA
Sun Valley Jazz and Swing Festival, Idaho (10)
Mammoth Lakes Jazz Jubilee, CA. (8)
Sacramento Jazz Jubilee Festival, CA (8)
Pleasant Hills Jazz Festival, OR (2)
The Hult Performing Arts Center, Eugene OR
Sisters Jazz Festival, OR
Florence Arts Center, OR
Seaside Jazz & Swing Festival, OR (3)
Medford Jazz Bash, OR (3)
Eugene “Celebration”, OR
Monterey Traditional Jazz Festival, CA (5)
San Mateo Traditional Jazz Festival, CA (4)
Desert Jazz Festival - Palm Springs, CA (2)
Mammoth Lakes Art Festival, CA
Links
