Bross Townsend

'''Bross Elvie Townsend Jr.''' (October 18, 1933 – May 12, 2003) was an American jazz and blues pianist.<ref name="Grove">{{Cite Grove |last=Flückiger |first=Otto |date=2003 |title=Townsend, Bross (Elvie, Jr.) |doi=10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.J754800 }}</ref> thumb Townsend was born in Princeton, Kentucky.<ref name="Grove" /> His father was also a pianist, and started his son on the instrument at age seven.<ref name="Grove" /> Townsend moved to Cleveland in 1951 and attended the Cleveland Institute of Music.<ref name="Grove" /> He accompanied local singers such as Little Jimmy Scott and Wynonie Harris and played freelance from 1953 with Gene Ammons, John Coltrane, Memphis Slim, and Jimmy Reed.<ref name="Grove" /> He made several tours of Europe.<ref name="Grove" /> thumb Townsend was active in New York City from 1959 almost up until his death there in 2003; he worked with Warren Smith (in the Composer's Workshop Ensemble), Carrie Smith, Bubba Brooks, Woody Herman, Diana Ross, Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre, Arvell Shaw, in addition to performing solo.<ref name="Grove" /> He was also a member of The 3B's, with Bob Cunningham and Bernard Purdie.<ref name="Grove" /> Townsend went blind in the middle of the 1990s but continued to perform.<ref name="Grove" /> He often backed vocalist Carrie Smith.<ref name="Komara">{{cite encyclopedia |last=Rye |first=Howard |title=Smith, Carrie |editor-last=Komara |editor-first=Edward |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of the Blues |year=2006 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-415-92699-7 |page=896}}</ref>

==Discography== ;As leader/co-leader *''What a Body'' – Bross Townsend and his trio – GP label GBTB 5030 *1995: ''I Love Jump Jazz'' (Claves Jazz) *1998: ''I Got Music on My Mind'' (BNH)

;With The 3B's *1993: ''After Hours with The 3B{{'s}}'' *1994: ''Soothin{{'}} n Groovin{{'}} with the 3B{{'s}}'' – <small>additional personnel: Eunice Newkirk (vocals); Donny Albano, Bucky Pizzarelli (guitar); Rob Paparozzi (harmonica); Houston Person (tenor saxophone); Fred Smith (trumpet).</small>

==References== {{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Townsend, Bross}} Category:1933 births Category:2003 deaths Category:People from Princeton, Kentucky Category:American jazz pianists Category:Cleveland Institute of Music alumni Category:Blind jazz musicians Category:Blind blues musicians Category:American blind pianists Category:American blues pianists Category:American male jazz pianists Category:Jazz musicians from Kentucky Category:Blues musicians from Kentucky Category:20th-century American pianists Category:The 3B's members Category:20th-century American male pianists