Bobby Timmons
- Born:
- , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Died:
- , New York, USA
- Instrument:
- Piano
- Genres:
- Jazz, Funk / Soul, Blues, Pop, Folk, World, & Country, Rock, Latin, Stage & Screen, Electronic, Classical
- Styles:
- Hard Bop, Soul-Jazz, Bop, Post Bop, Contemporary Jazz, Big Band, Swing, Easy Listening, Cool Jazz, Vocal
Bobby Timmons is a pivotal pianist whose tragically short career (he died at 39) left an indelible mark on Hard Bop and Soul-Jazz. His prolific output, featured on over 500 releases, is defined by his signature gospel-infused, bluesy sound. His career timeline demonstrates a rapid rise: from anchoring crucial early Hard Bop sessions with Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers (where he composed the hit “Moanin’” in 1958) and the Cannonball Adderley Quintet, to leading his own seminal Soul-Jazz albums like “This Here Is Bobby Timmons”. He was a key figure for cornerstone labels like Riverside and Blue Note, contributing to the evolution of jazz from Bop to its soulful, mainstream peak.
Essential Bobby Timmons Albums
This Here Is Bobby Timmons
Bobby Timmons
1960
Hard Bop
Soul Time
Bobby Timmons
1960
Soul-Jazz
The Soul Man!
Bobby Timmons
1966
Soul-Jazz
Sweet And Soulful Sounds
Bobby Timmons
1962
Soul-Jazz
Jenkins, Jordan And Timmons
John Jenkins, Clifford Jordan, Bobby Timmons
1960
Hard Bop
Chun-King
Bobby Timmons
1965
Bop
Holiday Soul
Bobby Timmons
1965
Soul-Jazz
Little Barefoot Soul
Bobby Timmons
1964
Modal
Workin' Out!
Bobby Timmons, Johnny Lytle
1965
Soul-Jazz
Soul Food
Bobby Timmons
1966
Hard Bop
Similar Artists
Top Labels
| Label | Releases |
|---|---|
| Blue Note | 182 |
| Riverside Records | 56 |
| Fontana | 34 |
| Prestige | 30 |
| Columbia | 28 |
| Verve Records | 27 |
| Not On Label | 23 |
| Fresh Sound Records | 20 |
| Mercury | 20 |
| Universal Music | 18 |
Bobby Timmons Collaborations
As Leader
| Musician | Role | Releases |
|---|---|---|
| Sam Jones | Bass | 8 |
| Jimmy Cobb | Drums | 5 |
| Art Blakey | Drums | 4 |
| Ozzie Cadena | Supervised By | 3 |
| Pierre Michelot | Bass | 2 |
| Christian Garros | Drums | 2 |
| Benny Golson | Tenor Saxophone | 2 |
| Roger Guérin | Trumpet | 2 |
| Blue Mitchell | Trumpet | 2 |
| Wayne Shorter | Tenor Saxophone | 2 |
As Sideman
| Musician | Role | Releases |
|---|---|---|
| Art Blakey | Drums | 65 |
| Lee Morgan | Trumpet | 65 |
| Jymie Merritt | Bass | 57 |
| Wayne Shorter | Tenor Saxophone | 31 |
| Sam Jones | Bass | 27 |
| Benny Golson | Tenor Saxophone | 21 |
| Louis Hayes | Drums | 14 |
| Curtis Fuller | Trombone | 11 |
| Hank Mobley | Tenor Saxophone | 9 |
| Jimmy Cleveland | Trombone | 9 |
Key Personnel
| Person | Role | Releases |
|---|---|---|
| Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers | Leader | 77 |
| Various | Leader | 48 |
| Rudy Van Gelder | Lacquer Cut By | 25 |
| Rudy Van Gelder | Recorded By | 23 |
| Alfred Lion | Producer | 22 |
| Reid Miles | Design [Cover] | 15 |
| Art Blakey | Leader | 12 |
| Orrin Keepnews | Producer, Liner Notes | 10 |
| Francis Wolff | Photography By [Cover Photo] | 10 |
| Lee Morgan | Leader | 9 |
Discography
Total: 575 releases
| Artist | Album | Label | Leader/Sideman | Style | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers | Strasbourg 82 | Gearbox Records | Sideman | 2025 | |
| Federico Bonifazi | Black Bird | Dodicilune | Sideman | 2025 | |
| Francesca Tandoi Trio | Hope | Atelier Sawano | Sideman | 2024 | |
| Christian Fabian Trio | Hip To The Skip | Spicerack Studios | Sideman | 2024 | |
| Emily Remler | Cookin’ At The Queens Live In Las Vegas 1984 & 1988 | Resonance Records | Sideman | Bop | 2024 |
| Benny Green | Solo | Sunnyside | Sideman | Bop | 2023 |
| Mimi Fox Organ Trio | One For Wes | Origin Records | Sideman | Contemporary Jazz | 2023 |
| The Cannonball Adderley Quintet | In Concert - Falkoner Centret, April 13, 1961 | SteepleChase | Sideman | Bop | 2023 |
| Erik Deutsch | Decades | Octave Records | Sideman | 2023 | |
| The Preachers | Stay Out Of My World | - | Sideman | 2022 | |
| Marian Petrescu, Joel Locher, Alex Riel | Live @ Jazzhus Montmartre, Kopenhagen | GLM Music | Sideman | 2022 | |
| Jean-Luc Fillon | Jumpin' wth Art | Cristal Records | Sideman | Contemporary Jazz | 2022 |
| Baptiste Trotignon | Body And Soul | Paradis Improvisé | Sideman | Post Bop | 2022 |
| Benji Winterstein | Benji Winterstein & Friends | Not On Label | Sideman | Gypsy Jazz | 2022 |
| Nueva Manteca | ART | Timbazo Productions | Sideman | Latin Jazz | 2022 |
| The 251s | Staying Home | Canvey Audio | Sideman | 2021 | |
| 高岩遼 | Mood Indigo | Not On Label | Sideman | 2021 | |
| Shout Section Big Band, Brett T. Dean | Lead The Way | Not On Label (Shout Section Big Band Self-released) | Sideman | Big Band | 2021 |
| Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers | First Flight To Tokyo: The Lost 1961 Recordings | Blue Note | Sideman | Hard Bop | 2021 |
| Makaya McCraven | Deciphering The Message | Blue Note | Sideman | Contemporary Jazz | 2021 |
Styles & Genres Distribution
Styles
| Style | Releases | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Hard Bop | 156 | 12% |
| Soul-Jazz | 74 | 5.7% |
| Bop | 69 | 5.3% |
| Post Bop | 43 | 3.3% |
| Contemporary Jazz | 36 | 2.8% |
| Big Band | 31 | 2.4% |
| Swing | 25 | 1.9% |
| Easy Listening | 20 | 1.5% |
| Cool Jazz | 19 | 1.5% |
| Vocal | 19 | 1.5% |
Genres
| Genre | Releases | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Jazz | 509 | 39.2% |
| Funk / Soul | 30 | 2.3% |
| Blues | 28 | 2.2% |
| Pop | 27 | 2.1% |
| Folk, World, & Country | 19 | 1.5% |
| Rock | 14 | 1.1% |
| Latin | 9 | 0.7% |
| Stage & Screen | 8 | 0.6% |
| Electronic | 5 | 0.4% |
| Classical | 4 | 0.3% |