[PLEASE EXCUSE THE LENGTH: THIS IS FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW MY BACKGROUND THAT WELL BUT HAVE ASKED...]
JAZZ PIANIST…Tom has just recorded a Trio album of his own compositions, by way of an Australian Council grant. Green Hills and White Clouds was recorded at Soundmine Studios, Perth, with Pete Jeavons (double-bass) and Daniel Susnjar. It has just been released on the Jazzgroove label, Sydney, and is distributed in Australia through Creative Vibes. John McBeath gave it 4 out of 5 stars when he reviewed it for The Australian and he wrote: Unlike many contemporary piano trios O’Halloran’s puts great emphasis on strong grooves with improvising intensity: an Oscar Peterson style for the 21st century. All but one of the tracks are originals, with Get Me To The Village perhaps the best up-tempo demonstration of O’Halloran’s masterful technique, driven by smart rhythmic insertions from Perth musicians Pete Jeavons, double bass, and Daniel Susnjar, drums. The title track ranges over different tempos concocting abstract landscapes and featuring a superbly swinging bass solo. Becoming projects a joyful sense of development and arrival in a bluesy feel, while Gonzalo’s Rubix Cube, for Cuban pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba, explores Latin rhythms with unusual melodic ideas and a myriad percussive effects to heighten piano and drum interplay. Another example of the high quality contemporary music now available in all Australian states. Here's what Doug Spencer, Producer-presenter, ABC Radio National's "The Weekend Planet" had to say: "All too often "accessible" is code for "dumbed-down", "tepid", or "tediously predictable". Not here! "Green Hills and White Clouds" will likely please even a casual listener, but it offers the deeper listener much more than just attractive melodies (very attractive, indeed) and genial grooves. Oomph and subtlety are equally abundant. A very alert, truly conversational trio is well-served by the warm and natural quality of the recording itself and this uncommonly satsifying trio session concludes with a truly sublime piano solo.Another piece of good news for anyone new to Tom O'Halloran. Speaking as one who has seen him in some very varied contexts over the years, I know that as a 'live' performer he is consistently 'right there, in the moment'. Some capable keyboardists occasionally remind me of typists; Tom never has."Since living in Sydney, Tom has worked as conductor/pianist for the new musical theatre piece The Hanging of Jean-Lee at the Sydney Opera House, which was recorded by the ABC and Sunday Arts. There he worked with artists such as trumpeter Phil Slater, bassist Cameron Undy, and singers Max Sharam, Geoff Duff, Josh Quong Tart and Hugo Race (Bad Seeds). Tom has also been working with David Campbell (Sony BMG), Mark Sholtez (Verve label), Jonathan Zwartz, Simon Barker, Dave Goodman, Kristen Bernardi, Rick Robertson (DIG), Virna Sanzone, George Washingmachine, Ian Cooper, Jim Pannell, DJ’s Houston and Crucial and John Morrison’s Big Band, and has performed at The Newcastle Jazz Festival and venues such as The Wine Banq. He is, of course, also a seminal member of the group VOID, who recently returned from Rome’s Celimontana festival and New York, Miami and Virginia in January 2007 as guest artists at the International Association of Jazz Educator’s Conference.Tom has been nationally successful as a jazz pianist He has led his own jazz piano trio since 1994; accompanied many leading national and international artists; and was selected (by the artist herself) to perform his original compositions as support for the American jazz star Natalie Cole, at the Perth Convention Centre in September of 2004.He has played the music of Salsa, Cuba and Brazil, and has received accolades for his performances. These include the 2003 Freedman Foundation Jazz Fellowship in which Tom was a grand finalist and gave a resounding performance at the Sydney Opera House, with Dane Alderson and Andrew Fisenden to critical acclaim from the Sydney Morning Herald.Perth based pianist, composer and conductor Tom O’Halloran led his trio in a sparkling set full of rhythmic teamwork, subtle or sudden gear shifts, zipping pace and dancing lyricism that has characterized the jazz piano trio tradition. - John Clare.He has appeared as sessional musician on numerous recordings and prior to relocating to Sydney, was a part-time piano tutor in the WA Conservatorium’s Jazz Programme.Other awards include the ’96 Bob Wylie Family Scholarship and the Perth Jazz Society Encouragement Award of ’95. He has appeared several times at Bennet's Lane in Melbourne, once in Los Angeles, Manifesto in Auckland, and has appeared with players of the calibre of Jim Snidero and Ernie Watts (New York), Dale Barlow (AUS), Jamie Ohlers (AUS), Graeme Lyall and Wilbur Wilde (AUS).Tom was commissioned by Andrew Fisenden to produce a track for the Modern Drummer Magazine Concerts held all around Australia in 2005. A DVD of those performances will soon be available.Tom is a seminal member of the jazz group VOID, comprised of James Morrison Scholarship winners Troy Roberts, Dane Alderson and Andrew Fisenden. Together they play Tom and Troy’s original compositions and have recorded a live album at their hugely successful weekly gig – the Llama Bar, in Subiaco. A studio album has been recorded and is available through JAZZWA. He also has recorded on Troy’s album with Morrison records; a recording that James played on and his brother John Morrison produced.He is a member of the internationally noted Michael Pigneguy Sextet, or MPS, as pianist, and performed with them in the USA, after being invited to showcase at the 2000 International Association of Jazz Educators Conference held in New Orleans. They have received extensive media coverage, including an SBS performance and interview segment. They also won “Best Jazz Act†and “Best Jazz Album†from the WA Music Industry Awards in ’98.In 1998 Tom was accepted into the Australian National Academy of Music's Improvisers program, and worked extensively with Mike Nock, Tony Gould, John Hoffman, David Jones and Shelly Scown. He has also been a part of the group Musica Veritas’ along with the internationally outstanding saxophonist/composer/arranger Graeme Lyall, playing free improvisations.From 1996-1999 Tom was rhythm section leader of the Western Australian Youth Jazz Orchestra, under the direction of Graeme Lyall, and has recorded on their three Compact Discs and performed twice at the Manly International Jazz Festival. Showing a keen interest in composing and arranging, he has written and conducted for WAYJO.CONDUCTING AND COMPOSING…Tom is currently completing a Master of Music (Composition) degree at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, under the tutelage of Trevor Pearce and Michael Smetanin.Tom has most recently conducted a large chamber-music concert entitled Beyond the 26th Parallel, which also featured music of his, inspired by the Kimberly Region, with it’s sweeping landforms and immense beauty. To do this tom was commissioned by the Australia Council for the Arts.Tom made his debut performance to the public as orchestral conductor at the Perth Concert Hall in May 2000 when he conducted the premier of Australian composer James Ledger’s Between the Flags. The review he received from Neville Cohn from The West Australian newspaper was very encouraging: …If O’Halloran’s handling of the piece on Saturday is anything to go by, this young musician has a lot going for him. His baton technique, devoid of superfluous gestures, was clear cut and purposeful, obtaining from his forces, which sounded more confident than earlier in the evening, a reading that generated and maintained intensity impressively. The performance was hence released on compact disc and is widely available.He has written music for the Elandra ensemble (comprised mainly of players of the WASO); and his composition Guapo: Nickname for a man who practises the cult of courage was broadcast on ABC Classic FM across Australia in October 2003. And again by Cohn:…And O'Halloran's own Guapo which oscillated between swagger and swoon, employed rapidly repeated chords to dramatic effect.His piece She is acquainted with grief was premiered at the UWA New Music Week in 2002, and his piano trio piece Javert appeared on the 2002 release “Jazzaziz†and Gonzalo’s Rubick’s Cube appeared on “Here and Nowâ€, both commercial CD releases featuring high profile WA Jazz artists. He has also written for the West Australian Youth Jazz Orchestra, and in 1998 his composition Meditation: My Safety and Glory (by commission from the Salvation Army) appeared on their commercial release WAYJO Live.He has just finished a commissioned piece for the Elandra ensemble entitled At the Seaside, just before light.He has been involved in new music in Perth for a few years now, and was a member of the new music ensemble The Collective from 2003-2005. Other conducting credits include Grant Windsor’s I fall from the rafters.Tom has had many composition discussions with James Ledger and Ian Grandich.Tom has also written short excerpts of underscore music for theatre; most notably No Worries, for small ensemble, performed by St. Mary’s College 2004. This also included various songs.The year 2000 saw him be selected from his state to receive the position as Conducting Intern for the Woodside West Australian Youth Orchestra. To be accepted, Thomas had to prepare, and be auditioned with orchestra via Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. He has been under direction and instruction from Mr Peter Moore O.A.M., and his duties have included the following: • Conducting at all performances • Conducting and rehearsing the orchestra in all set works • Leading and instructing sectional rehearsalsPrior to this, Tom received his Bachelor of Music with Outstanding Merit from the WA Conservatorium of Music, majoring in Piano Performance.Thomas’ conducting was also showcased at the final WAYO concert at the Fremantle Town Hall in November of 2000.Tom also conducted Liszt’s Les Preludes with the Fremantle Symphony Orchestra in their end of year concert of 2004.He appeared at the Fremantle International Jazz Festival in 2002 and conducted Graham Wood’s commissioned work, Joan.In the past years he has attended auditor’s sessions of Symphony Australia’s Conductor Development Programme, on Russian and Baroque music. During which, he was fortunate enough to observe internationally renowned maestro Jorma Panula. He was also a participating conductor for a workshop Panula ran in Perth late last year with the Conservatorium String Ensemble, where he was the only participant to successfully conduct all of Vaughn Williams’ Variations on a theme by Thomas Tallis. The repertoire he had to prepare for these modules included Beethoven’s Symphony no.1, Tchaikovsky’s Symphony no. 5 and the Rococo variations, Prokofiev’s Piano concerto no. 1 and Symphony no. 1, Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring, Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade and Handel.While at the WA Conservatorium, Thomas studied Piano and Composition / Arrangement under the direction of Andrew Vance, and Conducting under lecturers Stephen Williams and Dr. Alan Lourens. It was with Lourens that he looked closely at Wind Ensemble repertoire. In 2000 his conducting instruction came from Mr Peter Moore O.A.M.Tom was part of a three day seminar and workshop run by American Dale Lonis, conductor of the Israel Youth Orchestra et al. The course focussed on orchestral cognitive learning, and cognitive learning for the conductor.He was also recently appointed Musical Director for a Midnight Youth Theatre production of The Rose and The Ring that toured London in 2004, including performances at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London and also to Vancouver, Canada.
