About Me
ARTISTS I HAVE PLAYED WITH INCLUDE:
poco
eric andersen
robert hazard
craig bickhardt
jim photoglo
john lilley (of the hooters)
larry burnett (of firefall)
vonda sheppard
don henry
karen savoca and pete heitzman
idlewheel (craig bickhardt and jack sundrud of poco)
julie gold
dan may
jim femino
frank stallone
michael tolcher
jd malone
skip denenberg
kassie miller
blake allen
charlie degenhart
jim stanson
nik everett
boris garcia
ben arnold
the barley boys
CURRENTLY APPEARING WITH:
CRAIG BICKHARDT:
"Seriously, I've never played with a better all around musician in my life."
(Craig is a nashville songwriting legend, authoring five top ten songs, and another two hundred cut by artists like The Judds, Martina McBride, Kathy Mattea, and more)
LARRY BURNETT:
"..I was struck by what seems to be a powerful blend of two voices - my baritone under your lines, a la Rick Roberts...I'm dying to hear more of what it might sound like."
(Larry is a founding member of seventies supergroup FIREFALL)
CRAIG WHITE:
"You're a fantastic musician, and its been such a blast for me to catch all the magic and spark that you bring to the table. Trust me when I say that you and I will do things in the future for sure !!!"
(Craig is the chief engineer at legendary Philadelphia International Records - the studio owned by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, where they churned out the long line of hits that made up "The Philadelphia Sound")
DAN MAY:
" Tom's playing is always tasteful and sensitive to the melody. My comfort level onstage is always high when I'm sharing the stage with Tom. He's like a musical safety net."
(Dan is a Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter and recording artist with whom Tom records and tours on a regular basis.)
BEN WITTMAN:
"...a pleasure playing with you. You've got a great sound."
(Ben is a drummer's drummer and accomplished producer in his own right, having helmed records for Lucy Kaplansky and Jonatha Brooke - most recently on the road with Paula Cole.)
DARCIE MINER:
"...easy to work with and hugely talented (!)"
(Darcie is a phenomenally talented singer/songwriter from the Central Pennsylvania area whos' used Tom on several recording dates, including sessions for her upcoming album, to be released in 2009.)
JAMES RALSTON:
"you sure do make that look easy, man...wow."
(James currently tours with Vonda Sheppard, and was Tina Turners' longtime touring guitarist.)
SKIP DENENBERG:
"Yo, Tom - My sincere thanks for lending your time and talents to 'Lucky Man' - you certainly had a big part in its development..."
(Skip is a Philadelphia based songwriter whose song, "Lucky Man", was featured on the DVD release of "Invincible", starring Mark Wahlberg as Philadelphia sports legend Vince Papale.)
BLAKE ALLEN:
"Tom is the Swiss Army Knife of session musicians."
(Aunt Pat alumnus Blake Allen used Tom extensively on his first solo album, "Ghosting", as well as for live performances.)
i was honored to spend a sizable chunk of 2008 in robert hazards' road band, and accompanying robert at solo acoustic shows. his talents as a writer, singer, and performer were immense, and every time i hear one of his songs, it reminds me just how little time it takes to leave your mark on other people.
rest easy, robert. we'll do this again, somewhere down the road.
THE USUAL STUFF...BULLET POINTS:
born a long time ago. started as a drummer. took up guitar when i realized that songs written behind the drumkit were often monotonous and never very melodic. joined the navy out of high school. took guitar along, left drums at home (they don't travel well). never went back.
began playing solo acoustic shows in bars after moving to pennsylvania out of navy. started writing songs. released first album in 1991, playing most of the instruments on the record. slowly began to concentrate on original music after epiphany that no one ever got a record deal because they did a bitchin' version of "brown eyed girl". became host of open mike at grape st. pub in mid 90's. released second album, "our mutual angels" in 1997. signed with management, did some great gigs, ate lots of crappy food and slept in my van in the dead of winter until i'd had about enough, thank you very much.
joined a band and found that i loved playing music just as much when i didn't have to worry about selling CD's or getting press. began taking on sideman and session work for other singer/songwriters whose music i connected with. did a slew of gigs and sessions for people like bet williams, polar creep, june rich, nik everett, charlie degenhart, skip denenberg, marty higgins, shame, michael tolcher, ben arnold, robert reilley, john conti, charlie heffley, darcie miner, the barley boys, boris garcia...slid into the seat behind the mixing console, co-producing the admittedly brilliant debut album from aunt pat alumnus blake allen, titled "ghosting". got to bring out all the guns on that one - played guitar, bass, lap steel, dobro, mandolin, hawaiian guitar, some banjo...layered in some harmonies...the whole nine yards. co-produced the third barley boys record, titled "no more shenanigans" and played mandolin and pedal steel on that one...also got the honor of playing dobro, mandolin, lap steel, and 12 string electric guitar on a song called "lucky man" by longtime friend skip denenberg, which ended up in the "invincible" DVD...we recorded it at the legendary philadelphia international records studios, home to PhillySound creators Gamble and Huff...where all those amazing records were made back in the 70's. the vibe is still there - engrained in the shag carpeting that covers the walls.
skip and i also worked together on "he wore number one", which was featured prominently in the documentary "Richie Ashburn - A Baseball Life". the movie kicked off the 2008 philadelphia film festival at the prince theatre in april 2008, and will be available on DVD on april 22nd.
i played some acoustic guitar on a couple of tracks from the third dan may album, the long road home, which was recorded at morningstar studios with glenn barrat at the helm...we did basic tracks with the phenomenal rhythm section of chico huff and ben wittman.
also appearing on the new solo release from jd malone, which was cut at g. loves' vibey little space downtown...mostly dobro on this one.
jon itkin invited me to NYC for a couple of days in july to work on his new record - we recorded eleven songs in two days for the new album, and they're very strong...it's going to have a solid identity. i was honored to be part of a studio house band that included michael daves (who had to leave the sessions the second night to go play with chris thile...slacker.) and george rush, bassist with fellow brooklynites HEM. we sweated our collective asses off, but it was a blast!
was thrilled to get a call to contribute pedal steel, lap steel, and 12 string electric guitar to the new john eddie record, which is being done at a kickass studio in hoboken called the pigeon club, with none other than t-bone wolk (hall and oates, SNL band, plus many, many more) at the helm...considering how adept T-bone is at so many instruments, it was both a pleasant surprise and an honor to get such a call...and T-bone is a blast to work with.
have been working closely with my good friend jim salamone in his amazing new room, cambridge sound on several projects that are underway at the same time, and having a blast coming up with parts and odd noises for jim's projects. thus far: pedal steel, weissenborn hawaiian guitar, mandolin (both six and eight string, believe it or not), mandola, octave mandolin and such. we've done everything from personal projects in the bluegrass gospel vein to karma parking from ireland, as well as zygo and the deuce and max seidman and a smattering of others. jim's been great to me, and i know for a fact that we'll be working together on other projects down the road...
this winter, there's lots of new music being made...i'm currently up to my elbows with new records from jd malone and john lilley, and there may very well be not one, but two new dan may records in the works in the coming year - one to be a christmas record inspired by our performance on gene shays' radio show in december of 2008.
and...there's still rumors of that second idlewheel album...who knows?
in addition to working with my small stable of regulars, i'm taking some time this summer to cull through my archives of live recordings and demos - some of which will be interspersed with new recordings - to compile home alone - acoustic recordings from the archives...a collection of solo acoustic songs that i've unearthed while sifting through my stockpile of unrecorded and unreleased material in preparation for my next studio album.
