About Me
I've worked in many different capacities in the entertainment field, both as a musician and a producer, engineer, and stagehand et. al. I wouldn't do it if I didn't love it, because there are easier ways to live.....My bio is below, it includes mostly information about me as a Soul-Rockin' Blues artist, Tommy Z, but I am also the president of South Blossom Music, Inc. which provides a multitude of services. So check out and add the SBM, Inc. myspace profile as well in my Top Friends.Bio:Starting out as a teenager in the talent-rich Western New York music scene, Tommy Z is one of areas' most accomplished blues-based guitarist/singer/bandleaders.Early on Tommy had the opportunity to tour with Muddy Waters' pianist Pinetop Perkins while in the band the Hurricanes. One of those performances was during the Chicago Blues Festival, the year Albert Collins was headlining (1992). Tommy, drummer Dave Keller and bassist Harvey Murello ran into Albert at the Kingston Mines and Tommy played a little bit of Frosty for him on a guitar someone handed AC to autograph. Albert dug what he saw and heard and then proceeded to take Tommy aside and give him one of the biggest guitar lessons of his life, changing Z's approach drastically from just a guitar influenced style to a more lyrical approach. Tommy began fronting the band more, letting his vocals catch up with his guitar-playing. Backing up one of the greatest unknown harmonica players, Shakin' Smith, Tommy got a real traditional blues education as a sideman. While already established back home as a bandleader, the young guitarist/singer played in some venues on Beale St. in Memphis with "Hurricane" Harvey Murello (this was pre-International Blues Competition, but essentially the same thing). One day, after having performed at WC Handy's bar, and taking 2nd place with a fill-in drummer for what would later be known as the IBC, Z was passing by a large crowd gathered to hear a local band in WC Handy Park. Tommy had his guitar on his back in a gig bag and the lead guitarist saw him from a distance and put him on the spot saying over the mic, "Where you from, and What chu got in the bag?" Z said, "Buffalo, and Stratocaster." "Can you play?" said the guitarist. "I think so," said Tommy. "Well Buffalo, we gonna find out!" And the crowd hissed saying, "Yeah we're gonna see what you got Buffalo!" And sure enough the guys in the band and the crowd found out, to their surprise (after they broke some strings, a sweat, and passed the guitar from one player to another) that the kid in fact could play, doing more than just holding his own. Fast forward to the present, where Tommy has had the good fortune to perform around the world, and has been blessed to have had musicians like Chu Nero, Jerry Livingston, Jack Kulp, Rodney Appleby, Bobby Jones, Aaron Trubic, Paul Campanella Jr., Ray Hangen, Joe "Swamp Thing" Skinner, Dave Keller, Mike Phelps and Jim Morabito play in The Tommy Z Band (to name a few). First hand exposure supporting, recording and/or co-billing with so many great artists over the years has helped to shape Tommy's sound. It's a Buffalo thing where an infectious mix of blues, swing, jazz, R&B, rock, soul and funk all come together into a very potent combination of American musical styles.The son of a Vietnam-era veteran, Tommy is proud to have taken his music to Iraq, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Japan, Korea, Djibouti, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Egypt, Turkey, Guam, Alaska and other distant locales to play for U.S. troops on behalf of AFE/USO. The Middle East/Africa tour of 2004 included locations that Rolling Stone Magazine has called "the most dangerous gigs on Earth." That tour was listed in Harmon JBL's periodical as one of the top tours of that year along with Eric Clapton's World Tour.Tommy has been recognized with numerous awards over the years, including being voted Top Blues Vocalist in Western New York 2003/2004/2006, and Top Blues Guitarist in Western New York six times (including 2006). Tommy also was awarded the Muddy Waters Award for Artist of the Year from the Blues Society of WNY in 2004, and the Tommy Z Band was named Crossover Blues Band in 2005 and 2006 at the Buffalo Music Awards. 2007 marked a new phase of Tommy's career, being invited to perform at the California Independent Film Festival for celebrities and top level music industry executives. 2007 is also the class he'll be inducted into the esteemed Buffalo Music Hall of Fame, which has members such as Brian McNight, Billy Sheehan and the Goo Goo DollsTommy has performed or co-billed with some of the worlds' greatest in the blues/rock genre including B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Johnny Winter, Pinetop Perkins, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Jeff Healey, Colin James, Roomful of Blues, Blues Traveler, Derek Trucks, Joe Bonamassa, Peter Frampton and many, many others.Tommy recently released an internationally acclaimed CD produced by the legendary Nick Blagona (BeeGees, Chicago, Police, Deep Purple) which is winning fans all over the world and has caught the attention music of industry executives. It's not a guitar-based CD that people expected to hear, but a full production of horns, keys, and guitar in a modern Memphis/New Orleans vibe. Tommy wrote or co-wrote 10 of the 11 tracks, and did the guitars, vocal harmonies, bass, and is the executive producer of the project. TZ contributed a few guitar tracks to hard rock pioneer Ian Gillan's (Deep Purple vocalist) star-studded new CD on Immergent called Gillan's Inn. On the Deep Purple classic "When a Blind Man Cries" Tommy plays along with Jeff Healey, Michael Lee Jackson, and Jon Lord, also guesting on Michael Lee Jackson's 2006 Immergent release, "In a Heartbeat." Jackson also makes a guest appearance on Universal Love throwing some rock guitar down on the track Justice. Download Tommy's Music HERE!!!
Tommy writes, records, engineers and produces new music at South Blossom Music, Inc. adding tracks to a diverse catalog of styles for other artists and Film/TV/Radio/Commercial applications. If you are looking for material to license or for a session guitarist/vocalist/producer contact Tommy here on myspace.Additional photos and info are available at at the official Tommy Z website: www.tommyzband.comTOMMY Z is an artist with and endorses:www.mesaboogie.com
www.coloriffic.com
www.truetonetechnologies.com
www.rkfx.com
www.graphtech.com
