Tom is a self-taught instrumentalist on keyboards, guitar, bass, ukulele, mandolin and a few others. He played with his high school friends growing up but did not perform publicly. 

In 1974 Tom was up in Trinity County, upper California living with friends on their property and there was only a single highway between Eureka and Redding cities…150 miles apart. When hitchhiking on that road, it was more common to see logging trucks than anyone else. His sweet Labrador mix Smiling was his companion. So he wrote a song, Another Jam, while waiting. He began writing more songs in that period of time and those are the ones we find here. He also played and performed on mandolin in a bluegrass band.

During the 70s Tom attended Santa Barbara City College as a Music Major, studying music theory and composition, physics of music and around the end of that decade discovered an affinity for jazz. Along with a vocalist, Tana Bronk and two OTHER guitarists,Brian Fanning and Patrick Miller, co-founded The Monterey Jazz Band, who along with drummer Wendell Lovett began to perform during the 80s around the area, including a memorable showcase performance on local television.

Then in 2001 Tom met a guitarist, Bob Petty, and began a collaboration that lasted a year. He played lead guitar and sang harmonies on several Classic Rock pieces from the 60s and 70s. 

Tom got together iiin 2004 with former Monterey Jazz bandmate bassist Patrick Miller and they formed a duo playing guitars and singing classic Country music around the area. 

In 2005, after attending an Adult Ed Jazz Combo Workshop, he co-founded the Montecito Jazz Project band, playing bass guitar with drummer Tom Ray, guitarist Mark Coffin and saxophonist Jeff Regan. The group began performing locally, adding on keyboardists and soloists from the community when appropriate and including vocalists if desired or needed. 

Around 2010 Tom joined local classic rock bands Pie and then with bandmates Guy Brown,  Stan Krome, Kate Ingalls, co-formed Classy Croc as keyboardist and vocalist, then Mersey Mob band  and after that Dark Street Kiss as their bassist and vocalist.

Tom shortly after discovered the joy of ukulele when he took an Adult Education class on it and began a love affair with that instrument He later TAUGHT an Advanced Ukulele class with that same Adult Ed and formed a band, the Ukuwailers, performing in the local area.

More recently, Tom has been performing locally with various musical friends as “Tom and Friends”, covering Classic Rock from the 50s, 60s and 70s.

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