Home » Jazz Musicians » Tomas Janzon

Tomas Janzon

Tomas Janzon was born in Stockholm, Sweden. His musical quest started at the age of 7 playing the recorder. At 8 he began studying the cello and by 12 was performing with the chamber orchestra Collegium Musicum. His next pursuit and focus was the guitar.

After studying at Musikhogskolan, The Royal School of Music in Stockholm he embarked on his professional career: touring, performing and recording in Sweden and northern Europe. Tomas also composed and recorded music for TV and films: "Vargavår" for national TV, the documentary "Kvinnor pa kontor", art-film "The King of Siam".

Tomas arrived in Los Angeles to study with Joe Diorio at Musicians Institute/GIT, where he was awarded The Outstanding Player of the Year, and taught as an adjunct faculty member from 1995 to 2008. In 2000 he completed a Masters Degree with honors in Classical Guitar at USC Thornton School of Music, studying guitar with Scott Tennant and James Smith, composition with Vince Mendoza and teaching at the Jazz Studies and Studio Guitar Departments. His composition Variations I to IV for marimba, percussion, guitar and double bass was premiered at USC Thornton School of Music 2000.

2001 Tomas spent in Canada teaching as Artist-in-Resident at Selkirk College.

2002 to the present, with Tomas now residing in New York from 2010, has been a continuation of touring and teaching throughout the US, Argentina, Brazil, Germany, Austria and Scandinavia. These years have also seen Tomas’ articles published in Guitar Player, Down Beat, Chamber Music, LA Jazz Scene, Orkesterjournalen, Jazz Stage and Fotnoten.

X-Changes, his initial recording, was released in 2000 on his Changes Music label with Billy Higgins, Sherman Ferguson, Nedra Wheeler and Louis van Taylor, and received positive reviews and international airplay.

Live in Stockholm, a 2002 live national radio (SR P2) broadcast concert from jazz club Fasching in Stockholm with Bobo Stenson, Petur Östlund and Christian Spering was reviewed by All About Jazz and Orkesterjournalen.

Coast to Coast to Coast: a composing/recording project from 3 cities: New York - Stockholm - Los Angeles was released in 2007, featuring Ben Dixon, Ken Filiano, Birger Thorelli, Lars Ekman, Ali Djeridi, Jeff Littleton, Tony Austin and William Henderson.

Experiences (CM 113, Naxos Sweden) featuring Art Hillery, Jeff Littleton and Albert "Tootie" Heath was released in New York City on September 6, 2010. The album including a photo collage reflecting the relocation drive from LA to New York.

130th & Lenox (CM 114): the 2019 recording project, focusing on Tomas location in New York actually started in Los Angeles in 2017 with Nedra Wheeler and Donald Dean and was finalized at Acoustic Recording in New York with Steve Nelson, Hilliard Greene and Chuck McPherson.

Awards

Outstanding Player of the Year, GIT 1992.


Tags

28
Album Review

Tomas Janzon: Nomadic

Read "Nomadic" reviewed by Jack Bowers


Nomadic, Tomas Janzon's sixth album as leader, is a pleasant, easy-going session that benefits greatly from the presence, on half a dozen tracks, of the superb vibraphonist Steve Nelson who adds substance and color to what is essentially a quartet or trio session wherein Janzon's mellow guitar carries much of the weight. There are eleven tracks in all, the first four and last four by Janzon, separated by McCoy Tyner's tranquil “Search for Peace," Sonny Rollins' no-more-than-lukewarm ...

1
Radio & Podcasts

Tomas Janzon, Charlie Parker, Art Tatum and More

Read "Tomas Janzon, Charlie Parker, Art Tatum and More" reviewed by Joe Dimino


The focus of this hour is on three musicians that have new music charting well, along with the musicians that inspired them. First, we have guitarist Tomas Janzen followed by music from Charlie Parker. Secondly, we have pianist Jen Allen and music from her mentor Jackie McLean. Finally, we profile Indianapolis-based saxophonist Amanda Gardier followed by music from Cannonball Adderley. Playlist Tomas Janzon “Somewhere Over Stockholm" 130th & Lenox (Changes Music) 00:00 Host talks 5:37 Charlie Parker “Cool ...

356
Album Review

Tomas Janzon: Experiences

Read "Experiences" reviewed by Jim Santella


Hanging out with straight-ahead jazz from a veteran quartet is like vacationing in an out-of-the-way place where there are no cares for weeks on end. This place would lead to feeling good and being rested for a long time. Both jazz and vacation offer rare qualities without interference, and both provide stimulating forces from the inside out.Guitarist Tomas Janzon leads his quartet on Experiences, where jazz standards receive the respect due them and improvisation serves as the focus. ...

363
Album Review

Tomas Janzon: Coast to Coast to Coast

Read "Coast to Coast to Coast" reviewed by Jim Santella


A guitarist with much energy and a thirst for new horizons in jazz, Tomas Janzon continues to find new paths to that end. He's a jazz purist who reveres the past while hooking it up with jazz's leading edge. The soft strokes of his guitar melt away while delivering lyrical melodies one moment and creating fire in the heart of his audience the next. At his frequent live appearances, Janzon captivates everyone and won't let go.Coast to Coast ...

123
Album Review

Tomas Janzon Quartet: Live In Stockholm

Read "Live In Stockholm" reviewed by Jim Santella


This brief session (18:22) was recorded for Swedish radio last year. It represents part of a concert that Sveriges Radio P2 broadcast live from the Jazzclub Fasching in Stockholm. To experience tracks from guitarist Tomas Janzon’s full-length album, visit tomasjanzon.com .

Live In Stockholm offers an adventurous Wes Montgomery style affair with quartet. Straight-ahead jazz fans within the radio station’s broadcasting radius can consider themselves fortunate to be able to enjoy this session. Janzon emphasizes the acoustic ...

134
Album Review

Tomas Janzon: X-Changes

Read "X-Changes" reviewed by Jack Bowers


Don’t get me wrong; I love guitars — but I honestly can’t tell one guitarist from another. So unless they’re also great composers — in a league with Gershwin, Porter, Berlin, Rodgers and so on — I need to hear them play familiar melodies in order to express some sort of informed opinion. Tomas Janzon, who seems to be an exceedingly capable player, doesn’t give me much help, performing seven of his original compositions on X–Changes, none of which is ...

179
Album Review

Tomas Janzon: X-Changes

Read "X-Changes" reviewed by Jim Santella


Originally from Sweden, mainstream jazz guitarist Tomas Janzon has settled in Los Angeles where he performs with the trio heard on his session. Highly recommended, the album and Janzon’s bio information may be found at his web site: http://www.tomasjanzon.com .

Janzon has written tunes for this project that allow the trio to run cool and seamless. Like “The Pink Panther," Janzon’s “The Blue Frog" leaps forth with an attitude, as both guitar and tenor saxophone stretch out beyond the theme. ...

Read more articles
154

Event

Tomas Janzon Trio Featuring Ben Dixon & Ken Filiano

Tomas Janzon Trio Featuring Ben Dixon & Ken Filiano

Source: All About Jazz

Tomas Janzon Coast to Coast to Coast

Cornelia Street Cafe 29 Cornelia St Sunday Oct. 28, 8:30 PM

Featuring: Tomas Janzon-compositions, guitar Ben Dixon-drums Ken Filiano-bass

Reservations recommended (212) 989-9319

Time Traveling Sessions:

“When deciding to make a record of my recent experiences I realized the last couple of years has involved so much traveling that it would be natural to use the aspect of different locations and different people in the ...

89

88

Music Industry

Tomas Janzon Quartet

Tomas Janzon Quartet

Source: All About Jazz


Tomas Janzon: Experiences

....“Float” is a Janzon original with a spooky, off-kilter feel where his bop solo fits perfectly. The other original, “Blue Bee,” has an airy feel that makes it stand out from the blues and funk. The record closes with a beautiful solo piece, “En Dejlig Rosa,”which showcases everything about Janzon’s playing that make this one of the best jazz guitar records from the past year. - John Heidt, Vintage Guitar April 2011.

New release Tomas Janzon: Experiences, (Changes Music CM 113) has been listed on radio list Jazz Week Top 50 for eight weeks, and a string of reviews from JazzTimes, Cadence, Just Jazz Guitar, and many more are posted on our website www.tomasjanzon.com

Read more

Primary Instrument

Guitar

Location

New York City

Willing to teach

Advanced only

Credentials/Background

Private studio. Check pricing and availability at [email protected]

Clinic/Workshop Information

Have taught clinics and masterclasses at: University of Washington USC Thornton School of Music. EMBA-Escuela de Música de Buenos Aires, Argentina. Collegium CEIM, Cordoba, Argentina. EMU La Plata, Argentina. Centro Musical Antonio Adolfo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Pelotas Conceratorio de Musica, Pelotas, Brazil. Norges Musikkhøgskole, Oslo, Norway. Högskolan för Scen och Musik, Gothenburg, Sweden. And more. Malmö Music Conservatory, Sweden.

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Nomadic

Changes Music - Tomas Janzon
2023

buy

Experiences

Changes Music - Tomas Janzon
2011

buy

Coast to Coast to...

Unknown label
2007

buy

Theme From Mr. Broadway

From: Experiences
By Tomas Janzon

Similar

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.