Home » Jazz Musicians » Tom Wetmore

Tom Wetmore

“An asset to the age of modern music” (Vardan Ovsepian), Tom Wetmore is an innovative pianist, composer, and bandleader working in the New York City area. Since 2005, Tom has been a regular on the NYC scene, performing in clubs and other venues from Harlem to Brooklyn (and everything in between)--leading a variety of top-flight groups, including his traditional jazz piano trio and genre-defying sextet, the Tom Wetmore Electric Experiment. His debut album The Desired Effect (2011), released on Crosstown Records, embraces the strikingly eclectic nature of his musical sensibilities.

Borrowing just as much from Bach as from Miles Davis, Tom has long embraced the pursuit of that rare breed of musical expression that defies musical boundaries. Though well- grounded in classic jazz--having completed studies with such traditional masters as Mulgrew Miller and Harold Mabern--Tom has delved even deeper into the more experimental elements in improvised music, completing extensive work with such modern innovators as James Weidman and Ran Blake.

His work with Blake--the Avant Garde legend who practically invented the notion of combining classical music with jazz (in the 1950s)--challenged Tom to look past all stylistic boundaries and, through exhaustive ear training, strive to eliminate any disconnect between his musical ideas and his ability to express them on the piano.

Just as comfortable composing as performing, Tom has made his writing an integral part of his creative process. Having studied jazz composition with Cecil Bridgewater and Jim McNeely and modern classical composition with Jeffrey Kresky, Tom has developed a style that combines the advanced harmony and rhythm of jazz and classical with the visceral groove of funk and other popular music. He has been a finalist for the ASCAP Young Composers award.

Tom has performed or recorded in various formats with such leading musicians as Jaleel Shaw, Michael League, Garrett Brown, TK Blue, Clark Terry, Slide Hampton, Brad Williams, Justin Sabaj, Bernard "Pretty" Purdie, and many more.

He holds a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and a Master’s in Jazz Studies from William Paterson University. He has also studied at Berklee College of Music and the New England Conservatory.

Tags

94
Album Review

Tom Wetmore: The Desired Effect

Read "The Desired Effect" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky


A wide gulf often separates a composer's intent in the creation of his/her work and a listener's interpretation upon hearing it. While musicians try to capture or convey a certain sound, mood, spirit or energy in their recorded work, they can't control the environment and circumstances surrounding a consumer's exposure to it, and pianist Tom Wetmore seems to understand this better than most. Wetmore's self-penned liner notes shrewdly allude to this issue and, rather than spell out what he's trying ...

86
Album Review

Tom Wetmore: The Desired Effect

Read "The Desired Effect" reviewed by Mark F. Turner


Here's a sophisticated and hip debut from up-and-coming pianist Tom Wetmore. His studies with well-noted composer/improviser Ran Blake and influences that cite Brad Mehldau and Stevie Wonder speak volumes about his openness to create music that is versed in classic jazz but stretches beyond its confines. Since 2005 he's been thick in the New York City music environment, whether performing, writing or leading his own traditional jazz trio. But his alternate ego is plugged in and materializes with The Desired ...

Read more articles
91

Recording

Jazz Pianist/Composer Tom Wetmore Debuts with "The Desired Effect," Jan. 17

Jazz Pianist/Composer Tom Wetmore Debuts with "The Desired Effect," Jan. 17

Source: Terri Hinte Publicity

The buoyant grooves and graceful melodies heard on the forthcoming CD The Desired Effect serve to introduce a fresh new voice in jazz—Tom Wetmore, whose Crosstown Records will release the pianist/composer's exceptional debut, The Desired Effect, on January 17. The 29-year-old Massachusetts native has been active on the New York scene since 2005, leading his own traditional jazz trio as well as his eclectic sextet. He's also performed and/or recorded with Clark Terry, Slide Hampton, T.K. Blue, Bernard Purdie, and ...

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

The Desired Effect

Crosstown Records
2012

buy

Red Lights

From: The Desired Effect
By Tom Wetmore

Get more of a good thing!

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