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Tom Tallitsch

Tom performs at jazz clubs and in NYC, Philadelphia, and throughout the east coast. Venues include: Smalls Jazz Club, The 55 Bar, Birdland, Minton’s, The Sidedoor, Chris’ Jazz Cafe, Arts Council Of Princeton, WhyNot Jazz Room, Cornelia Street Cafe, The Garage, Bar Next Door, Paris Bistro, South Jazz Club, and many more. He regularly and tours throughout the United States as a leader and sideman.

In addition to having his compositions and arrangements played by vocalists and musicians throughout New York and Philadelphia, Tom’s works have been performed by individual dancers from the Martha Graham Dance Company at various choreographer showcase venues.

He is musical director, and composer for the multi-media dance company Big Sky Project, founded by his wife Carrie Ellmore-Tallitsch. Big Skyʼs mission is: “Grassroots Community Fellowship. Gathering community and all of the resources and skills available for barter, thus creating commerce, self-sufficiency, and art with in a village. One project and location at a time, Big Skyʼs mission is to initiate the healing of the environment in which we all live, through imaginative, innovative, experimental, artistic, and inspired philosophy.”

Tom owns a highly recommended music tutoring business in Princeton, NJ and is a popular jazz educator and clinician. He works as a piano teacher to students on the autism spectrum at The Princeton Child Development Institute and teaches piano and woodwinds at The Princeton Junior School.

He was the founding director of The Central NJ Homeschool Bands and was Artist Faculty at Mercer County Community College. He has taught at The Westminster Conservatory, Philadelphia Clef Club, Creative Music Studios, The Groove Academy, and many more. He is a gifted music educator who has given lectures and clinics at many top high schools including The Lawrenceville School and The Pennington School. He has had students continue on to pursue professional careers at conservatories throughout the country.

Tom is the host of “The Modern Jazz Radio Show” on the Mercer County Jazz Station WWFM Jazzon2 89.1 HD2 every Thursday from Noon to 1pm He returned to the show on 8/9/18 after a break for a few years. Tom hosted the show every week from 2007 until 2012.

Tom Currently resides in Hopewell, NJ. He is originally from Cleveland, Ohio where he began his musical training on the piano, clarinet and saxophone. He as also lived in Cincinnati, Philadelphia, and Hamilton, NJ. He holds a Bachelors of Music in Jazz Studies from the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music (CCM), and has participated in clinics with Joe Henderson and Chris Potter.

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1
Album Review

Tom Tallitsch: Message

Read "Message" reviewed by David A. Orthmann


There is hard bop DNA in tenor and soprano saxophonist Tom Tallitsch's twelfth record as a leader, the third consecutive release for his TT Productions imprint. While it is always tempting to start making comparisons to classic sides from the genre, or to simply dismiss recognizable sounds as old hat in a world bursting with new ideas and concepts, Tallitsch and his associates warrant attention on their own merits. As on two recent recordings, Wheelhouse (Posi-Tone) and Ten ...

6
Album Review

Tom Tallitsch: Ten

Read "Ten" reviewed by David A. Orthmann


Ten is a recording that resides and functions well in a stylistic no man's land. Tenor and soprano saxophonist Tom Tallitsch and his clever band display little interest in paying homage to easily recognizable jazz styles; yet, they don't make a point of abandoning traditional practices either. Taking a stab at some basic descriptions of some of Tallitsch's six compositions--medium tempo swing, skewed jazz-funk, a deliberately paced jazz waltz, Latin-tinged jazz, etc.--amounts to something of a fool's errand. Suffice it ...

1
Album Review

Tom Tallitsch: Wheelhouse

Read "Wheelhouse" reviewed by David A. Orthmann


Tom Tallitsch's Wheelhouse is a recording in which something honest and genuine springs from the soil of a long established, familiar jazz style. Although pinning a hard bop label on the music is fairly accurate, ultimately it amounts to a quick, glib, descriptive fix that may distort or diminish the character of the record. The same applies to reflexively reaching for influences in the compositions, ensemble work and the soloists. In short, there's too much substance here to brood over ...

8
Album Review

Tom Tallitsch: All Together Now

Read "All Together Now" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky


All Together Now--the sixth overall effort from tenor saxophonist Tom Tallitsch, and his third for the Posi-tone imprint--is a well-balanced musical affair built around a surefooted and wholly capable sextet. Tallitsch works with a rhythm section and two other horns here, creating smart and uncluttered settings that showcase the musicians without boxing them in. He works various stylistic angles into his compositions, touching on myriad moods in the process. There's a driving tune that vacillates between swing ...

18
Album Review

Tom Tallitsch: Heads Or Tales

Read "Heads Or Tales" reviewed by Bruce Lindsay


Tenor saxophonist Tom Tallitsch makes his Posi-Tone debut with Heads Or Tales, a welcome addition to that label's impressively strong roster of straight-ahead and swinging musicians. Tallitsch has a warm tone, a lyrical and flowing style and an ability to craft solos that add to the narrative of his compositions: qualities that make the tunes--all but one his own compositions--immediately accessible, yet capable of rewarding repeated listening with fresh revelations.While Heads And Tales is his label debut, it's ...

199
Album Review

Tom Tallitsch: Heads Or Tales

Read "Heads Or Tales" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky


Jazz musicians are often lauded for how different they are from one another, but all of the most notable musicians who wear the jazz label actually have one thing in common: expertise in telling a story. When theory, technique and stylistic divisiveness are all removed from the equation, musicians are left with the not-so-simple task of creating aural narratives worth following, and plenty of them can be found on Heads Or Tales.Tenor saxophonist Tom Tallitsch put together a ...

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Take Five With...

Take Five With Tom Tallitsch

Read "Take Five With Tom Tallitsch" reviewed by AAJ Staff


Meet Tom Tallitsch: Tom resides in the greater Philadelphia/Central New Jersey area. As a saxophonist he works as a leader and sideman in Philadelphia, New York, and the Northeast.

Tom's primary instrument is tenor saxophone. His doubles include soprano, alto, clarinet, flute, and piano. His critically acclaimed albums include Medicine Man (Origin, 2008), and Duality (Self Produced, 2005).

His third album will be released in mid-to-late 2009 on OA2 Records. Tom has his own jazz radio show which airs on ...

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Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Tom Tallitsch

Jazz Musician of the Day: Tom Tallitsch

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Tom Tallitsch's birthday today!

Tom Tallitsch is a Saxophonist, Composer, Recording Artist, Music Educator, and Host of ‘The Modern Jazz Radio Show’. Tom is a NY Saxophonist, composer, recording artist, and music educator. He performs at jazz clubs and other venues throughout NYC and regularly performs at venues up and down the east coast, and tours throughout the United States. His critically acclaimed fifth album RIDE was released 2/4/14 on Posi-Tone Records... Read more.

Place ...

1

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Tom Tallitsch

Jazz Musician of the Day: Tom Tallitsch

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Tom Tallitsch's birthday today! Tom Tallitsch is a Saxophonist, Composer, Recording Artist, Music Educator, and Host of ‘The Modern Jazz Radio Show’. Tom is a NY Saxophonist, composer, recording artist, and music educator. He performs at jazz clubs and other venues throughout NYC and regularly performs at venues up and down the east coast, and tours throughout the United States. His critically acclaimed fifth album RIDE was released 2/4/14 on Posi-Tone Records... Read more. Place ...

1

Recording

8 New CD Discoveries

8 New CD Discoveries

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers

I've been traveling a bit lately on assignment, which has left me less time to post on my latest CD discoveries. Last night I finally had a chance to go through my stack. Here are eight you'll surely enjoy... Italian vocalist-lyiricist Lara Iacovini brings heart and smarts to Right Together (Abeat), which featuers electric bassist Steve Swallow and drummer Adam Nussbaum. Swallow handles the bass like a guitar while upright bassist Paolino Dalla Porta manages the time. Iacovini's voice is ...

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Performance / Tour

Saxophonist Tom Tallitsch August 2011 Midwest Tour Dates

Saxophonist Tom Tallitsch August 2011 Midwest Tour Dates

Source: Tom Tallitsch Productions, LLC

NYC Tenor and Soprano Saxophonist Tom Tallitsch will be touring throughout the Midwest in August 2011.

Tom has two of his three albums on Origin/OA2 Records. lives in NYC, plays in NY and Philadelphia, tours throughout the east coast and the U.S, and hosts a weekly Jazz Radio Show out of Trenton, NJ. (The Modern Jazz Radio Show, 8-10pm on JazzOn2 89.1 HD2. He has had feature articles in All About Jazz, Downbeat Magazine, JazzTimes, JazzReview.Com, The Village Voice, and ...

175

Performance / Tour

Saxophonist Tom Tallitsch And His Quartet Will Perform at The Arts Council Of Princeton, Friday May 13th

Saxophonist Tom Tallitsch And His Quartet Will Perform at The Arts Council Of Princeton, Friday May 13th

Source: Tom Tallitsch Productions, LLC

Tenor and Soprano Saxophonist Tom Tallitsch will be joined by fellow NYC musicians Jared Gold on Hammond B3 Organ, Victor Baker on Guitar, and Mark Ferber on Drums, Friday May 13th in the Solley Auditorium of The Arts Council Of Princeton. The show begins at 8pm at and is located at the Paul Robeson Center 102 Witherspoon St. Princeton, NJ. Tickets can be purchased in advance or at the door for $15/$10. Tom Tallitsch is a world class Jazz Saxophonist, ...

107

Performance / Tour

Pianist Manuel Valera with The Tom Tallitsch Quartet at Miles Jazz Cafe (NYC) on Thursday, April 7th

Pianist Manuel Valera with The Tom Tallitsch Quartet at Miles Jazz Cafe (NYC) on Thursday, April 7th

Source: Tom Tallitsch Productions, LLC

Miles Jazz Cafe NYC Thursday, April 7th 9:30-11:30pm 212 East 52nd Street New York, NY 10022-6201 (212) 371-7657 Subway: Lexington Av/53 St Tom Tallitsch—Saxophones Manuel Valera—Piano Peter Brendler—Bass David Ashkenazy—Drums Cuban pianist, bandleader, composer and arranger, Manuel Valera is in the forefront of contemporary modern jazz. He represents the next generation of great performers and composers. His sound is fresh, inviting and ...

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Performance / Tour

Tom Tallitsch CD Release Concert @ Chris' Jazz Cafe Friday 2/5/10 8PM

Tom Tallitsch CD Release Concert @ Chris' Jazz Cafe Friday 2/5/10  8PM

Source: All About Jazz

Tom Tallitsch CD Release Concert Perspective (Origin/OA2 Records, 2009)

Tenor and soprano saxophonist Tom Tallitsch released his third album, Perspective, on the Seattle-based jazz label Origin/OA2 Records (Jazzweek's 2009 Label Of The Year) on November 17th, 2009. With vivid musical imagery and a dynamic group interplay, Tallitsch's Philadelphia-based band winds through a set of his original compositions. From the relaxed opening lines of “Swirl" to the uptempo “Red Giant," Perspective documents an articulate and cohesive band, ...

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Recording

Saxophonist Tom Tallitsch to Release 3rd Album "Perspective" 11/17/09 on Oa2 Records

Saxophonist Tom Tallitsch to Release 3rd Album "Perspective" 11/17/09 on Oa2 Records

Source: Tom Tallitsch Productions, LLC

Saxophonist Tom Tallitsch is set to release his third album “Perspective" (2nd album on Origin/OA2 Records), on November 17th, 2009. Originally from Cleveland, Oh, Tom lives in New Jersey and plays in Philadelphia and New York. His first two albums 'Duality' (2004 Self-Released), and 'Medicine Man' (2008 OA2 Records), have received critical acclaim and are on worldwide radio playlists. “PERSPECTIVE" is a collection of Tom's original compositions and features the following lineup: TOM TALLITSCH - Tenor & Soprano Saxophones

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Festival

Jazz on 2 at Katmandu Trenton NJ

Jazz on 2 at Katmandu Trenton NJ

Source: Tom Tallitsch Productions, LLC

The Music Kicks Off at 10 am with a New Orleans-themed Jazz brunch featuring Jazz On 2 hosts and local performers.

Jazz On 2 At Katmandu Trenton ***Free*** Sunday, 27 September, 2009 10:00 AM - 06:00 PM

At 12:30 pm the day's events transition to the main stage for musical performances including Blues, Dixieland, Duke Ellington's sacred music, Latin Jazz to Modern Jazz, plus many more musical selections...plenty for everyone!

The Music is Free! ...

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Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Tom Tallitsch

Jazz Musician of the Day: Tom Tallitsch

Source: Michael Ricci


All About Jazz – Dan Bilawsky 3/4/14: Saxophonist Tom Tallitsch focuses on his own music on his second release on Posi-Tone and fifth date as a leader. He throws in David Bowie’s “Life On Mars” and Led Zeppelin’s “Ten Years Gone” for good measure, but the other nine tracks are all of his making. Tallitsch proves to be a commanding player throughout Ride, but it’s the sidemen that help to bring out the best in the music. Rock solid players like pianist Art Hirahara and bassistPeter Brendler help to keep things running smoothly, guest trombonist Michael Dease brings the heat, and Rudy Royston, the seemingly ubiquitous super drummer, adds some wattage to Tallitsch’s tunes. Royston’s in high spirits on the title track and he drives the hell out of a few other numbers. While the faster material always carries excitement with it, Talitsch’s strongest pieces aren’t the burners. “Rain,” which Tallitsch accurately frames as “gospel country,” the Brazilian-tinged “El Luchador,” which gives Dease a chance to shine, and the bluesy “Knuckle Dragger” all leave more of a lasting impression on the ear.

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Primary Instrument

Saxophone, tenor

Location

Trenton

Credentials/Background

Saxophone - Clarinet - Flute - Piano - Jazz Improvisation - Clinician With over 15 years of individual and classroom teaching experience, and as a graduate of the College Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati (CCM) in Jazz Studies, Tom offers an inspired approach to childhood-adult musical instruction. His highly recommended music tutoring business is based in Mercer County New Jersey, and instructs motivated students in Saxophone, Clarinet, Flute, Piano, and Jazz Improvisation/Composition

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Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Message

TT Productions
2021

buy

Trio 18

Self Produced
2020

buy

Ten

TT Productions
2019

buy

Wheelhouse

Posi-Tone Records
2018

buy

Gratitude

Posi-Tone Records
2016

buy

All Together Now

Posi-Tone Records
2015

buy

Zipline

From: Message
By Tom Tallitsch

Red Giant

From: Perspective
By Tom Tallitsch

Medicine Man

From: Medicine Man
By Tom Tallitsch

Videos

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