Tom Christensen 201-370-3772 tomcmusic42@gmail.com www.tomchristensenmusic.com

Since his arrival in New York in 1989, Tom Christensen’s saxophone voice has set him apart. All Music Guide says, “Christensen possesses the goods to be a major force within the global modern jazz arena.” Jazz composers from Toshiko Akiyoshi to Darcy James Argue to Rufus Reid have found fuel for their musical visions in Tom’s dynamic solos. His mastery of double reeds, flutes and clarinets led the Detroit Free Press to describe his work as “fresh, intelligent” music that “honors post-bop improvisation without falling into clichés associated with bebop, modal jazz or the superficial exotica of world music.” Jazz masters from Joe Lovano and Paquito D’Rivera to Don Sebesky have featured Tom on Grammy winning recordings, and he’s performed and toured with the Maria Schneider Orchestra, the John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble, and the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, to name just a few. He can be heard with Cecile McLorin Salvant on her most recent project Ogresse and on Rufus Reid’s Quiet Pride, David Liebman’s A Tribute to Wayne Shorter, and on Ryan Truesdell’s The Gil Evans Project: Lines of Color. As bandleader and composer, Tom won a composition grant from Chamber Music America for an extended work based on the poetry of Frank O’Hara. Tom featured the piece on his third solo project, New York School (Playscape), a CD All About Jazz listed as one its Top Ten Jazz Albums of the year.

Tom’s latest collaboration is Spin Cycle with drummer Scott Neumann. The band has performed at the Rochester and Toronto Jazz Festivals and garnered rave reviews in Downbeat magazine. Tom performs regularly in clubs around New York City and in Broadway’s pit orchestras. He is also the co-founder of Sound Footing Records, and teaches jazz at New York’s prestigious Fieldston School. About Spin Cycle’s Assorted Colors From the moment the group dives head first into the lead off track, the playful angular and hard-swinging “Break Tune”, the intensity never relents, until Christensen completes his exhilarating tenor workout on the athletic closer “Fit Bit”. Characteristics that made the groups initial release so appealing – strong melodic hooks, rock solid grooves, advanced harmonies and aggressive, deftly executed improvisations – have been refined by two years of intensive touring and are displayed even more cohesively on “Assorted Colors”. Spin Cycle is on a roll with momentum to spare.

Downbeat About Tom’s latest CD “New York School” It's smart, finely tailored postbop with an emphasis on craftsmanship over flash - just the sort of session that guitarist Michael Musillami would pick for his label, Playscape, which has come to specialize in this sort of no-nonsense modern jazz.

Jazz Times About “Paths” The impetus behind this outing resides within the leader's spacious arrangements and acute penchant for detail. Otherwise, he can seemingly knock walls down, evidenced by his work on some of the upbeat numbers. By the end of the day, it becomes outwardly apparent that Christensen possesses the goods to be a major force within the global modern jazz arena. All Music Guide About “Gualala” Mr. Christensen has put together a good, playful, modern-sounding record in his new ''Gualala'' (Naxos). Among its best ideas are the double-woodwind front line, which he shares with Charles Pillow; the open-ended structures of the music; and the rhythm section, pairing the rustle of Satoshi Takeishi's ancient-sounding frame drums and hand percussion with the no-nonsense drive of the bassist Ben Allison

The New York Times

Discography As A Leader Gualala (NaxosJazz, 2000) Paths (Playscape-Recordings, 2002) New York School (Playscape-Recordings, 2005) with Spin Cycle Spin Cycle (Sound Footing Records, 2016) Assorted Colors (Sound Footing Records, 2018) with Ryan Truesdell and The Gil Evans Project Live at the Jazz Standard (Artist Share, 2014) with The Kailash Trio Americana (Nabel, 2003) Kailash (Nabel, 2007) with The Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra Monopoly Game (BMG, 1998) Tribute to Duke Ellington (BMG, 1999) Grammy Nominated Hiroshima: Rising from the abyss (BMG, 2001) Last Live at the Blue Note (Warner Bros Japan, 2004) In Shanghai (After Beat, 2011) with Rufus Reid Quiet Pride (Motema, 2014) with Joe Lovano Celebrating Sinatra (Blue Note, 1997) Grammy Nominated Viva Caruso (Blue note, 2002) with Cheap Trick Sgt. Pepper Live (Big 3 Records 2009) with Don Sebesky I remember Bill (BMG, 1998) A Joyful Noise (BMG, 1999) Grammy Winner with Paquito D’Rivera Portraits of Cuba (Chesky, 1996) Grammy Winner with John Pizzarelli Our Love Is Here To Stay (RCA, 1997) with David Sanchez Obsession (Columbia, 1998) Grammy Nominated

with Pete McGuinness First Flight (Summit, 2007) Grammy Nominated Strength In Numbers (Summit, 2014) Along for the Ride (Summit, 2019) with Michael Musillami Spirits (Playscape-Recordings, 2004) Dachau (Playscape-Recordings, 2005) with John Hollenbeck John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble (Omnitone, 2005) with David Liebman and The David Liebman Big Band The Seasons Reflected (Blacksaint, 2003) A Tribute to Wayne Shorter (Summit, 2014)