Tom Vincent ~ Jazz Pianist

Tom Vincent is a leading and dynamic jazz pianist who has been performing for over 20 years. His style is unique and influenced mainly by recordings from the jazz greats like Louis, Sarah Vaughn, Clifford Brown, Duke Ellington and so on. Vincent has lived and performed extensively in Europe and spent three years in New York where he was active in the jazz scene, performing and studying. His love of performing reflects the true jazz style of collaborating with other passionate aficionados. This has enabled Vincent, who is now based in Tasmania, to build a strong contingent of musicians across the globe, jazz musicians who are eager to reunite and perform with him.

In October 2009 the Tom Vincent Quaretet conducted a major tour of Australia. In 2010 Tom toured the world, playing 21 gigs in ten different countries including Tokyo, Hong Kong, Amsterdam, Paris, Copenhagen, Vienna, Germany and Brazil.

An experience with Tom and his sidemen will have you sitting on the edge of your seat and moving at least one part of your body. Tom is charismatic, spontaneous, downright cool and an absolute genius at the keys. This music is rooted in the jazz tradition and a joy to see live as Tom combines this earthy original jazz feeling with fresh invention, surprising and delighting his side men, himself and of course the audience too. His infectious style of jazz brings people together to simply have a good time over some great swingin' grooves. His repertoire of hundreds of songs feeds a constant stream of music that is evolving right before you. Tom consistently deliver exciting and entertaining performances.

Tom studied composing / arranging and performance with Don Burrows, George Golla, Mike Nock, Roger Frampton. He graduated from the Sydney Conservatorium in 1989 with encouragement from Burrows to further his study abroad. Burrows described Tom as a trailblazer, “…a musician who does not merely recycle what he’s heard, but will really take music somewhere of his own.”

In 1993 he was awarded an International Study Grant from Australia Council for composition study in New York, where he lived, studied and performed for three years.

STUDENT TESTIMONIALS:

"Tom is one of the few remaining real jazz pianists - an exceptionally talented musician who has successfully realised the beautiful dichotomy inherent in jazz : mastery of the tradition and individual expression. As a teacher, Tom taught me about the spirit of jazz, not only the nuts and bolts. His depth of knowledge, and ruthless pursuit of his own unique sound are highly inspiring." - Matt Boden

"Learnt more from Tom in one lesson than I did in my first semester at the Con. You're bound to get a lot out of his fast paced teaching style" - Dan Cugliari ["Gig was awesome by the way!]

"Tom is the only teacher I've had who can convey the ESSENCE of jazz, not just the concepts. I didn't understand jazz phrasing properly, or the subtleties of swing, until after I had been to three of Tom's master classes." - Richard Scrivener

Festival performances:
Melbourne International Jazz Festival, Victoria
MONA FOMA International Music and Arts Festival, Tasmania
Sydney Improvised Music Association, New South Wales
Brisbane Pinnacles Jazz Festival, Queensland
Port Fairy Spring Music Festival, Victoria
Devonport Jazz Festival, Tasmania
Wangaratta International Jazz Festival, Victoria
Adelaide Fringe Festival, South Australia
Hobart Improvised Music Festival, Tasmania
Walsh Bay Jazz Festival, Sydney NSW
10 Days on the Island Festival, Tasmania
St Helens Jazz Festival, Tasmania
Tasmanian Spring Ensemble Festival
Byron Bay Music Festival, New South Wales
Hobart Blues Festival, Tasmania
Soundlines Contemporary Music Festival, South Australia
Clarence Jazz Festival, Tasmania
Queensland International Music Festival

Studied and/or Lectured at:
Sydney Conservatorium of Music
Southern Cross University, NSW
Northern Rivers Conservatorium, NSW
Victorian College of the Arts
Tasmanian Conservatorium