Tom Tallitsch is a NYC Saxophonist, Composer, Music Educator, and Jazz Radio Host.
Tom Tallitsch is a NY Saxophonist, Composer, Music Educator, and Host of ‘The Modern
Jazz Radio Show’.
His fourth album as a leader ‘Heads Or Tales’ 4/17/12, is on the Posi-Tone Record Label.
It features his own compositions, and himself on Tenor Saxophone, Jared Gold on
Hammond B3 Organ, Dave Allen on Guitar, and Mark Ferber on Drums.
The self release album Duality (11/05) marked Tom’s debut as a recorded leader, and
features guitarist Dave Manley in an intimate duo setting. It received fantastic critical
reviews and is on jazz play lists throughout Europe, Japan, and the United States. He has
performed live broadcasts and interviews on Philadelphia’s WRTI Temple public radio.
His second album ‘Medicine Man’ was released 2/19/08 on the Seattle based Jazz Label
Origin/OA2 Records, featuring Philadelphia musicians, Tony Miceli (vibraphone), Victor
Baker (guitar) , Paul Gehman (bass) , and Dan Monaghan (drums). It has received critical
acclaim and is on radio playlists throughout the United States and abroad. During Medicine
Man’s first month after it’s release, it rose up the Jazz Week Radio Charts from to #107 in
the United States. It is currently on radio and internet playlists throughout the world. On
December 2nd, 2008 Tom’s composition ‘Yellow’ from ‘Medicine Man’ was featured at the
2008 IFP Gotham Film Awards in NYC.
His third album ‘Perspective’ was released with Origin/OA2 Records (2009 JazzWeek Label
Of The Year), on November 17th, 2009. It features Philadelphia greats, John Stenger –
Piano, Paul Gehman – Acoustic Bass, Victor Baker – Guitar, Justin Leigh – Drums, and Tom –
Soprano and Tenor Saxophones. Like his previous two albums, it explores his own
compositions.
In addition to having his compositions and arrangements played by vocalists and musicians
throughout New York and Philadelphia, Tom has had his works 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 Carrie Ellmore-Tallitsch.
Tom owns a highly recommended music tutoring business in Princeton, NJ and is a popular
jazz educator and clinician. He is the founding director of the Central NJ Homeschool
Bands, works as a piano tutor to students with autism at The Princeton Child Development
Institute, and was a member of the artist faculty at Mercer County Community College from
1999-2006. 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.
He hosts his own jazz radio show titled “The Modern Jazz Radio Show” on the Mercer
County Jazz Station WWFM Jazzon2 89.1 HD2. The show features Tom’s own personal jazz
picks and commentary, and airs every Thursday evening from 8:00 to 10:00 pm.
Tom lives in Jersey City, NJ. He is from Cleveland, Ohio where he began his musical training
on the piano, clarinet and saxophone, and has lived in Cincinnati, Philadelphia, and
Hamilton, NJ. He has 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. He has studied with saxophonists Rick VanMatre, Ernie Krivda, Mike Lee,
Ben Schachter, Seamus Blake, and pianist Phil DeGreg.
