Saxophonist Tom Gullion brings a deep, soulful performance style, a sophisticated avant-garde sensibility, and a quicksilver technique. Now, at the peak of his musical maturity, he is launching several new projects: a solo CD Catharsis, the ground-breaking group, Aspect Jazz featuring percussionist Ernie Adams, Chicago, and has even found time to organize the Driftless Jazz Festival in Southwestern Wisconsin. Humbly walking in the footsteps of Sonny Rollins and other who have taken time for reflection in their careers, I've found my path is to bring music to the people. And that's exactly what these new projects are about.
Carswell Reviews
Kevin Lynch voted Carswell as one of the top 10 new releases of 2009!
...one of the most consistently strong jazz records to come out this
year. by Pico
In Carswell, not only does Tom Gullion play one sophisticated,
angular, and inspired trad-n-fusiony sax (and occasional flute), he also gives
his crew a hell of a lot of latitude to roust the hell out of each cut. by Mark S.
Tucker
A solid, muscular work from another hot player that's simply
bubbling under and getting hotter all the time.
What struck me about most of the compositions here is that it
seemed like traditional paths were avoided: solos might occur just about
anywhere. None of the usual head/chorus/solos/head pattern. It's that kind
of (lack of) structure that can make an album seem fresh on repeated listens.
by Mark Saleski
with JJ Johnson's 1988 Quintet
Louisville Courier-Journal, Nov 7, 1987, Gene Williams
...22 year-old Tom Gullion, a student of David Baker's at
Indiana University, who showed immense
talent and poise on both tenor and soprano saxophone and on
the flute. Johnson and Gullion played
crisply together and then [Gullion] saluted the jazz
hertiage of Indy with a swinging, scintillating solo.
From an Leonard Feather interview with JJ
...one of the young lions. A real monster.
Europe
El Pais (Spain), 1992
...don't lose track of this musician!
Education
David N. Baker
A great player and good dude.
Focus on the Arts, Highland Park High School, IL, 1989
The students and adults we talked to were delighted with
your performance and clinic.