Pictures at the Family House

Tom McGrath resided for 25 years in New York City, where he performed in a variety of musical settings, from theatrical stages, to premier music clubs. Since the Summer of 2005, he has taken up residence in Central New York State. Tom continues to have a busy performance schedule, playing with some of Central New York's finest including Monk Rowe, John Hutson, Al Nathan, Elmo Blake (aka KOB), Tom Townsley, Big D, Morris Tarbell, Rob Sherwood, Mitchell Player, Don Goodness and the Do Good Big Band, The Nick Sterio Big Band and others. Tom's latest CD, 'Ten Shades of Blue,' was released in December, 2003. 'Pictures at the Family House,' his first CD, was released in September, 1999. June of 2006 brought a Sammy Nomination (Syracuse Area Music Awards) for Tom's 'Ten Shades of Blue ' release. In October of 2006, the cello/percussion duo, Cellovision, featuring Dawn Avery and Tom, released the recording, 'Viento', a collection of 'indigenous themes written for modern dance'. As a free-lance percussionist in NYC Tom has performed the music of John Cage, Lou Harrison, and other composers at the Bang on a Can and A Day of Percussion music festivals in New York City. He has toured nationally and internationally with the Manhattan Ballet Company, the Mimi Garrard Dance Company, and the David Parker Dancers, and he has also performed in several Broadway and off-Broadway productions. In addition, Tom has performed both live and/or in the studio with numerous singer/songwriters or instrumentalists including the folk duo Minus Ted, Walter Egan, Carmin Turco, Cindy Bullens, McWray, David McGrath, Grant King, Andy Monroe, Steven Keene, and Dave Hall. Guitarists, Carlos Alomar, Michael Ross, Dan Wray and rappers Melle Mel and Africa Bambatta. He has also played on jingles for advertising firms J. Walter Thompson and Fearless Music. In 1984, he appeared as a musician in the CBS movie 'Svengali' starring Jodi Foster and Peter O'Toole. While residing in NYC Tom produced or co-produced the recordings of numerous songwriters, singers, and instrumentalists including Sandy Smyth; McWray; Minus Ted; David McGrath; Carmin Turco; mandolinist/composer Terry Pender; the cello/percussion duo Cellovision; and vocalists Elaine St. George, Patrick Arena, Barbara Lowin, Dottie Burman and Leslie Hollis. In 1997 Tom was commissioned by the Mimi Garrard Dance Company to compose music for two dance works entitled 'Reflections on an Ecuadorian Jungle' and 'Animal Spirit.' Both pieces premiered that year in New York City. A third dance work, 'Tactile,' was added to this suite and performed at The Kitchen in New York in June, 2000. He also wrote incidental music for the film short 'Casting Call' by Andy Hudson. From 1988 to the Spring of 2005, Tom owned and operated Tom Tom Recording Studio in New York. During this time, he recorded with such artists as violinist Shankar; composer John Cage; drummers Bernard Purdie, Marvin 'Smitty' Smith and Ginger Baker; guitarist/vocalist John Pizzarelli; pianists Louis St. Louis and Jeremy Wall; songwriter/vocalist Art Garfunkel and son James; percussionist Glen Velez, bansuri virtuoso Steve Gorn and bassist Mark Egan.