Tom Guernsey is a Portland, Oregon guitarist/songwriter/producer who arranges his original music for acoustic guitar, piano, woodwinds, and brass in a thoughtful and meditative jazz styling comparable to George Winston and Miles Davis' "Sketches of Spain".
The album "SAME TIME, DIFFERENT PLACE" is a collection of some of Tom's original instrumental songs. Recorded over a number of years, with all natural instruments, these songs exude a sense of peace and tranquility.
Born in Chicago, Ill. In 1944, and raised in Garrett Park, MD, Tom started guitar lessons when he was 12 years old, eventually studying jazz guitar
and theory with several prominent area guitar players, including jazz guitarist Bill Harris. When THE BEATLES invaded America, Tom started listening to lots of Rock & Roll, and formed the Washington-based band, THE REEKERS and then THE HANGMEN, who were signed to the Nashville based Monument Records. Tom wrote the bands #1 hit "What A Girl Can't Do" in 1967, which topped THE BEATLES "We Can Work It Out" & "Day Tripper" in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia. (For interviews with Tom and videos of The Reekers and The Hangmen see the links listed below)
After 3 years with THE HANGMEN, playing shows with numerous groups of the day including THE LOVIN' SPOONFUL, THE YARDBIRDS, NEIL DIAMOND, MARTHA REEVES, LINK RAY, THE DAVE CLARK FIVE, and THE SHANGRALAS, Tom decided to quit and concentrate on acoustic guitar and original instrumental songs, which in addition to guitar he scored for piano and woodwinds.
Tom has been doing studio work for the last 30 years scoring for films and commercials (HBO, THE DISNEY CHANNEL, NBC, CBS, ABC). In addition, Tom has worked with chidrens' singer RORY, and co-wrote and produced 4 albums of children's music, released on SONY RECORDS. In 2001, Tom co-produced his son, BEN GUERNSEY'S CD, "EVERYBODY KNOWS" (a collection of great original alternative/Americana songs also available on CD BABY!)
Tom opened his own recording studio in 1985, and has continued to write and arrange music for film and television, but has increasingly put his energy into his own music (and that of like minded co-writers), producing all kinds of original instrumental music, and original R&B, Country, and Rock & Roll. Tom continually returns to the solo acoustic guitar to write and relax, and is currently working on recording a new CD of acoustic guitar and piano instrumental songs. If you would like to contact Tom,
please e-mail him at tomguernsey@juno.com
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