Tom Garling

After attending the Berklee College of Music from 1983-85, Tom’s first break into the professional jazz scene was with Buddy Rich in 1986 at the age of twenty. Tom received his Master’s degree in 1992 from the University of Miami, majoring in Jazz Composition and Arranging with an emphasis in studio jazz writing. Shortly thereafter, Maynard Ferguson hired him as Trombonist and Musical Director from 1992-1998.

His writing and playing can be heard on albums by Maynard, Buddy Rich, Tito Puente, Dianne Schuur, Michael Feinstein, and Frank Mantooth, to name a few. He has been in high demand for the past 30 years as performer, composer, arranger, recording artist, producer, teacher, director, clinician, and professional musician at any capacity.

He currently resides in the Chicago area and keeps a busy schedule consisting of teaching, writing, performing and recording. Recent appearances have been with Frank Sinatra Jr., the Chicago Jazz Ensemble, the Chicago Yestet, Howard Levy, and various Clinician/Guest soloist performances throughout the country. He is teaching both privately and in numerous institutions around the Chicago area in the fields of: jazz composition and arranging, jazz trombone, jazz theory and jazz improvisation.