Collaborations: Singing and Playing Well With Others
Church choirs, School Orchestras, High School and College Glee Clubs, and Bands
Tomy’s group efforts have been lifelong starting with church choirs, grade school and college choral ensembles running through the military and post career.
In 1971, after jamming at a couple open mics (OM) at Tony C’s in Swampscott, MA and backing up Tony Conigliaro ironically on “I can see clearly now,” he was hired to play his first paying gig as a demo session drummer for a local musical duo Velvet.
In the spring of 1975, Tomy joined forces with fellow Norwich University Cadets Roy Williams ’75, Ed Boekenkamp ’75, and Craig Vogel ’76 to form the short-lived Mesa Wind, 3 guitar & banjo Folk Rock band.
From 1976-79, fellow army officer Tom Ryan and USMA Classmate ’75, informally was Tomy’s jamming partner, maintaining his musical sanity while overseas in Germany and introducing him to the early work of Al Stewart, John Fahey, and Chic Corea’s Return to Forever. We loss Tom two days shy of his 59 birthday, on August 29, 2012.
In 1979, Tomy re-united with Roy Williams and childhood neighbor, guitar mentor, and master musician Rick Alpert to record Four Years Later, an 8-song EP, of four of his and Roy’s songs.
In 1984, he assumed the persona of “Lefty” Wright, electric guitarist for Danny and the Dit-Bs 50s Rock and Roll band at Fort Bragg, NC with fellow unit paratroopers. He joined Ghost Riders, a Country and Western Soldier/Sailor Service Member Band in Sinop, Turkey that later assumed leadership due to personnel reassignments and became The Wright Stuff playing Folk Rock, Pop and Blues.
In the mid 80s, he was involved with Christian praise teams In Hawaii and the Mary &Gerry Willey community and prison ministry in song, particulary as part of First Love live worship in 1986 with Bob Fitts, Chuck Girard, Ramon Pink, and Kelly Willard. In 1992, played in Korean Orphanages. In 2002, he was also in a backing choir performance with Don Moen and Lenny LeBlanc at Constitution Hall, Washington, D.C. He continues to play solo special music and collaborates with local churches in Frederick County, MD.
In 1994, he played electric rhythm guitar with the Fort Polk Gospel service and solidiers’ chorus; and in 1996, again he was an electric guitarist with the Fort Clayton Gospel Service band, playing with members of the U.S. Army 47th Army Band. And later sang and played with the storied Moye Ensemble of Washington, D.C. in the late 90s early 2000s.
In 2006, Doug Alan Wilcox routinely provided percussion and vocal accompaniment. And in 2012, Tomy returned the favor.
In 2007, Tomy started his collaboration with David Mays and Brooke Robbins as The Tomy Wright String Orchestra. In 2008, then 14 year old musical phenomenon Russell Iceberg replaced David. In 2010, multiple-Wammie award winner Ron Goad occasionally joined in on percussion.
From 2009 to 2011, he played some guitar, but mostly percussion with local area Jazz musicians at the Frederick Community Jazz Arts Group’s bi-weekly Sunday Java and Jazz Jam at the Frederick Coffee Company.
In 2011, Tomy joined forces on percussion and back up vocals with Willie Barry, Barry Bryan and Todd Coyle to become Willie and the Chaperones, acoustically playing all manner of 50s and 60s Rock and Roll, Rockabilly, vintage Country & Western, and Dylan music.
In the Fall and Winter 2012, Tomy added his percussion skills to Americana Singer-songwriter, guitarist Tony Denikos and bassist Mark Riddle as Denikos, Riddle and Wright.
His drumming and percussion from 40 years ago have come full circle recording with local artists Rod Deacey and Jonah Knight.
He’s played with a recently newcomer to the Frederick area, Brazilian Classical guitarist Rodrigo Paiva, adding the familiar multi-percussion, latin jazz to Rodrigo’s original and cover tunes.
In late August 2012, Washington-area duo, The Jukebox Underdogs Phil Badell and his long-time band mate Casey Cleveland asked Tomy to sit in with them for upcoming gigs for the fall. In February 2014, Tomy officially became a Jukebox Underdog.
Tomy can be found accompanying Rod Deacey, Todd C. Walker along with Ron Goad, and a majority of performers in Frederick County, MD at the weekly F.A.M.E., SAW, BSA, and BMI Monday Night Songwriters Showcase Brewer’s Alley or FA.M.E./SAW-sponsored monthly OM at Brunswick’s Beans in the Belfry Cafe.