Occupation(s) Musician, educator Name Lee Tomboulian Instruments Piano, accordion Role Pianist | Years active 1980s–present Website www.leetomboulian.com Albums North/South Convergence | |
Birth name Leland Diran Tomboulian Born January 8, 1960 (age 64)
New York City, New York, U.S. ( 1960-01-08 ) Education University of North Texas, University of Arkansas Genres Jazz, Bossa nova, Afro-Cuban jazz People also search for Brian Warthen, Pete Brewer | ||
Associated acts One O'Clock Lab Band | ||
Lee tomboulian circo belovely m tomboulian w david speed
Leland Diran Tomboulian (born January 8, 1960) is an American jazz pianist, accordionist, composer, arranger and educator.
Contents
- Lee tomboulian circo belovely m tomboulian w david speed
- Early life and career
- As leader
- As sideman
- As arrangercomposer
- References
Early life and career
Born in New York City into a music-loving family(the youngest of four raised by Clyde Tomboulian and sculptor Norma Tomboulian, née Lamb), Tomboulian displayed an affinity for music, and for the piano in particular, by age seven. He was encouraged in this pursuit with several years of private instruction, eventually attending the University of Arkansas, where he earned a BA in composition while minoring in theater arts. He continued to live and work in Arkansas for more than a decade; it was there that he met his wife-to-be, jazz singer Elizabeth (Betty) Elkins, in the late eighties.
In 1989 he formed the ensemble Circo Verde, featuring original material steeped in the music of Latin America, especially that of Brazil and Uruguay. In fact, a particular inspiration for the group was Brazilian percussionist Airto Moreira's 1973 album Fingers, whose Uruguayan rhythm section would go on to form their own influential jazz fusion trio, Opa. One of Opa's founding members, Hugo Fattoruso, produced the debut recording of Tomboulian's self-described "pop-latin-jazz" ensemble more than a decade later.
In 1992, Tomboulian and Elkins were wed, and the following year they departed Arkansas so that Tomboulian could pursue his graduate studies at the University of North Texas, where he earned a Master of Music in Jazz Studies in 1997. At some point during the Tomboulians' 12-year stay in Denton, Circo Verde became simply Circo, the name under which its two albums were recorded. While earning his degree, he also performed and recorded with the university's One O'Clock Lab Band, appearing on the CD Lab '97; the album also features one track, "B.B.", composed and arranged by Tomboulian.
In 2005, the Tomboulians moved to Wisconsin, with Lee serving as Instructor of Jazz Piano and Improvisation at Lawrence University Conservatory of Music. He continued to serve in this capacity until 2011, when the couple again relocated, this time to New York City. Since then, Tomboulian has released a solo piano CD, Imaginarium (with a number of tracks also incorporating his overdubbed accordion), and has performed frequently, becoming a familiar presence at such venues as Smalls Jazz Club, the Lenox Lounge, and Kitano Jazz.
As leader
As sideman
With Kelly Franklin
With Little Jack Melody and his Turks
With Trout Fishing in America
With Brian Moore
With The One O'Clock Lab Band
With The Two O'Clock Jazz Band
With Al Gibson
With The UNT Jazz Repertory Ensemble
With Tony Hakim
With Pete Brewer
With Mary Ellen Spann
With Susan Colin
With Faith to Faith
With Colin Boyd
With Lisa Perry
With John Adams
With Wycliffe Gordon
With Maria Schneider
With Stuart Dempster
With Terrell Stafford
As arranger/composer
With The One O'Clock Lab Band
With Al Gibson
With The Lawrence University Conservatory of Music