Tommy Halloran
As a solo artist and as frontman of Guerrilla Swing, Tommy Halloran performs over 300 shows per year, playing everywhere from airports and smokey clubs to historic theaters and grand outdoor festivals. His music is a gumbo of jazz, blues, bossa nova, folk, and rock n' roll. Tommy Halloran performs old-timey music anyone would appreciate... He is to jazz as Uncle Tupelo was to country-western or Steve Earle to bluegrass. He possesses the schooling (both formal and hard-knocks) as well as the "chops" of a great jazzman... The basic truths of Delta-blues, swing, Gospel, and Bohemia are deeply rooted in Tommy's songwriting psyche. Like Randy Newman or Tom Waits (who seldom appear in the same sentence), his cooking belies his ingredients.
Tommy Halloran's Guerrilla Swing was voted "Best Jazz Band" in the River Front Times Music Awards in 2014 and 2015, and was named St. Louis' "Best Band" by that paper's editorial staff in 2014. Guerrilla Swing features saxophonist Kristian Baarsvik, bassist Andy Hainz, and drummer Jharis Yokley.
Guerrilla Swing released their debut album "Under The Catalpa Trees" in 2014. Halloran released "Moan & Shout", a solo album featuring many of St. Louis' finest musicians, in 2010. A new EP, "State Streets" is scheduled to be released on vinyl in early 2016.
Testimonials
"Tommy embodies the original spirit of jazz. His blues, his bounce, and his ballads rival great musicians from any era."
-David Seymour, JazzReview.com (8/11/2005)
"They were awesome and we had a blast. Thanks for referring us to them. They are a class act and great musicians."
-Matthew Daus, Windels Marx