Thomas Doggett has been an active performer and educator for over 20 years and enjoys all styles of music.
Thomas began 2013 by performing in Gent, Belgium at the 3rd European Clarinet Festival with his wife Cynthia. The Duo performed Mad Rush to the End by composer Charles Savage. Mad Rush was the first of many works written for Thomas and Cynthia.
Tommy plays a TM Custom tenor saxophone designed by Randy Jones at Tenor Madness and an EWI4000s: Electronic Wind Instrument by AKAI.
Tommy’s teachers include Greg Banaszak and Bob Reynolds
In 2008, Tommy became a member of Corey Taylor’s Junk Beer Kidnap Band. Throughout 2009, JBKB performed at clubs and festivals including Rockfest in Kansas City, Lazerfest in Des Moines, End of the Summer Scorcher in Phoenix and the Key Club in LA.
At the beginning of 2011, Tommy joined the Free Style Variety Band. Prior to that, Tommy regularly performed with Des Moines’ premier R&B/Funk group One Nite Stand.
Tommy is featured on Cleo's Apartment's 2010 release: Off At The Shoulders and the 2012 Axis Manifest film production: Flick
Thomas was an ASCAPlus Award recipient in 2006 and 2007.
As an educator, Thomas has taught at Muskingum College, Ohio University-Zanesville, Kent State, Hiram College, Cincinnati School for the Creative and Performing Arts, College of Mount St. Joseph, South-Western Community College and Central College.
Originally hailing from Covington, Kentucky, Tommy established himself throughout Cincinnati, Ohio as a performer with Lo-Fi (2006 Cincinnati Entertainment Award (CEA) nominee "Best Funk”), The 4Track All-Stars (2005 CEA: Best Hip-Hop) and Two Turntables and a Saxophone (“One of the Top bands to see at Midpoint Music Festival in 2004” Citybeat).
Catching Elephant is a theme by Andy Taylor
At Des Moines Symphony rehearsal of Carmina Burana
New video from Cleo’s Apartment. This track was recorded last year and the video was made by Mikiel Williams. Among the 1000 photos, keep your eye out for a bald tenor saxophonist: that’s me!
Saturday November 3, Bob Reynolds master class and Jonah Smith & Charlie Hunter at Bombay Bicycle Club in Des Moines.
Now that the election is over, I can tell you about my weekend. It started on Friday with a gig with Freestyle. Every year for the past 27 years, Freestyle has played during an auction to raise money for Hospice of Iowa. This year, $12,000 was raised!
Saturday afternoon, Bob Reynolds presented a master class at Reiman’s Music in Des Moines. I snapped a photo of him warming up. Having studied with him for the past two years, I was familiar with a lot of things he had to say but I still learned something: “Always play with intent.”
Following the master class, I headed back to work a few more hours at GC. Right as we closed, two guys walked in. They said they were with P-Funk and just wanted to look around. George Clinton and P-Funk were performing at Val Air Ballroom. It turned out to be the drummer and his runner. So, while we cleaned up the store, we got to listen to P-Funk’s drummer warm-up on a drum kit for about 20 minutes. It’s random things like that that make the job cool.
I headed to Bombay Bicycle Club at 8pm. Jonah Smith and his band were doing their soundcheck when I got there. After the soundcheck, I spoke to Bob Reynolds and we discussed the challenges of mic’ing a saxophone and the difficulty of communicating with a sound-guy about how you want your saxophone to sound in the PA. Just before 9, Jonah’s band started their set. I had never heard the band before. They sounded great! Soul tinged Americana. Fender Rhodes, Tele, P Bass, jazz kit and lots of vocal harmonies. Bob joined them near the end of their set.
I don’t have any pictures of Charlie Hunter and Scott Amendola playing. It’s not that I wasn’t close enough. I was side-stage standing next to Bob. It’s just that I was so dumbfounded and amazed at what he was playing that taking a picture didn’t really cross my mind. They way I’ve described it is my face hurt from smiling the entire time and my head hurt from trying to figure out how he plays a seven string guitar. In case you’re not familiar with Charlie Hunter, he plays bass lines, comps chords and plays solo lines all at the same time. And while he’s doing all of that, he’s verbally joking with Scott, the drummer, and making funny faces. You have to see it to believe it. After Charlie played, I went across the street and ate breakfast with Bob and Jonah’s band. I still had an hour drive home after that but meeting new people and hanging is always a pleasure.
Sunday was a normal day at GC. I was very happy to get home that night and sleep.
Monday was awesome! A co-worker hooked me up with a parking spot close to where Obama was speaking in downtown Des Moines. I had dinner with my wife and son and we headed downtown. So to recap, my son got to meet Michelle Obama when he was six and at age 10, got to hear Barack Obama speak AND hear Bruce Springsteen sing! The photo in my previous post is the only one I have. The extra street lights were so bright that the other photos did come out well. There are plenty of professional photos from that night on the web. It was very cool to be with 20,000 people in support of President Obama the night before he was re-elected.
I just finished listening to Stone Sour’s new album. I tried twice earlier today but interruptions prevented me from really enjoying it. Following the debates, I retired to the Man Cave and listened to it all of the way through. It’s a great album. It’s heavy but doesn’t miss the mark like so many heavy albums do. I like it because the songs aren’t predictable. There’s a lot of depth on this album. The instruments are recorded extremely well. I’m looking forward to hearing Part 2.
So, what’s going on with me today: I’m back on Twitter after a much needed vacation. It turns out I’ve missed some events like Christian McBride performing in Des Moines. Super bummed about that one. I wasn’t in the loop about the Stone Sour show announcement at Wooly’s. Both shows sold out before I could do anything. I did learn about Bob Reynold’s master class at Rieman’s music on November 3rd and that same night Charlie Hunter is playing at BBC with Amos Lee opening. I’m super excited about that day. I also found out that Branford Marsalis is performing in Ames on November 11th!
In technology, one of my LaCie hard drives stopped working yesterday. The one with my recordings, Native Instruments’ libraries and all things Music Software. Oh well. My saxophone is safe from getting lost on a hard drive.
I’ve bought my ticket and I’m making plans for my trip to The Netherlands and Belgium in January. I’m going to hang with my niece in Utrecht for a week and then meet up with my wife, who is performing at the European Clarinet Festival, in Ghent. I’m taking my tenor and I hope to jam with as many musicians as I can while I am there.
I’m going to get back to practicing. xoxoxo
I’ll be there!
Ryan Berrier Design @ Raw Artist Des Moines 9/14/12
“Waterfall
Nothing can harm me at all
My worries seem so very small
With my waterfall”
~Jimi Hendrix: May This Be Love
http://kcwi23.com/great-day-07162012
Click on the link to view Monday’s performance on the Heather and Lou Show on KCWI with Freestyle Band promoting our Jazz In July in concert.
It’s a three-hour morning program. We play at 2:19:00 and again at 2:31:50.
Enjoy!
That was cool. KCWI studios
Hey DSM! I’ll be on Channel 23 KCWI Lou&Heather show tomorrow w/Freestyle promoting our Jazz In July concert. We go on at 8:20am
I just got home. I’m so excited about the movie. I knew that I wouldn’t make it to the meet-and-greet at 10pm because I was scheduled to play a wedding reception until 11pm. The wedding party enjoyed us so much that they offered to pay us more for and extra 45 minutes of music. We said “yes” of course but now I was going to be late. I quickly loaded my gear into my car and then raced over to the theatre. I ran in, saw Lauryn, she told me the movie hadn’t started yet, I sat down and it began. It’s a good film and good story that is assembled and told in a unique way. The song I played on was used for an intense scene. I got chills. It fit perfectly. The surreal part was seeing my name in the credits. So cool. It’s late. I’m tired. I’m proud. I’m going to bed. Good night.
Mark your calendars now for July 14! Des Moines native L.K. Hickman will premiere her much anticipated independent film, “FLICK”, at midnight. This sure to be cult-classic was shot on location in Des Moines and features Iowa’s own Grant Monohon and upcoming talent Nicole Rae. The story centers around young artist Sonny Graves who returns home to his troubled past and hidden habits. The film unfolds over one night. Catalyzed unknowingly by a violet cigarette lighter belonging to an ethereal young woman that enlightens the past and transforms the future.
Come meet the director and some of the cast and crew at a premiere reception at Mar’s Cafe at 10 pm on Saturday, July 14. The film follows at midnight here at the Varsity. Admission is $5.00 and the film is approximately 40 minutes.
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The track Bronx by Cleo’s Apartment is featured in the film. Of all of the recordings I’ve done, I’m most proud of Bronx. I recorded it in 2007 and it has appeared on a couple of Cleo’s releases. This is the first song I’ve ever been a part of to appear in a movie. I’m super excited!!!!
