Going foward, we’ll highlight quite a number of Nebula members in this space, but today we’ll sing the praises of Tommy Halloran, a musician of considerable talent and a very active gig schedule. This week, Nebula’s Third Friday Happy Hour will be held from 5-7 p.m., featuring the songs-and-skills of Halloran. It’s an event that’ll also spotlight one of Nebula’s newest members, the St. Louis Blues Society.
If you’re not familiar with Halloran’s work, let’s rectify that.
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’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 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.
The Riverfront Times, as it does many years, had Halloran up for nomination in this year’s RFT Music Awards, in the jazz category. Writer Nick Horn noted that:
Singer, guitarist, and songwriter Tommy Halloran is one of the city’s hardest-working musicians, playing more than 300 shows per year. Despite being a longtime fixture in the local music scene, it wasn’t until 2013 that Halloran formed a band to back up his immediately recognizable croon. These days Tommy Halloran’s Guerrilla Swing occupies a unique place in St. Louis’ musical landscape: The group deftly bridges the gap between the city’s traditional and contemporary jazz scenes — which tend to intermingle more rarely than you might expect. While Halloran’s own songs and many of his cover choices line up with a more traditional sensibility, the musicians that make up the group — saxophonist Kristian Baarsvik, bassist Andy Hainz, and drummer Kaleb Kirby — add an undeniably progressive element to the sound. To get an idea of the group’s tight musicianship and distinctive style check out Guerilla Swing’s most recent release, the 2015 EP State Streets.
Here’s a track from State Streets, “There’s Nothing Next, This Is It”:
Free to attend and free drinks while supplies last. See you Friday!
