Musical Style: Jazz, original, funk<h2>Tom Amend</h2>Tom Amend is a multi instrumentalist, composer, and artist living in Denver, Colorado. Tom performs throughout the Rocky Mountain Region in various settings as both a leader and a sideman. He has performed and or recorded with Colorado based artists: Gabriel Mervine, Eric Benny Bloom (Lettuce), Adam Deitch (Lettuce/Adam Deitch Quartet), Taylor Scott, Dominic Lalli (Big Gigantic), Eddie Roberts (New Mastersounds), The Burroughs, The Honky Tonk Express, Paul Romaine, Ken Walker, Dave Devine, Greg Gisbert, Steve Kovalcheck, among many others. Tom has also shared the stage with, Jeff Hamilton, Chris Potter, Christian McBride, Julia Dollison, Joey DeFrancesco, Louis Hayes, Dave Liebman, Pat Bergeson, Sheila Jordan, and others.Tom’s playing and writing can be heard throughout his discography. His 2019 release, “Frontier Justice” is a swinging album of original music for organ trio that features Steve Kovalcheck and Jeff Hamilton. His 2021 Octet release, “Heliotrope” features a host of Colorado’s finest improvisers playing exciting original music spanning many genres.Amend received a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies and a Masters of Music in Jazz Composition at the University of Northern Colorado. Through his association with UNC, Tom has performed with nationally recognized UNC Lab I, UNC Vanguard Combo, and Vocal Lab. Tom has taught jazz piano and music technology courses at the University of Northern Colorado, Colorado State University, The University of Wyoming, and CCJA (Colorado Conservatory for the Jazz Arts). He currently teaches out of his studio (Yellow Bench Studios). The Tom Amend Octet sophomore release, “Yellow Bench” is now available!