BRASUKA
About Tom
Tom Burchill is a professional guitarist, acclaimed teacher and award-winning jazz band director, gifted arranger, and composer in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. An active freelance guitarist, he performs frequently throughout the metroplex, and has impacted many lives through his teaching and his music.
Teaching
Tom is the Instructor of Jazz Guitar at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas. He also is on the Jazz Faculty at Tarleton State University at Stephenville where he teaches guitar, directs Jazz Band 2, teaches Music Appreciation and plays with the Faculty Jazz Ensemble and the Stonerock/Pitts Quartet. He also teaches private jazz guitar, improv and beginning jazz piano class at the University of Texas at Arlington. Tom was the jazz band director at Weatherford College for 13 years, and held the position of Guitar Artist in Residence at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary for 8 years. He is a highly sought-after clinician and private instructor and teaches at jazz education camps each Summer. During his tenure as a jazz educator, he has had the privilege of performing with a variety of jazz artists including Clark Terry, Peanuts Hucko, Joey Defrancesco, Randy Brecker, Peter Erskine, Marcel Ivory, David Fathead Newman, James Clay, Marvin Stamm, John Fedchock, Bill Watrous, and Phill Woods among others.
An excellent, motivational teacher, Tom is proud of the students he has had the privilege to teach. Altogether, his former students have won more than 10 Grammy awards and have gone on to play with such artists as Snarky Puppy, Count Basie Orchestra, Wynton Marsalis, The Lincoln Center Band, Leon Bridges, Miranda Lambert, Kirk Franklin, Toby Keith, Erika Badu, Prince, Snoop Dogg, Frank Foster, Mumford and Sons, Tedeschi Trucks, and Sheryl Crow.
Peformance
Tom has performed with a number of revered artists and was honored to accompany the late, great Luciano Pavarotti in February of 2002 at his performance at the American Airlines Center in Dallas. He plays regularly with the Fort Worth Symphony where he has performed with artists such as Willie Nelson, Bernadette Peters, Michael Feinstein, Monica Mancini, and Art Garfunkel.
Tom is also a member of the world music group, Brasuka which plays original Brazilian jazz in a style reminiscent of Sergio Mendez. Their first original recording was released in October of 2021 entitled A Vida Com Paixao. (A Life of Passion). The recording has gotten rave reviews. A.D. Amorosi of Jazz Times Magazine said of Brasuka's recording, "a welcome balm of cross-cultural rhythm and righteous, jazz soul.. Another review stated, "Brazilian music with spices of reggae, classical, jazz improvisation, folk-styled melodies, Uruguayan candombe, and splashes of pop. The six member band, along with special guests, deliver a sublime album, with every tune a pure delight of lyricism and percussive rhythms." Chris Slawecki, of AllAboutJazz said of the recording: " ...a luscious musical ride as powerful yet smooth as a luxury vehicle." Chris Spector of Midwest Records stated: "Anchored by a great vibe and sweet energy. Well done." The recording received the recognition of Best of Brazilian Music 2021 by Connect Brazil and Best World Music of 2021 by Magnet Magazine and Best New Releases 2021 - 4 stars in Downbeat Magazine. Tom plays guitar and sings background vocals and co-writes the music with the other members of Brasuka. They perform at Festivals and concerts throughout the U.S. and are currently working on original material for their next recording.
Education
Burchill earned a Bachelor’s degree in Guitar Performance from the University of South Dakota and a Master’s degree in Jazz Education at The University of North Texas where he was a part of the jazz bands, jazz small groups, guitar ensembles, and jazz singers. You can contact him via this website or at tburchill7@gmail.com for a full resume.
