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Tom Greenland

Tom is a New York City based guitarist, pianist, composer, arranger, author, journalist, photographer, & educator.

About Me

Originally from Berkeley, California, I've lived in Brooklyn since 2002. Day job: I direct the chorus and band at A. Philip Randolph public high school in Harlem. I earned a Ph.D. in ethnomusicology (September 2007) focusing on New York City's jazz community. My book, published in April 2016 by the University of Illinois Press, titled Jazzing: New York City's Unseen Scene, describes jazz as a “village” activity - a collective improvisation in which musicians, venue providers, various professionals, and fans all play active and essential roles. I was a showband guitarist on various cruiseships for almost five years, and continue to perform as a piano accompanist and as a vocalist. I have contributed to articles and photographs to Signal to Noise and All About Jazz: New York magazines, Ted Gioia's jazz.com website, the Journal of Folklore Research, and the Journal of the Society for Ethnomusicology. Night job: Currently I write two regular columns for The New York City Jazz Record, “New York @ Night”, covering live music, and “Globe Unity”, reviewing recent jazz recordings from around the world. Real job: Husband to Kim and father to Talia.