Tom Varner (born June 17, 1957 in Morristown,

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

, United States) is an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

horn (French horn) player and composer. Varner grew up in

Millburn, New Jersey Millburn is a suburban Township (New Jersey), township in southwestern Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County, within the U.S. state of New Jersey, and part of the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's ...

, where he started playing in the orchestra at Millburn High School. He studied piano in his youth with Capitola Dickerson of

Summit, New Jersey Summit is the northernmost City (New Jersey), city of Union County, New Jersey, Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, located within the New York metropolitan area. Situated on a ridge in north Jersey, northern–central Jersey, centra ...

. He holds a B.M. degree (1979) from the

New England Conservatory of Music The New England Conservatory of Music (NEC) is a Private college, private music school in Boston, Massachusetts. The conservatory is located on Huntington Avenue along Avenue of the Arts (Boston), the Avenue of the Arts near Boston Symphony Ha ...

, where he studied jazz improvisation and composition with Ran Blake, George Russell, and Jaki Byard, and horn with Thomas Newell. He also studied briefly in 1976 with jazz horn pioneer

Julius Watkins Julius Watkins (October 10, 1921 – April 4, 1977) was an American jazz musician who played French horn. Described by AllMusic as "virtually the father of the jazz French horn", Watkins won the ''Down Beat'' critics poll in 1960 and 1961 for Mis ...

. Varner also holds an M.A. (2005) from the

City College of New York The City College of the City University of New York (also known as the City College of New York, or simply City College or CCNY) is a Public university, public research university within the City University of New York (CUNY) system in New York ...

, where he studied with Jim McNeely, Scott Reeves, and

John Patitucci John Patitucci (born December 22, 1959) is an American jazz bassist and composer. Biography John James Patitucci was born in Brooklyn, New York. He began playing the electric bass at age 10, performing and composing at age 12, and at age 15, s ...

Biography

He has performed and recorded with Steve Lacy, Dave Liebman, George Gruntz,

John Zorn John Zorn (born September 2, 1953) is an American composer, conducting, conductor, saxophonist, arrangement, arranger and record producer, producer who "deliberately resists category". His Avant-garde music, avant-garde and experimental music, ex ...

, Bobby Watson,

La Monte Young La Monte Thornton Young (born October 14, 1935) is an American composer, musician, and performance artist recognized as one of the first American minimalist composers and a central figure in Fluxus and post-war avant-garde music. He is best k ...

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th century music, 20th-century music. Davis ado ...

with

Quincy Jones Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (March 14, 1933 – November 3, 2024) was an American record producer, composer, arranger, conductor, trumpeter, and bandleader. Over the course of his seven-decade career, he received List of awards and nominations re ...

, Bobby Previte, Jim McNeely,

McCoy Tyner Alfred McCoy Tyner (December 11, 1938March 6, 2020) was an American jazz piano, jazz pianist and composer known for his work with the John Coltrane Quartet from 1960 to 1965, and his long solo career afterwards. He was an NEA Jazz Masters, NEA J ...

Reggie Workman Reginald "Reggie" Workman (born June 26, 1937) is an American avant-garde jazz and hard bop double bassist, recognized for his work with both John Coltrane and Art Blakey, in addition to Alice Coltrane, Mal Waldron, Max Roach, Archie Shepp, Tri ...

, the Mingus Orchestra, Franz Koglmann, and appears on more than 70 albums. He also has 13 albums out as a composer/leader, with sidemen such as Steve Wilson, Tony Malaby, Ed Jackson, Ellery Eskelin, Tom Rainey, Cameron Brown, Drew Gress, Matt Wilson,

Kenny Barron Kenneth Barron (born June 9, 1943) is an American jazz pianist and composer who has appeared on hundreds of recordings as leader and sideman and is considered one of the most influential mainstream jazz pianists since the bebop era. Early life ...

, Victor Lewis, Fred Hopkins, and

Billy Hart Billy Hart (born November 29, 1940) is an American jazz drumming, jazz drummer and educator. He is known internationally for his work with Herbie Hancock's "Mwandishi" band in the early 1970s, as well as with Shirley Horn, Stan Getz, and Quest (b ...

. Varner has been in the ''

Down Beat ''DownBeat'' (styled in all caps) is an American music magazine devoted to "jazz, blues and beyond", the last word indicating its expansion beyond the jazz realm that it covered exclusively in previous years. The publication was established in 1 ...

'' Critics Poll Top Ten annually since the mid-1990s. He has been awarded grants from the Jack Straw Foundation, Seattle's 4Culture,

National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the feder ...

, the Chamber Music America/Doris Duke Foundation, and has been a resident at the MacDowell, Blue Mountain Center, and Centrum arts colonies. Varner's first two recordings as a leader were influenced by

Ornette Coleman Randolph Denard Ornette Coleman (March 9, 1930 – June 11, 2015) was an American jazz saxophonist, trumpeter, violinist, and composer. He is best known as a principal founder of the free jazz genre, a term derived from his 1960 album '' Free Ja ...

, Steve Lacy,

Charles Mingus Charles Mingus Jr. (April 22, 1922 – January 5, 1979) was an American jazz Double bass, upright bassist, composer, bandleader, pianist, and author. A major proponent of collective Musical improvisation, improvisation, he is considered one of ...

Anthony Braxton Anthony Braxton (born June 4, 1945) is an American experimental composer, educator, music theorist, improviser and multi-instrumentalist who is best known for playing saxophones, particularly the alto. Braxton grew up on the South Side of Chi ...

, and minimalists such as

Steve Reich Stephen Michael Reich ( ; born October 3, 1936) is an American composer best known as a pioneer of minimal music in the mid to late 1960s. Reich's work is marked by its use of repetitive figures, slow harmonic rhythm, and canons. Reich descr ...

and

Philip Glass Philip Glass (born January 31, 1937) is an American composer and pianist. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential composers of the late 20th century. Glass's work has been associated with minimal music, minimalism, being built up fr ...

, and featured Varner's horn with alto sax (Ed Jackson), bass (Fred Hopkins or Ed Schuller) and drums (Billy Hart), with no chordal instrument. His third recording was a more "straight-ahead" jazz project, with Kenny Barron, Jim Snidero, Mike Richmond, and Victor Lewis. The fourth project was a

Sonny Rollins Walter Theodore "Sonny" Rollins (born September 7, 1930) is an American retired jazz tenor saxophonist who is widely recognized as one of the most important and influential jazz musicians. In a seven-decade career, Rollins recorded over sixt ...

-influenced trio of horn, bass (Mike Richmond) and drums (Bobby Previte). From that point (1987) on, most of Varner's work as a leader was for a quintet of horn and two saxes, bass, and drums, with frequent guest artists augmenting the ensembles. Varner has combined contemporary chamber music with jazz and free improvisation in almost all of his subsequent projects. His recent work (finished in 2008, released 2009), ''Heaven and Hell,'' is for a tentet of three brass, five reeds, and bass and drums. His newest CD, ''Nine Surprises'', is for a nonet of three brass, four reeds, and bass and drums, and was released in Fall 2014. It features Seattle players Mark Taylor, Steve Treseler, Eric Barber, Jim DeJoie, Thomas Marriott, David Marriott, Phil Sparks, and Byron Vannoy. Varner lived in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

from 1979 to 2005, and moved to

Seattle, Washington Seattle ( ) is the List of municipalities in Washington, most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the List of Unit ...

in 2006.Gilbert, Andrew
"Tom Varner brings jazz French horn to a sacred space"
''

The Seattle Times ''The Seattle Times'' is an American daily newspaper based in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1891, ''The Seattle Times'' has the largest circulation of any newspaper in the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region. The Seattle Time ...

'', March 20, 2009. Accessed January 8, 2025. He is now Associate Professor of Music at

Cornish College of the Arts Cornish College of the Arts (CCA) was a Private college, private art school, art college in Seattle, Washington. It was founded in 1914 by music teacher Nellie Cornish. The college's main campus is in the Denny Triangle, Seattle, Denny Triangle ...

Discography

As leader

*1981 - '' Tom Varner Quartet'' (Soul Note) *1983 - '' Motion/Stillness'' (Soul Note) *1985 - '' Jazz French Horn'' (Soul Note) *1987 - ''Covert Action'' (New Note) *1991 - ''Long Night Big Day'' (New World) *1993 - '' The Mystery of Compassion'' (Soul Note) *1997 - '' Martian Heartache'' (Soul Note) *1998 - ''The Window Up Above'' (New World) *1998 - ''The Swiss Duos'' (Unit) *1999 - ''Swimming'' (OmniTone) *2001 - ''Second Communion'' (OmniTone) *2009 - ''Heaven and Hell'' (OmniTone) *2014 - ''Nine Surprises'' (Tom Varner Music) *2022 - ''Sound Vespers'' (Tom Varner Music) *2023 - ''Out of the Mud: Duos with Neil Welch'' (Tom Varner Music)

As sideman

Varner appears on over 70 recordings including: * Rabih Abou-Khalil, '' The Cactus of Knowledge'' (Enja, 2001) * Jamie Baum Septet, ''Moving Forward, Standing Still'' (OmniTone) * William S. Burroughs, '' Dead City Radio'' (Island, 1990) * Consuelo Candelaria/ Jon Hazilla Quintet ''Last Sunday Morning,'' (Accurate) * Steve Cohn/

/Tom Varner, ''Bridge Across the X-Stream'' (Leo) *

and

, '' Miles & Quincy Live at Montreux'' (Warner Bros.) * Dominic Duval, ''American Scrapbook'' (CIMP) * East Down Septet, ''Out of Gridlock'' (Hep) * East Down Septet, ''Channel Surfing'' (Hep) * Elin, ''Lazy Afternoon'' (Blue Toucan) * Lou Grassi/Tom Varner/Ron Horton/Tomas Ulrich, ''Neo Neo'' (CIMP) * George Gruntz Concert Jazz Band '83, ''

Theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a Stage (theatre), stage. The performe ...

'' (ECM, 1983) * George Gruntz Concert Jazz Band '87, ''Happening Now!'' (Hat Hut, 1987) * George Gruntz Concert Jazz Band, '' First Prize'' (Enja, 1989) * Ed Jackson, ''Wake Up Call'' (New World) s producer and player* Hans Kennel, ''Habarigani Brass'' (Hat Art) * Neal Kirkwood, ''Neal Kirkwood Octet'' (Timescraper) * Jim Knapp, ''It's Not Business, It's Personal'' (Origin) * Franz Koglmann, ''Let's Make Love'' (between the lines) * Franz Koglmann, ''Make Believe'' (between the lines) * Franz Koglmann, ''Cantos I-IV'' (Hat Art) * Steve Lacy, ''

Vespers Vespers /ˈvɛspərz/ () is a Christian liturgy, liturgy of evening prayer, one of the canonical hours in Catholic (both Latin liturgical rites, Latin and Eastern Catholic liturgy, Eastern Catholic liturgical rites), Eastern Orthodox, Oriental O ...

'' (Soul Note, 1993) * Steuart Liebig, ''Pomegranate'' (Cryptogramophone) * Manhattan New Music Project, ''Mood Swing'' (Soul Note) * Jim McNeely Tentet, ''Group Therapy'' (OmniTone) *

Natalie Merchant Natalie Anne Merchant (born October 26, 1963) is an American singer-songwriter. She joined the band 10,000 Maniacs in 1981 and was lead vocalist and primary lyricist for the group. She remained with the group for their first seven albums before ...

, ''

Ophelia Ophelia () is a character in William Shakespeare's drama ''Hamlet'' (1599–1601). She is a young noblewoman of Denmark, the daughter of Polonius, sister of Laertes and potential wife of Prince Hamlet. Due to Hamlet's actions, Ophelia ultima ...

'' (Elektra) * New York Composers Orchestra, ''Works by Ehrlich, Horvitz'' (New World) * Orange Then Blue, ''Hold the Elevator'' (GM) * Bobby Previte, ''Bump the Renaissance'' (Sound Aspects) * Bobby Previte, ''Pushing the Envelope'' (Gramavision) * Samo Salamon, Dream Suites Vol. 1 (Samo Records) * Ken Schaphorst, Over the Rainbow—Music of Harold Arlen (Accurate) * Peter Schärli Special Sextet, ''Blues for the Beast'' (Enja) * Peter Schärli Special Sextet, ''Guilty'' (Enja) * Roman Schwaller Nonet, ''The Original Tunes'' (JHM) * Vern Sielert Dectet, ''From there to Here'' (Pony Boy) * Burkhard Stangl/ Ned Rothenberg/Werner Dafeldecker/Max Nagl/Tom Varner, ''Qui.t'' (Extraplatte) * Ton-Art, ''Mal Vu, Mal Dit'' (Hat Art) * Vienna Art Orchestra, ''Artistry in Rhythm'' (TCB) * Bobby Watson, ''Tailor Made'' (Columbia) *

'' Filmworks 1986–1990'' (Elektra Nonesuch)

References

External links

Tom Varner's site
by Frank Tafuri
Heaven and Hell info
{{DEFAULTSORT:Varner, Tom Avant-garde jazz musicians 1957 births Living people American jazz horn players Jazz musicians from New Jersey Jazz musicians from Washington (state) Musicians from Seattle City College of New York alumni Millburn High School alumni Musicians from Morristown, New Jersey People from Millburn, New Jersey CIMP artists Cornish College of the Arts faculty New England Conservatory alumni Orange Then Blue members Musicians from Essex County, New Jersey