Tom Ackerman Musician

About Me

Tom Ackerman

Tom Ackerman - (Saxophones, Clarinets and Flutes)

Tom was born in Hollywood, California and began tap dancing and playing the clarinet at age 6. He was at that time a member of a "family act" Dixieland Band called the "Stoplights and their Go-Go Jazz" called "The youngest and hottest Dixieland Jazz Band this side of the Mason-Dixon line!" They were performing at many local jazz clubs in Los Angeles as well as at Disneyland, the U.S.O. Club and on the famed "Ted Mack Amateur Hour" television show. His mom was a "Vaudeville" dancer and his dad in the movie business, and whose claim to fame was moving the lion's tail in "The Wizard of Oz"!
Tom studied music with Lennie Neihaus who played lead alto with the Stan Kenton Orchestra. He then moved to Honolulu Hawaii in 1975 and became a member of the famed Bay Area big band, the Del Courtney Orchestra playing "Tea Dances" at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. Tom also worked in several other bands at Honolulu's famed Jazz Club, Trappers and Nick's Fishmarket in Waikiki and performed with some great artists such as Sammy Davis, Jr., Joe Williams, Julio Iglesias to name a few.  He graduated from the University of Hawaii in 1981.  After working the Hawaii Jazz scene, Tom attended the famed Berklee College of Music in Boston Massachusetts.

Moving out of

Hawaii in 1990 landed Tom in Washington D.C. where he worked with "Doc Scantlin and his Imperial Palms Orchestra" a "hot" 1920's style orchestra performing all around the East coast. Tom was hired by the Glenn Miller Orchestra for a lengthy rode tour but a better “rode” trip came up!  In 1992, he began a 10 year career as bandleader for Princess Cruises where he sailed around the world several times and where he met his Canadian bride Sarah! Now residing in Victoria, Tom has worked with the Ian McDougall Big Band, the Dal Richards Orchestra and played lead alto with the Don Leppard Big Band.  He is also a regular member with CanUS,  Devon McCagherty and The Stomp Club www.thestompclub.com , and Casey Ryder and Twango.

Tom’s musical theatre performance has included Brentwood College productions of “Annie Get Your Gun”,  “Wizard of Oz”, "Beauty and the Beast", and "Carousel".  VOS productions of “The Music Man”, "West Side Story", "Guys and Dolls", and Will Rogers "Follies".  St. Michaels University School’s productions of “Africa”, “Will Power”, and "The King of Elfland's Daughter".  Marlene Abneys “Love Matters” staring Louise Rose and the Canadian College of Performing Arts, "Kiss Me Kate".

Tom currently teaches alto sax, tenor sax, clarinet, bass clarinet and flute in private lessons with students from St. Michaels University School, Glenlyon Norfolk School, Landsdowne School and has taught at Minstrel's School of Music, and Brentwood College.  He now teaches full time at his own music studio at his home in the Mt. Tolmie area.

You can catch Tom playing saxophone and clarinet every Sunday afternoon from 4:30p.m.-7:30p.m. with a "Swingin' Trad Band".......

"CanUS" www.islandnet.com/~canus at Hermann's Jazz Club www.hermannsjazz.com

And every other Wednesday at Pagliacci's Resturant  www.pagliaccis.ca/  with

"The Stomp Club"  www.thestompclub.com  Visit the bands website to hear cuts from our latest CD!

Tom Ackerman

saxack@yahoo.com