Tommy Vig
| Tommy Vig | |
|---|---|
Tommy Vig in Budapest 2009
(Photo by ) |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Tommy Vig |
| Born | 14 July 1938 |
| Origin | Budapest, Hungary |
| Genres | jazz, big band, bebop, orchestral jazz, classical, concerto |
| Occupation(s) | Bandleader, vibraharpist, composer, arranger, drummer, percussionist, session musician |
| Instruments | Vibraharp, Drums, Percussion, Xylophone, Marimba, Timpani, Tubular Bells, Clash Cymbals |
| Years active | 1940s–present |
| Labels | Klasszikus Jazz, Milestone, Discovery, Tom Tom, Pannon Jazz, Dobre, Mortney, Take V, Luz Records |
| Associated acts | Henry Mancini, Stan Kenton, Red Rodney, Don Ellis, Quincy Jones, Miles Davis-Gil Evans Big Band, Joe Pass, Tom Jones, Terry Gibbs, Art Pepper, Cat Anderson, Nelson Riddle, Shorty Rogers, Pete Rugolo, Milcho Leviev, Rod Stewart, Don Costa, and others |
| Website | www.tommyvig.com |
Tommy Vig (July 14, 1938) is a jazz vibraharpist, drummer, percussionist, arranger, big band leader, film, television, and classical concert composer, inventor, author, and educator.
Born to a musical family in Budapest, Tommy Vig was internationally recognized as a child prodigy by the age of 6, playing drums with his father, clarinetist Gyorgy Vig. He performed live concerts in Budapest on State Radio, at the City Theatre, the Academy of Music, and the National Circus. At the age of 8, he made an album (called "The World Champion Kid Drummer") with the best Austrian jazz players in Vienna, including , and the Hot Club of Vienna (on Elite Special Label). At the age of 9, his drumming won him the 1947 MGM-Jazz Competition in Budapest. As a result, he made several recordings with the legendary Chappy's Mopex Big Band (on His Master's Voice Label).
Vig completed his studies at the Béla Bartók Conservatory in 1955 and the Ferenc Erkel Music High School in 1956. Following the crushing of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, he fled to Vienna, where he played concerts with and Joe Zawinul. After moving to the United States, he was given a scholarship at Juilliard School of Music. Since then he has been writing and conducting his own concerts. Vig worked with Red Rodney, Don Ellis, Cat Anderson, Terry Gibbs, Art Pepper, Milcho Leviev, Joe Pass, and the Miles Davis-Gil Evans Big Band amongst many others. In 1961 he settled in Las Vegas, where he performed with Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Tony Curtis, Woody Allen, Judy Garland, and Tony Bennett. He was the percussionist on many of Rod Stewart's albums.
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Wikipedia