Tom Principato
guitar, vocals
Tom Principato has spent the last 40+ years as a guitarist and singer based in his hometown of Washington, D.C. In the 1970's, Tom was leader of the legendary band Powerhouse, an East Coast phenomenon who released an album "Night Life" to critical acclaim. Tom also did a one year stint with Geoff Muldaur and recorded an album "I Ain't Drunk" (Hannibal/Island Records 1980) with the band Geoff Muldaur and His Bad Feet members of which included Andy Stein (Asleep At The Wheel), Mark Kazanoff (Earl King) and Sarah Brown (Lou Ann Barton). Tom has also done brief stints with various acts including Billy Price And The Keystone Rhythm Band, Big Mama Thornton, Johnny Adams, Sunnyland Slim, James Montgomery, and a group called the Assassins with Jimmy Thackery, former guitarist with the Nighthawks. Tom appears on two albums with the Assassins, "No Previous Record" (1986) and "Partners In Crime" (1987).
In 1984 Tom began a solo career, notably recording a live album with the late Washington guitar legend Danny Gatton titled Blazing Telecasters. Since 1984 Tom has recorded eleven solos albums as well as two collaborations: "Smokin'!" (1986), "I Know What You're Thinkin'..." (1988), Live in Europe 1988 (2001), In Orbit (1989), "Blazing Telecasters" (1990), and "Oh No! More Blazing Telecasters" (2005), Tip of the Iceberg (1993), In the Clouds (1995), Really Blue (1997), Live and Kickin' (1999), Not One Word (2000), Fingers on Fire with Pete Kennedy (2002), House on Fire (2003), Guitar Gumbo (2005), and two DVD's: Blazing Telecasters from a show recorded for Maryland Public Television in 1984 with Danny Gatton, and Anniversary DVD, a career retrospective.
The band has toured clubs and festivals extensively in the U.S., Canada, and Europe including Norway, Sweden, Germany, Belgium, Holland, Switzerland, Austria, France, Slovenia, Finland, Luxembourg, Italy, Sardegna, Corsica, Spain, Portugal, Majorca, Menorca, St. Croix, and even Greece and Turkey!
In addition to winning first place in the
WHFS/Harmony Hut "Guitar Talent Hunt" (1980) Tom has
won a total of 23 "WAMMY" Awards from the Washington
Area Music Association. In 1986, "Smokin'!" won three
Wammy Awards; Best Blues Album, Best Male Vocalist-Blues, and
Best Blues Instrumentalist. In 1987 Tom won four Wammy Awards;
Best Artist/Group-Blues, Best Male Vocalist-Blues, Best
Instrumentalist-Blues, and Best Recording-Blues for The Assassins
"Partners In Crime" album. In 1988 Tom won three more
Wammies; Best Blues Recording-"I Know What You're
Thinkin'...",
Best Artist/Group-Blues, and Best Instrumentalist-Blues. Tom also
won Best Instrumentalist-Blues in 1992, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2000,
2001, and 2005, plus Best Male Vocalist-Blues in 1997. In 1999
"Live & Kickin'" won Best Blues Recording, and Tom
Principato Band won Best Blues Group. In 2003 "House On
Fire" won Best Blues Recording. In 2006 "Guitar
Gumbo" won Best Blues recording and Tom won Best Blues
Vocalist-male.
Tom Principato Band was also voted "Blues Act Of The
Year"-1997 and "Blues Act Of The Month" for Oct.
1997 by the listeners of "Talkin' Blues Radio" Koln,
Germany and Gitarre & Bass Magazine.
Since the 1990's Tom has signed endorsement
agreements with Fender Electric Guitar Co., GHS String Co.,
Seymour Duncan pickups, and Roger Mayer effects pedals. (Roger
Mayer personally made effects pedals and experimental electronic
gadgets for Jimi Hendrix).
Tom's 1992 Recording "Tip Of The Iceberg" was
co-produced by Chuck Leavell, a keyboard player who has played
with Eric Clapton, George Harrison, The Rolling Stones, The
Allman Brothers Band, and Sea Level. Chuck also appears on Tom's
"Really Blue" CD.
In 2000 Tom's book Open-String Guitar Chords was published
world-wide by Hal Leonard Corporation.
In addition to being a Master craftsman on the Guitar, Tom is a prolific composer, having composed over 50 songs which have been published through BMI by French Lady Music.
Albums:
- Smokin' [Powerhouse 101, October 1985] with Tom
Lepson, Kim Wilson
- I Know What You’re Thinkin’ [Powerhouse 103, 1989]
with Mary Chapin Carpenter, Tom Lepson,
- In Orbit [Powerhouse 4032, July 1990] with
Sil Austin, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Ron Holloway, Tom Lepson, Big
Joe Maher, Kevin McKendree
- Hot Stuff! [Powerhouse 4106, May 1991] with
Tom Lepson, Big Joe Maher, Kevin McKendree, Vaughn Nark, David
Palmer (ABC), Kim Wilson
- Tip of the Iceberg [Powerhouse 6102, 1992]
with Scott Ambush (Spyro Gyra), Chuck Leavell, Kevin McKendree,
David Palmer
- In the Clouds [Ichiban 4203, March 1995] with
Kevin McKendree, John G. Perry (Curved Air)
- Really Blue [Ichiban 24963, August 1998] with
Chuck Leavell, Tom Lepson, Big Joe Maher, John G. Perry
- Live and Kickin' [Powerhouse 109, January
2000] with John G. Perry
- Not One Word [Powerhouse 110, July 2000]
- Live in Europe 1988 [Powerhouse 112, November
2001]
- Blues Over the Years [Voodoo 122, February
2003]
- House on Fire [Powerhouse 117, September
2003] with Tom Lepson, Kevin McKendree
- Guitar Gumbo [Powerhouse 123, October 2005]
with Tom Lepson, Kevin McKendree, Mark
Wenner
- In the Clouds [Powerhouse 4203, July 2006]
with Kevin McKendree, John G. Perry (Curved Air) reissue of his
1995 album with 2 Bonus Tracks
Danny Gatton & Tom Principato:
- Blazing Telecasters [Powerhouse 4036, April
1984]
- Oh No! More Blazing Telecasters [Powerhouse
121, May 2005]
Jimmy Thackery / Tom Principato:
- Partners in Crime [Dixiefrog 112, October 1999]
Tom Principato & Pete Kennedy:
- Fingers on Fire [Powerhouse 1394, January
2002]
He appears on the following albums:
Geoff Muldaur - I Ain't Drunk [Hannibal 1304, 1986]
Big Joe Maher - Good Rockin' Daddy [Powerhouse 4102, June 1990]
Dan Reynolds - Never Alone [Positive 78010, August 1993]
Catfish Hodge - Catfish Blues [Wild Cat 9201, April 1994]
Various Artists - Rockin' Blues [Ichiban 24878, February 1996]
Various Artists - Play the Blues: A Decade of Blues & Soul
[Ichiban 1189, April 1996]
Various Artists - (Almost) Everybody Slides [Rykodisc 10344,
July 1996]
Various Artists - Telecats, Vol. 1 [Inakustik 9049, August
1998]
Gaye
Adegbalola - Bitter Sweet Blues [Alligator 4870, October
1999]
U.K. visitors looking for Tom Principato albums? - Canadian visitors looking for Tom Principato albums?
Video:
- Tom Principato and Danny Gatton: Blazing
Telecasters [1984] DVD
- Anniversary DVD: Celebrating 40 Years of Roots
Guitar Playing [April 2004] DVD with Danny
Gatton, Albert Lee, Duke Robillard, David Hidalgo (Los Lobos),
Pete Kennedy and Little Jimmy King
Books:
- Open-String Guitar Chords [Hal Leonard
Corporation, November 1999]
Looking for Tom Principato sheetmusic?
Visit Tom Principato's Website
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