Tom MacCluskey

Tom began performing professionally at age 14 in 1945 as a jazz drummer, and later, as a vibraphonist and pianist. “In my opinion, I’m a ‘sort-of’ pianist. I grew up as a drummer; flunked out of high school; then toured the Midwest at age 16 playing drums — first with an all-African-American-except-white-honky-me R&B and bebop band that folded in North Dakota, then in a trio that played for the ‘girl show’ (strippers!) of a touring carnival. Years later, I eased over to the keyboard.”

Here are some of the highlights of Tom’s professional career. He was a U.S. Navy pilot and flight instructor (1953-57); cellist in the Pensacola Symphony Orchestra (1954-55); music theory/analysis instructor at the University of Colorado (Boulder, 1961-71); professor and music-department chair at Colorado Women’s College (1971-81); music critic and columnist for the Rocky Mountain News (more than 1600 reviews and columns written between 1965-73); the subject of a New Yorker article by music-critic Winthrop Sergeant in 1969 that referred to Tom as the first musicologist to write “valid, in-depth analysis” of rock music; and co-author in The World of Popular Music series used in schools nationwide — one book on rock and pop music and another on folk and country (1973-4).

He was also a music lecturer for the U.S. Information Agency in Europe and Japan (1971-72); the founder of a duo called The Denver Electronic Music Circus (more than 250 performances in Denver/Boulder-area schools between 1971-77); and a rock, jazz, and electronic-music workshop presenter in more than 25 universities and colleges (1970-81). He received both the Colorado Governor’s Award for the Arts and the Colorado Music Educator of the Year Award in 1973.

At age 50 in 1981, Tom became a digital music editor in the Soundstream Studio at the Paramount Studios in Hollywood, and in 1985 at the RCA/BMG Studios in New York. During his 17 years in the recording industry, he participated either as a digital music editor, or as a recording or remastering engineer in the production of more than 1,000 recordings by many of the world’s renowned classical, jazz, and popular artists. In the recording industry, he is considered to be the “granddaddy of all digital music editors.” Jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis dubbed him as “Dr. Splice” and the “Splice King.”

Nominated for four Grammies between 1988 and 2000, Tom won a Grammy in 1996.

“Retiring” in Durango in 2000, Tom became very active as a solo pianist and a combo leader in many performances for benefits and at local music venues; a music lecturer in the Life-Long-Learning Lecture Series sponsored by the Professional Associates of Fort Lewis College (13 lectures through 2008); the host of the Sunday Morning Mostly Classical Music Program on KDUR (91.9 and 93.9 FM, 9:00-noon, 2000-present); the program-note writer for the Music in the Mountains Summer Festival (2003-05), and a member of several arts organizations including the San Juan Symphony Board (2002-05) and the Fort Lewis College Artist-in-Residence Committee (2002-present).

Tom began playing solo piano at the Mahogany Grille at age 76 on Christmas Eve, 2007. He has continued as the year-around-Saturday-evening-pianist and substitutes on other evenings. He says, “I love the Mahogany Grille. It’s probably the most enjoyable performance situation I’ve ever had. (Well, I did love the carnival some-sixty years ago! What eager young guy wouldn’t?)” Returning to the Mahogany Grille, he says, “The management and staff are excellent. The food and service are excellent. The patrons and atmosphere are excellent. Therefore, I attempt to excel in my expressive music-making in order to complete the excellence of every patron’s dining pleasure.”