| Mr Blakely originally hails from
Connecticut where he studied trombone performance, composition
and arranging at the University of Connecticut while earning a
Bachelor of Music. In addition, Mr Blakely is an honors graduate
of the US Armed Forces School of Music in Virginia. His former
trombone instructors include George Sanders, Andy Rodgers and
John Mosca. Mr Blakely studied composition with Avo Sõmer and
classical and jazz arranging with David Baker and John Mosca.
Thomas has preformed with many
professional ensembles, including the New England Chamber
Orchestra, the Willimantic Symphony Orchestra, the Wooster
Symphony Orchestra, the Connecticut Trombone Quartet and in
2000, was selected as the director of the 1st US Armored
Division Jazz Ensemble, The Iron Knights, located in Bad Kreuznach, Germany and spent many years touring all of Europe
with this ensemble. In 2001, The Iron Knights were honored to
become the first US Army Jazz Band ever to play in the country
of Bulgaria.
Mr Blakely has worked and/or preformed
with the following musicians, composers, and conductors
throughout his career: Jared Spears, Anthony Iannaccone, Warren
Benson, Victor Borge, Ron Nelson, Morton Gould, Karel Husa,
Thomas Duffy, Francis McBeth, COL John Bourgeois, Frederick
Fennel, Jerry Nowak, Chely Wright, and Kid Rock.
Currently living in Germany, Mr Blakely
works as a free-lance trombonist of jazz and classical music and
as a composer / arranger. |