Tom Willner
Atlanta, Georgia, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2000
Music
Press
"Seeing things differently is the guiding principle behind 'Turning Thirty,' which attempts to do for cancer what the Tony Award-winning musicals 'Next to Normal' and 'Rent' did for bipolar disorder and people living with HIV, respectively. Set it to music... Similarly, Willner's score packs emotional wallops along with punch lines." - Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Your show was AWESOME, and your CD is even better! I shared it with my family over the holidays, and you now have additional fans in NC, CO and MA. The quality of your writing, voice, production (and stage presence) are all extraordinary!
WOW!! Your show Friday night was so incredible! Your lyrics, dynamics, musical structure and harmonies were unparalleled. You really have a great sound.
- Via Email
Tom’s diverse stylistic talents truly shine on this album (Rescue Me). The industry needs more music like his. - Earle Holder
[The album has] an inescapable resemblance to some of James Taylor’s best work, displaying the same sprightly mix of sweetness, smarts and irresistible melodic hooks. - Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Tom Willner’s Rescue Me is a fine album because of several things, but primarily because of its consistency. It gives you those warm and fuzzy feelings right out of the gate.
The lead off and title track is a funky rhythm filled romp as good as it gets. It is the best choice of tracks to kick off the album. The following track“If Women Ruled the World,” is a great tribute to the female of the species, all set to a reggae beat. This music is all about life and relationships. It is understandable that the artist is inspired to write and perform songs like this as he survived cancer and came out of it with entirely different perspective on life. He wrote every song except “I Could Always Make Her Laugh,” where co-writer Ed Schieblin provided the lyrics. Ben Wakeman helped with the words to “Over You” and played guitar and added vocals on tracks 1, 3, 5, 8 and 11. Willner also did all of the programming and played everything else you hear on the CD. This project is an exceptional achievement. Yet another triumph for a man that feels there is nothing he cannot overcome so it does not surprise me at all.
The mixture of rock, pop and blues suits Willner’s vocal style just right. He throws in a little change of pace, showing off his prowess as a piano player with an instrumental ragtime rollicking foot stomper called “Tom’s Boogie.” Besides that one instrumental treat, he stays with the pop-rock-blues format while telling his heart warming and inspiring stories. Interesting enough there is a sequence to the stories being told as well, there is no coincidence that “Rain” is followed by “You Are My Storm.”
This music wasted no time digging its hooks in me, by the time I listened for the third time I was sold, hypnotized by the words and music. This album will grow on you faster than grass after a mid July shower, and the fragrance is just as sweet. - Keith Hannaleck, Muzikreviews.com
Discography
All Fruits Ripe - Latest studio release featuring the reggae-inspired title track, the Randy Newman-esque Wrong Side of The Door, and a keyboard-only version of The Who's My Generation
Turning Thirty, The Musical - Live Debut - Live performance of his musical with a talented cast of singers and musicians that raised over $1000 for the American Cancer Society.
Live at Eddie's - Live performances with a full band at the famous Eddie's Attic
Rescue Me - studio release featuring the title track, If Women Ruled The World, instrumental favorite Tom's Boogie, and No Time Like Now. Featured on Pandora.
Greener - previous release with band Screen Door featuring Ain't Got Time, Madeline Rose, and Sing It Out
Turning Thirty - a musical that features seventeen songs about his experience overcoming cancer, all recorded while undergoing treatment
Photos
Bio
Tom Willner is a pianist, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and recording artist who does film and video scoring and musical theater. His styles include rock, pop, blues, jazz, reggae, gospel, and country, prompting Blaiserblog.com to describe him this way: "If Dave Brubeck drove Billy Joel's daughter Alexa to her summer piano internship at Faith Deliverance Christian Church in Atlanta, their only route would go right up Tom's alley."
Tom has performed for popular Atlanta radio stations 99x (WNNX) and Album 88 (WRAS), was a featured story on television on TBS Superstation's Interact Atlanta, and performed for a crowd of thousands on the Mall in Washington, DC in front of the U.S. Capitol. He released his CD "Rescue Me" to a sold out crowd at the famous Eddie's Attic in Decatur, GA. His musical entitled "Turning Thirty" (turningthirty.org) features seventeen original songs about his experience overcoming cancer. Performances of his musical have raised thousands of dollars for the American Cancer Society and other charities. His EP "Relay for Life Songs," including the popular song "Every Candle Has A Name," in support of the Society's signature fundraising event has made Tom a household name across the country on the Relay circuit. His sixth and latest CD called "All Fruits Ripe" caught the attention of CBS Better Mornings Atlanta, NBC 11 Alive Morning News in Atlanta, and KHQ 6 Local News in Spokane, and its title track inspired fans in the Northwest to create the "All Fruits Ripe Martini" in its honor.
In addition to Tom's albums and his musical, he has created jingles used in regular rotation on WMAZ TV Channel 13 in Macon, Ga and Atlanta radio station 99X. He has scored and licensed music with Pixorium for numerous promotional videos for various organizations; wrote, performed, and recorded original songs for two American Cancer Society videos; and created the original score for the Independent Film "Black Men Can Swim" from Eagle Mount Productions and Hari Films. He has several original songs published with The Music Library, and was hired by Fleishman-Hillard for a public relations campaign to write and record five original songs of varying styles inspired by children's poetry and art.
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