Informazioni
Tom Ollendorff is fast becoming one of the best-known young guitarists to emerge on the international jazz scene. A graduate from the Royal Welsh College of Music in Cardiff, he was awarded the Yamaha Parliamentary Jazz Scholarship in 2016.
Tom’s debut album ‘A Song For You’ was released on Fresh Sound Records in May 2021 and received international acclaim and helped to launch an international touring career that has seen Tom perform at many of Europe’s best known Jazz clubs including Ronnie Scott’s, Sunset-Sunside, Jamboree, Jimmy Glass, Jazz-Hus Montmartre, Nardis, Budapest Jazz Club, Jazz in Bess, Jazz Club Ferrara as well as performances at notable venues and festivals including London Jazz Festival, Koa Jazz Festival, Brecon Jazz Festival and the One Day Jazz Festival.
His latest album Open House was released in May 2023 and sees a continuation of his work with his trio with long-term trio featuring Marc Michel on drums and Conor Chaplin on bass, with the addition of the critically acclaimed saxophonist Ben Wendel on four tracks. The recent release has received global recognition and has seen Tom continue to build his international reputation and following.
Alongside his work as a bandleader, Tom has been fortunate to work extensively as a sideman with a wide range of artists including Ari Hoenig, Bill McHenry, Geoff Simkins, Huw Warren, Tim Garland, Nitai Hershkovits and The Fresh Sound Ensemble
Tom is known for his highly distinctive sound which blends virtuosic technique, sophisticated harmonic concepts with nuance and sensitivity and in October 2022 he published his first works for solo guitar with Faber Music. The book, titled ‘Etudes’ has been sold across Europe, Asia, Australasia, and North America.
Tom is currently a visiting tutor at the Royal Welsh College of Music and has been a guest tutor at many top institutions internationally including The Guildhall, Nanjing University, Istanbul Bachesir University and Leeds College of Music.
Select press:
‘Meticulous Eloquence’ (The Guardian)
‘Exquisite virtuoso musicianship that tugged at the heart strings as much as it thrilled. An early contender for one of the gigs of the year’ (All About Jazz, Album launch review)
Last but not least, mark the name of Tom Ollendorff. Young and sophisticated, he is the rising star of the six-string made in England. Ollendorff looks at the aesthetic between post bop, cool and modernism that makes harmonisations rather than virtuosity its strong point. (Music Paper Italy)
‘Ambitiously conceived and perfectly realised. Tom Ollendorff is making his quiet way towards ubiquity’ (Jazzwise)
‘An album that deserves to be heard everywhere’ (Jazz views)
‘Highly recommended’ (London Jazz Views)
A highly recommendable record for those who care about the fate of jazz guitar (Musica Jazz)
‘Shimmering beauty’ (Simply Jazz Talks)
‘A must listen to album, especially for those who like contemporary guitarists’ (Jazzlife Japan)
‘Unbelievable, just the calm, what a technique’ (Veerhovens Jazz)
‘Unmistakable is the beautiful and expressive guitar sound of the leader, which remains in the memory long after listening, a great album. (Jazz-Fun Germany)
‘The British Musician is at the top of his game’ (Les Oreilles Curiesses)
Ollendorff is a chef who cooks a dish that we know the taste of with the right ingredients and mastery (Dark Blue Notes, Turkey)
‘Ollendorff’s writing combines accessibility with musical sophistication’ (The Jazzman)
TOM OLLENDORFF PRESENTS THE NEW ALBUM
WHERE IN THE WORLD RELEASED 21st NOVEMBER 2025
Virtuoso guitarist Tom Ollendorff affirms his place on the international jazz stage with his third album Where in the World. Featuring his first collaboration with Blue Note artist Aaron Parks, the record showcases adventurous improvisation and sophisticated compositions, that are as emotionally compelling as they are technically impressive. It will be launched this autumn with a 30-date world tour across Europe, Asia, and Australia.”
Ollendorff’s music elegantly mixes graceful themes, baroque-like etudes and headlong fast- bop swing. The initial single from the album ‘Past Lives’ (out October 3rd), explores how memory and the weight of past experiences shape the art we create. There is a hypnotic groove and catchy melody which float on top of a warm harmonic sequence, which provides the perfect canvas for the lyrical improvised passages’
The cinematic and dreamlike ‘West Lake’, blends jazz and classical harmony with soaring improvised solos, to create an impressionistic soundscape inspired by the artists visits to Zhejiang Province in China’, while ‘Three Bridges’ features a modern jazz groove with an emotive melody. The fiery improvised solo exchanges between the piano and guitar combined with the unfolding structure, create an immersive journey for the listener.
Completing Tom Ollendorff’s band are his longstanding musical partners James Maddren on drums and Conor Chaplain on bass, who with the addition of Blue Note pianist Aaron Parks, form a unique synergy with Ollendorff’s guitar, generating an exhilarating and beautiful sound.
Graduating from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff in 2015 and awarded with the Yamaha Parliamentary Jazz Scholarship in the same year, Tom Ollendorff released his debut album‘A Song For You’ on Fresh Sound Records in 2021, which received international acclaim and launched his touring career that has seen him play at many of the leading festivals and clubs across Europe and Asia.
His second album ‘Open House’ (2023) featuring special guest saxophonist Ben Wendel, received universal praise from fans and critics. That same year, he also released ‘Enchanted’, a co-led project with American drummer Ari Hoenig, also on Fresh Sound Records. In 2024, Tom released ‘Solo Volume ‘ on Ubuntu Records, accompanied by a series of solo concerts across Europe.
Now with Where In The World further showcasing his inimitable talent, combined with an abundance of forthcoming live dates around the world, Tom Ollendorff continues his journey to becoming one of the most important guitarists of his generation.
