Welcome to the website of jazz bassist, composer, educator, and author Fumi Tomita
January 18-23: Georgia tour with the David Detweiler Quartet, with Bill Peterson (piano) and Benjamin Adkins (drums)
Do i know anyone in Georgia? Come on out and say hi if you're close by. Should be a good time, we'll be playing music from David's latest release There Used to be Rain from Centaur records.
January 5, 2024
Performance at the 2024 Jazz Education Network Conference at the Hyatt Hotel in New Orleans, Louisiana
with Leon Anderson, David Detweiler, and Oscar Rossignoli (left to right)
I felt elated after playing. The crowd was great and responsive and I am thankful to JEN for inviting me to perform. It was 50 minute set and we were just getting warmed up, but everyone sounded and it was a good concert. David and I along with pianist Bill Peterson and drummer Benjamin Adkins will be going on tour in Georgia from January 18-23. See the schedule for dates. Much more coming soon...
Photo below courtesy of JEN
November 17: Upcoming appearances in New Orleans, Georgia, Texas, and Graz, Austria
It's been busy here but I've got new dates including a short tour of Georgia In January with David Detweiler, Bill Peterson and Ben Adkins. I'm also performing at the Jazz Education Network conference in January, on Friday the 5th at noon, location TBA, and will be with David Detweiler, Leon Anderson, and Oscar Rossignoli. I'm also going to be a guest adjudicator down in Texas A&M University down in Kingsville, Texas at the end of March. Finally, I'll be presenting my latest research at the Rhythm Changes conference in Graz, Austria; the title is “Music to Ease your Disease: The Wellness of Horace Silver.” More details on the “schedule” page.
Over here in Amherst, Thomas Giampietro and I recently accompanied Jeff Holmes, my colleague and the director of the Jazz and African American Music program here at UMASS. who was invited to present for the Chancellor's Lecture Series. Besides all the travel, I'm currently planning to record sometime in the spring or summer of next year and there will be some surprises, so stay tuned. Thanks.
July 16: New book!
Coming out in early 2024
Early Jazz: A Concise introduction from its beginnings through 1929
Besides being a performer and educator, I'm passionate about jazz history. It led me to write a much needed update of the early jazz era. The final draft of the cover came in and I'd like to share it with you. I've been working on this book for two years and I'm very excited as it nears completion. It is being published by SUNY Press and they've been great to work with. Currently scheduled to be available in early 2024. Stay tuned for more!
Performance and clinic at the International Society of Bassists Conference
Next week, I'll be heading to Ann Arbor, Michigan to attend the ISB conference. A bit of a dream come true for me to perform there and I'm grateful for the opportunity. I'll be performing Wednesday June 7 at 5pm at the Miller Theater on the University of Michigan campus. I will be joined by David Detweiler on tenor saxophone, Ellen Rowe on piano, and Jesse Kramer on drums. We'll be playing music from the Bird cd from 2020. Earlier that day at 2pm I will be hosting a masterclass on jazz bass technique.
Celebrating Bird concert, October 6, 2021
My faculty recital at UMass Amherst on Wednesday October 6 was live-streamed and available on the video page. With Jeff Holmes (drums), Thomas Giampietro (drums) and special guest David Detweiler (tenor saxophone)
October 2021 gigs
It's been a busy couple of months and there have been lots of nice gigs this summer, including a Jazz in July outdoor concert on July 30th and a pair of concerts at the Amherst Historical Society in August.
This month I have a number of shows that I am excited to tell you about. First off is a pair of shows on Thursday Sept. 30 at New City Brewery in Easthampton, MA 6-8pm and then Friday Oct. 1 at Pulaski Park in Northampton, MA as part of the Northampton Jazz Festival. Both are with Jon Fischer on drums and Evan Martzen on saxophone and clarinet. We'll be joined on Oct. 1 by guitarist Matt Munisteri.
The following week, tenor saxophonist David Detweiler will join me from Florida State University for my faculty recital on Wed. October 6 at Bezanson Recital Hall at UMass Amherst in Amherst, MA at 7:30pm and we'll perform material from our 2020 release, Celebrating Bird: The music of Charlie Parker. We will joined by my colleagues Jeff Holmes on piano and Thomas Giampietro on drums. This concert will be streamed live on Youtube and can be accessed from this page. Afterwards, David and I travel to Rochester, NY where we will perform at the College Music Society National Conference on Friday October 8 at 11am where we will play excerpts from the album duo.