Thom Rotella

Thom Rotella possesses technical prowess on guitar, enabling him to navigate both commercial jazz realms and a Wes Montgomery-inspired approach. His musical journey commenced at age six, strumming his grandfather's instrument purely for enjoyment, followed by formal instruction beginning at ten. During adolescence, rock dominated his playing until Wes Montgomery's records introduced him to jazz. He pursued classical guitar studies at Ithaca College before enrolling at Berklee, where Gary Burton mentored him from 1970 through 1972. Departing Berklee, he embarked on tours with a lounge ensemble, then relocated to Los Angeles, where Tommy Tedesco's mentorship facilitated his entry into session work. Yet studio life prompted a yearning for live performances, prompting his 1984 relocation to New York for continued recording sessions alongside club appearances. His debut solo release arrived in 1987 via DMP. The subsequent trio of DMP projects spanning 1987 to 1990 achieved strong commercial sales. Deepening involvement in jingle production eventually drew him back to Los Angeles. A holiday recording for Telarc in 1996 secured his contract with the imprint, yielding Can't Stop in 1997. Five years elapsed before his next outing, the breezy A Day in the Life, issued in 2002.