BOURCIER TO PRESENT CONCERT

Our Savior’s Lutheran Church will be presenting a a solo piano benefit concert featuring their worship musician, Tom Bourcier, on Thursday, July 16 at 7:00 p.m.

A jazz pianist, composer, and music professor at Luther College, Tom will be performing a broad selection of classic songs from the great American songbook, as well as original jazz and blues pieces.

As a professional musician, Tom has performed throughout the United States, Europe, South America and the Caribbean, performing with and backing up musicians and acts such as the Dirty Dozen Band, Dizzy Gillespie, Jim Schwall of the Siegal-Schwall Band, Buddy Rich, Donald O’Connor, comedian David Brenner, Debbie Reynolds, and Jack Jones. From 1987-96 he led the Tom Bourcier Trio, and subsequently performed accordion with Bourcier, Julin and Wolff. The group released a CD, Live at St. Andrews, in 2000. Tom also performs accordion with singer/songwriter Robin Lee Berry on Going Driftless, a 2002 Red House Records retrospective of Greg Brown songs performed by female artists. His first solo piano CD, Steps, was released in 2002. Portals, a tango suite composed for movement theatre, will be released in 2009 on the independent label 2 Moons Records.

Tom received the Master of Music degree in composition from Western Michigan University. He served as Music Director/Assistant Professor in the Department of Dance at the University of Illinois from 1991-96, and premiered 17 original compositions in Illinois Dance Theatre and Illinois Repertory Theatre productions. His jazz chart In Walked Bo was recently recorded by the Composer’s Big Band in New York City. In 2004, I Saw Elvis for alto saxophone and electric guitar, received its European premiere at the Royal Conservatory of Music in London. It was published in 2008 by Media Press Inc. (Chicago).

At Luther College Tom teaches improvisation, supervises jazz combos, and directs the Jazz Band and Luther College Jazz Quintet. Tom also works on a free-lance basis, and his 2007–08 schedule had him performing throughout the Midwest in Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan, as well as Puebla, Mexico, Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Chicago, Milwaukee and San Francisco. He resides in rural Decorah with his four sons.

The public is invited to attend the concert. The church is located at 480 Diagonal Street in Lansing. A free will offering will be taken to benefit the Lansing Fire Department Building Fund. A reception will follow. For more information, visit www.laughinglutherans.com or call 563-538-4664.

Hear a sampling of Tom's playing at these YouTube videos: