A.THOMAS GUNN,
JAZZ PIANO

(New Years Eve 1928 to 25th July 2018)

One of the top show band pianists in Las Vegas for decades, arranger /accompanist for Robert Goulet, film composer and big band arranger.

Tom was often compared to Oscar Peterson (for his brilliant runs) and George Shearing (for his smooth comping sound) which were to Tom, the finest of compliments, but he was humble about his playing. Tom adored chord structures and would created a vast tapestry of moving voices throughout the background. A master of harmonies, chord movement was his trademark sound was playing melodies with full modified chords moving in multiple directions for each note.

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An early starter at everything, including birth! Tom first studied trumpet at 7 as a prodigy with Professor Gottschalk, who had retired from John Philip Sousa's Band to Lewistown MT. Tom had his first "professional gig" with a band at 9 for a New Years Eve party. At 13 he ran away with the Cole Brothers Circus for a year as the Trumpet player. Then he joined the Navy underage so he could go to the Navy School of Music and play with the best band in the world, the Navy Band.  But when the Navy discovered he had exceptional eyesight, reflexes, strength and hearing, he became a "Navy Frogman" what was later renamed to the Navy SEALs.  After four years in the Navy, his last year playing Football for the Marines, Tom moved to Chicago, played Football for the Chicago Bears during the day and played Trumpet and Bass and met all the big names in the area in the evening. As he branched out into playing piano, Tom sought out "Jingle King" Dick Marx who recognized Tom's talent and gave him free lessons. Tom was  voracious at learning things so Dick provided the foundation of harmony that as Tom developed became the pivotal point of his musical stylings.

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Tom played in Chicago under his stepfather's name McFarland, and owned two bars, then resumed his given name of A. Thomas Gunn when he moved to Las Vegas. He of course played with all the big names of the late 40's, 50's and 60's seven days a weeks multiple shows per day and even into the 70's when he semi-retired to Elko NV where he met the love of his life. He fully retired to his home state of Montana next to Flathead Lake where he still played music but now on his own terms purely for fun with friends like bass player Bobbie McCandless, vocalist Linda Ensign, guitarist Joel Knadler and former Navy Band trumpeter Jerry Akers. Jerry played a stirring interpretation of Taps at Tom's memorial before "Tom's Dinner & Dance" hosted by his wife of 48 years Hailie Gunn. 

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