Tom Saviano

When I first heard Tom Saviano playing saxophone on Bill Champlin's great solo CD's, "Mayday", "Through It All", and "He Started To Sing", I had no idea what a truly talented musician, arranger, and composer he is. After picking up Tom's CD, "Making Up Lost Time", I was so impressed I wanted to know more.

In checking out Bill Champlin's CD liner notes, I found that Tom had also done arrangements and keyboards on those CD's.
Looking on his web site, I found that Tom has two grammies and numerous platinum recordings to his credit. He is also a lyricist, producer, musical director, arranger, synthesist, computer programmer, and web master.
Tom Saviano has played on hundreds of albums with a list of artists that boggles the mind. His discography reads like a who's who of the recording industry.
For more information, check out the official Tom Saviano web site.

Tom Saviano - Crystal Ballroom
Portland, OR - May 19, 2001

Tom Saviano is just too cool! <---- There I've said it. :-)
At Tom's web site you'll find more information on his CD's, "Making Up Lost Time" and "Crossings", including some sound files, and the line up of musicians who worked on the CD's. You'll also find a listing for upcoming performances, a biography, an amazing discography, and lots more.
Tom Saviano's CD's are classified as smooth jazz and are mostly instrumental. However, Bill Champlin has some vocals on both CD's and Katt Kleiber contributed vocals to "Making Up Lost Time".
In addition to everything else, when The Sons Of Champlin reunited in 1997, Tom was an integral part of it. He brings a lot of talent and style to one of the greatest bands ever. His solos are just so hot, it's incredible.

Tom Saviano - Aladdin Theater
(Photo Courtesy of Kate Nay)

For more pictures you can check out The Sons of Champlin concert pages with the navigational buttons at the bottom of this page for concerts in 1998 and 1999. Links to photos at Yahoo can be found for concerts in 2001 and 2002 on my home page.

"Crossings"

Tom's newest CD was released on February 22, 2000 by Miramar Productions... and it really cooks! It starts with the rousing "You Move Me", which definitely does move you if you've got a pulse. This song was written by Tom and Dara Stewart, and it's one of my favorites.
"A Leap of Faith" is a little mellower in feel, but it's got a very funky rhythm. It's another favorite and it was written by Tom.
"One More Dance" is a total delight! This one has Bill Champlin doing some amazing layered vocals. The saxophone is very mellow and melodic. Tom has programmed some interesting strings and french horn parts along with a very cool synth sound. This is a very lush arrangement indeed. This song was written by Tom, Bill Champlin, and Geoff Palmer. And it's another favorite.
In all honesty, every song is a favorite. Tom Saviano is a great musician and arranger. There is everything from the sweet balad "Don't Doubt My Love", to the darkness of "Time Zone", with the funkiness of "Crossings", the latin feel of "Twist of Fate", and lots of other cool stuff in between.
Tom has a real winner in "Crossings". He's once again gathered an impressive group of musicians to bring it to life, and bring it to life they do. The group includes Thom Rotella, Bill Champlin, and Jeff Golub on guitar; Vinnie Colaiuta, Stephen Saviano, Land Richards and Tony Moore on drums; Lenny Castro and Arno Lucas on percussion; Brian Bromberg, Scott Cannady, Alex Al, and Stanley Sargeant on bass; Steve Madaio and Lee Thornburg on trumpet; Bill Champlin on organ, Randy Waldman on piano, Bill Champlin on vocals, and of course, Tom Saviano on saxophone.

You can click on the CD on the right to go to Amazon.com's site for "Crossings", which only has limited availability. There are sound files available for the first 5 songs, including "One More Dance" with Bill Champlin vocals. There are also customer reviews and comments, and it's currently rated at 5 stars.

"Making Up Lost Time"
I really didn't know what to expect when I picked up Tom's CD, "Making Up Lost Time". One listen and I was hooked! This CD is fresh and alive, running the gamut from funky to touching, sassy to sweet, and everything in between. Tom shows that his composition and arrangement skills are every bit as good as his musicianship. The more I listen, the more I keep finding innovative musical twists in these arrangements that take me by surprise.
Tom has used an impressive group of artists and musicians to make this CD an extra special treat, including Bill Champlin, Joseph Williams, Joe Pizzulo, and Katt Kleiber on vocals; Gary Grant and Steve Madaio on trumpets; Dave Boruff on tenor sax; Doug Jackson, Pat Kelly, Nils Jiptner, Bob Boykin, and David Diggs on guitar; and Micheal Fisher and Joel Taylor on percussion and drums.
Tom is listed as arranging and programming, with additional drum programming by Stephen Saviano. You have to read between the lines to realize that Tom is doing quite a bit of the drum programming. And although no one is listed as playing keyboards, synths, or bass, Tom is the one playing and he does a superb job. And of course, his alto sax playing is absolutely incredible.
My favorite instrumental cuts are "JP's Groove" and "Over The Top", both quite funky and cool. You can't sit still while listening. "I Can't Let Go" is so sentimental and touching that the lush harmonies just add to the feeling of wonder. "We've Got To Try" would be worth the price of the CD just due to Bill Champlin's amazing vocals, but this song would be great even without Bill. It's got a groove that just grabs you and won't let go. This is a great CD.

You can click on the CD on the left to go to Amazon.com's site for "Making Up Lost Time". There are customer reviews and comments. Tom's CD is currently rated at 5 stars, the highest possible rating. Unfortunately, the sound files are no longer available and there is no discount on the price.