Tom Canning

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Tom Canning
Born (1948-01-24) January 24, 1948 (age 76)
NationalityAmerican
EducationBerklee College of Music North Texas State University
Occupation(s)American keyboardist, writer, producer and Grammy-nominated arranger.
Parent
  • Thomas Canning (father)

Tom Canning (born January 24, 1948) is an American keyboardist, writer, producer, and arranger.[1]

He is perhaps best known for his long-time collaborations with the renowned Jazz/R&B singer Al Jarreau. He has also performed and/or recorded with a wide variety of artists including Eric Clapton, Bonnie Raitt, Wayne Shorter, Glenn Frey, Joe Walsh, T-Bone Burnett, Freddie King, Johnny Shines, Rickie Lee Jones, Elvis Costello, Albert Lee, Playing for Change, Carlene Carter, Johnny Paycheck, Ray Lynch and Johnny Hallyday.[2] Canning has been a part of John Mayall's Bluesbreakers for over a decade, appearing on most of Mayall's releases from 1993's Wake Up Call up to 2009's Tough.

Early life[edit]

Tom Canning was born and raised in Rochester, New York. His father, Thomas Canning, was a professor of Music Theory and Composition at the Eastman School of Music, and his mother was a professional church vocalist. After studying at Berklee School of Music in Boston and North Texas State University, Canning eventually settled in Los Angeles. Soon after arriving in L.A., he began performing and recording with artists such as Delbert McClinton, John Klemmer and T-Bone Burnett.[3]

Career[edit]

Al Jarreau[edit]

In 1974, Canning met the then-unsigned Al Jarreau. They began working together as a duo at The Bla-Bla Cafe, a nightclub in Studio City, CA. Shortly thereafter, Jarreau signed an extended contract with Warner Brothers Records. Canning then worked as Jarreau's Musical Director and eventually his co-writer and co-producer. International touring and recording led to seven albums, multi-platinum sales and numerous Grammy awards. Some of Jarreau's more well-known songs that Canning co-wrote are “Thinkin’ About It Too”, “Never Givin’ Up”, ”Roof Garden”, “Breakin’ Away”, “Step By Step”, “Black and Blues” and “Lost and Found”.[4]

T-Bone Burnett[edit]

In 1972 Canning began recording with T-Bone Burnett on The B-52 Band & the Fabulous Skylarks. He subsequently played on several of Burnett's solo albums, including those with The Alpha Band.[5] Canning later composed or played on several films for which Burnett produced the music, including Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, the Oscar winners Walk the Line and Crazy Heart, and The Ballad of Buster Scruggs.[6]

Thicke of the Night[edit]

In 1983, Canning was the original musical director for the television variety/talk show Thicke of the Night. The show's house band included Alan Pasqua, Kevin Dukes, Dennis Belfield, Mike Baird and Gary Herbig. Richard Belzer, Gilbert Gottfried, Arsenio Hall, and Charles Fleischer were among the cast of writers and performers.[7]

Johnny Hallyday[edit]

In 1998, Canning began performing with French singer Johnny Hallyday. From 1998 through 2003, Canning toured with Hallyday through France and Canada, released three live CD/DVDs (Stade de France 98: Johnny allume le feu, 100% Johnny: Live à la tour Eiffel, and Un soir à l Olympia). Band members included Brian Ray, Abe Laboriel Jr., Curt Bisquera, Reggie Hamilton, and Harry Kim. Canning later returned to France in 2007 with singer Eddy Mitchell, touring and recording the CD Jambalaya, and the live CD/DVD Jambalaya Live. The band included guitarist Todd Sharp, and Davey Faragher and Pete Thomas.[8]

John Mayall[edit]

Tom toured and recorded with British blues artist John Mayall, appearing on a total of 10 albums, including the John Mayall 70th Birthday Concert CD/DVD, featuring Eric Clapton and Mick Taylor.[9]

Film and television[edit]

Canning has composed and performed for a variety of shows including Melrose Place (Fox), The Larry Sanders Show (HBO), Memphis Beat (TNT), Cinema Verite (HBO), Magic City (STARZ) and Psych (USA).[10]

His composition, “The Oh of Pleasure”, co-written with New Age artist Ray Lynch, has been licensed many times for a wide variety of film, television and commercial outlets.

Works[edit]

Discography[edit]

Artist Album Year Label
Al Jarreau We Got By 1975 Warner Bros/Reprise
Glow 1976 Warner Bros/Reprise
Look to the Rainbow 1977 Warner Bros
All Fly Home 1978 Warner Bros
This Time 1980 Warner Bros
Breakin' Away 1981 Warner Bros
In Harmony: A Sesame Street Record 1981 Warner Bros
Jarreau 1983 Warner Bros
Live in London 1985 Warner Bros
Best of 1996 Warner Bros
All I Got 2002 GRP
Love Songs 2008 Rhino
Very Best of 2009 Rhino
Original Album Series 2011 Warner Bros
Al Jarreau - Live: Bremen 1976 2017 Hi Hat
Al Jarreau: Works 2021 WEA/Japan
John Mayall Wake Up Call 1993 Silvertone
Along For The Ride 2001 Eagle
Stories 2002 Eagle
No Days Off 2003 Private Stash
Cookin’ Down Under: Live In Australia† 2003 Private Stash DVD
70th Birthday Concert: w. Eric Clapton and Mick Taylor 2003 Eagle
Road Dogs 2005 Eagle
Essentially John Mayall 2006 Eagle Rock
In The Palace Of The King 2007 Eagle
Tough 2009 Eagle
Silvertones: The Best Of John Mayall 2011 Silvertone
Rock Live! 2019 Universal
T-Bone Burnett J. Henry Burnett: The B-52 Band & The Fabulous Skylarks 1972 Uni
The Alpha Band* 1976 Arista
Spark In the Dark (Alpha Band)* 1977 Arista
Truth Decay* 1980 Takoma
The Talking Animals 1988 Columbia
Twenty-Twenty: The Essential T-Bone Burnett 2006 Sony
Johnny Hallyday Stade de France: Allume le Feu 1998 Universal/Mercury
100% Johnny: Live a la Tour Eiffel 2000 Universal/Mercury
L’Olympia 2000 Universal/Mercury
Live at Bercy: 2003 2020 Universal/Mercury
Performer 2022 Universal/Mercury
Pionnier 2022 Universal/Mercury
John Klemmer Intensity 1972 ABC/Impulse!
Fresh Feathers 1974 ABC
Magic and Movement 1974 ABC/Impulse!
Impulsively! 1977 Impulse!
Ray Lynch Deep Breakfast 1984 R.L. Productions/Music West/Windham Hill
No Blue Thing 1989 R.L. Productions/Music West/Windham Hill
Best Of Ray Lynch-Vol. 1 1998 Windham Hill
Freddie King Larger Than Life* 1975 RSO
Texas Flyer 2010 Bear Family
Buddy Guy Feels Like Rain 1993 Silvertone/Sony
Elvis Costello King of America 1986 Columbia
Girls!Girls!Girls! 1989 Sony/Demon
Delbert McClinton Delbert and Glen 1972 Clean
Truckers, Kickers and Cowboy Angels 1973 Bear Family
Post Modern Blues Vol. 9 1993 Rhino
The Delbert and Glen Sessions 2004 Raven
Definitive Collection 2006 Hip-O
Playing For Change Peace Through Music Tour/Live In Australia 2014 Timeless Media
Betty Buckley Ghostlight 2009 Practical Magic
Bootleg: Board Mixes From The Road 2010 Practical Magic
Eddy Mitchell Jambalaya 2007 Polydor
Jambalaya : Live on Tour 2008 Polydor France
L’Album de sa vie: 50 titres 2023 Universal
Diane Dufresne Striptease 1979 Barclay
Turbulences 1982 Gsi Musique
Best Of/20th Century Masters 2006 Universal
Jim Carroll Dry Dreams 1982 Atco
A World Without Gravity/Best Of 1993 Rhino
Robert Downey Jr The Futurist 2004 Sony
Stephen Bruton What It Is 1993 Dos
Right On Time 1995 Dos
From The Five 2006 New West
Scott Cossu She Describes Infinity 1987 Windham Hill
Windham Hill Sampler Vol. 5 1988 Windham Hill
Retrospective 1992 Windham Hill
When Spirits Fly 1998 Miramax/Alula
When Spirits Fly…Again 2004 Alula
DeBarge Rhythm of the Night 1985 Gordy
Time Will Reveal: Complete Motown Albums 2011 Hip-O
Leni Stern Love Comes Quietly 2006 LSR
Take 6 Iconic 2018 Sono/Universal Music
Rita Coolidge Safe In The Arms Of Time 2018 Blue Elan
Billy Vera Timeless 2019 Vera-Cruz Music Co.
Alejandro Escovedo 13 Years 1993 Watermelon
The End/Losing Your Touch (Maxi) 1994 Watermelon
With These Hands 1996 Rykodisc
Amy Rigby Middlescence 1996 Koch
18 Again: Anthology 2002 Koch
Exile/Atsushi (featuring Boyz II Men) Premium Live: SOLO 2010 Rhythm Zone—Japan
Yvonne Elliman Yvonne 1979 RSO
Best Of 1997 Polygram Motown/Universal
Richie Lecea Face To Face 1978 United Artists
Tex Beaumont Hurricane of Love 1996 Nicotine Fit
Storyville Bluest Eyes 1994 November Records
Jerry Riopelle Hush Money 1994 Mesa/Blue Moon
Star Academy 5 Les Meilleurs Moments 2007 Endemol
Markus Becker Kiev-Chicago: Pictures At An Exhibition & Jazz Improvisations 2014 Dreyer/Gaido
Daniel Moore The Giveaway 2007 DJM
Limited Parking 2008 DJM
Scott Ellison Steamin’ 2000 JSE
Ice Storm 2008 Earwig
Lenny Goldsmith Lenny Goldsmith & The New Old 2021

†Released as DVD

*As “K.O. Thomas”

Filmography[edit]

Year Title Studio
1983 Hells Angels Forever Baytide/Wescom Productions
1986 Whoopee Boys Paramount
1987 Bates Motel Universal Television
1988 Cocktail Disney
1987 - 1988 Rags To Riches New World TV
1989 Shag Hemdale Film Corp.
1989 Great Balls Of Fire MGM/UA
1990 Modern Love Triumph Films
1991 Bebe's Kids Paramount
1992 Melrose Place World Vision Enterprises
1994 Wes Craven's New Nightmare New Line Cinema
1994 Highlander III: The Sorcerer Miramax
1994 In Search of Angels TCM
1995 A Street Car Named Desire CBS
1997 Traveller October Films
1997 The Larry Sanders Show HBO
1999 The Woman Chaser Definitive/Tarmac Films
2001 Malcolm In The Middle Fox
2002 Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood Warner Brothers
2003 Fighting Temptations Paramount/MTV
2005 Walk The Line 20th Century Fox
2006 All The King's Men SPE Sony/Columbia
2009 Crazy Heart Fox Searchlight
2009 Gentlemen Broncos Fox Searchlight
2011 Cinema Vérité HBO
2011 Memphis Beat Warner Horizon TV
2012 - 2013 Magic City Starz
2013 Psych USA
2018 The Ballad of Buster Scruggs Netflix
2019–Present One Day at Disney Fox Searchlight
2019 Rick and Morty Adult Swim

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Tom Canning - Biography". tomcanningmusic.com. 26 September 2021.
  2. ^ "Tom Canning - Biography". tomcanningmusic.com. 26 September 2021.
  3. ^ "Tom Canning - Biography". tomcanningmusic.com. 26 September 2021.
  4. ^ "Tom Canning Musician Credits". AllMusic.com. Retrieved October 16, 2021.
  5. ^ "Tom Canning Musician Credits". AllMusic.com. Retrieved October 16, 2021.
  6. ^ "Tom Canning Production Credits". IMDb.com. Retrieved October 16, 2021.
  7. ^ "Thicke of the Night Series Credits". IMDb.com. Retrieved October 16, 2021.
  8. ^ "Tom Canning - Viva La France". 16 October 2021.
  9. ^ "Tom Canning - John Mayall". 16 October 2021.
  10. ^ "Tom Canning Production Credits". IMDb.com. Retrieved October 16, 2021.

External links[edit]