Singular Soundscapes: Exceptional Solo Albums
Discover the captivating world of Thomas Lorenzo, your Sydney-based guitar virtuoso specializing in blues, jazz, and flamenco!
Thomas has released five solo instrumental albums in contemporary Jazz, Blues and Flamenco styles. His latest release Spanish Breeze debuted at #36 on the Top 50 JazzWeek World Music Album Charts in 2010 and was #32 on the College Music Journal Jazz Chart. The album features Grammy nominee Alphonso Johnson (Weather Report, Grateful Dead) on Bass, Dave Garfield (George Benson) on Keys, and Walfredo Reyes (Santana) on Drums, and was produced by Grammy nominee Bruce Sugar (Ringo Starr).
Guitar Teacher
Thomas has a prolific background in musical education. In the early nineties, he graduated from the Berklee College of Music in Boston, USA, under the supervision of Grammy award winner Robert Freedman. He has taught and lectured at several significant musical institutions, including Paul McCartney’s Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts and “L’Aula de Musica Moderna i Jazz” of The Barcelona Liceo Conservatory.
In 1995, Thomas Lorenzo was commissioned by the Spanish Society of Authors to write the first Spanish textbook on arranging and orchestration. The textbook, titled “El Arreglo, Un Puzzle de Expresión musical,” is now in its third edition and extensively used worldwide in Spanish language music schools, universities, and conservatories.
Currently, Thomas teaches guitar and music through private tuition as a Sydney Guitar Teacher and group workshop settings at at his own establishments, the Creative Guitar School and the Creative Guitar Academy. Despite his deep technical and theoretical background, Thomas adopts a highly practical teaching method. He believes in keeping things simple and custom-tailoring theoretical content to suit each individual’s natural musical learning abilities. Thomas is focused on helping individuals explore their innate musical talents, express their unique creativity, and, most importantly, experience a positive outlook on life.
Thomas was born on Dharawal country, Wollongong, NSW, Australia. Since childhood, all of his music has been a reflection of his birthplace and mother nature.
Seeking a deeper understanding of nature to compose new works, he sought the teachings of Aboriginal Culture by Traditional Custodians where the need to possess and have power over others was nonexistent, and it has allowed them to live in harmony with nature for over 50,000 years.
In 2021, Thomas was the recipient of a Creative Arts Grant from the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria. Works derived from this grant include his collaboration with Gunai Kurnai Custodian Storyteller Wayne Thorpe, a 40-minute musical suite based on the Creation story of Waratah Bay in East Gippsland, Victoria, Australia.
In 2022, he collaborates with Dharawal Custodian Storyteller Dr. Jodi Edwards as part of her Fellowship through RMIT University to compose and develop music for her project, The Melodies of Language, with a focus on Dharawal Lore. Works derived from this collaboration include Madjari Yandha Gadhu, Geera Nhama-yanad Minnamurra.
Major releases Singles and Albums
- Flamenco Street Projects (Street Life Music, 1995)
- El Deseo (Ottomani, 2000)
- Espacio, (Ottomani, 2001)
- Juego de Almas (Ottomani, 2003)
- Spanish Breeze (Barcelona Music, 2009) with Alphonso Johnson on bass, Walfredo Reyes, Jr. on drums, Dave Garfield on piano, and engineered by Bruce Sugar.
- Triste (TL Productions, 2016)
- Yesterday (TL Productions, 2016)
- Tico Tico no Fubá (TL Productions, 2016)
- Dos Gardenias (TL Productions, 2017)
- Australia Flamenjazz Guitar (TL Productions, 2017)
- Libertad (TL Productions, 2018)
- Nostalgia (TL Productions, 2018)
- Friends (TL Productions, 2018)
- Caminando (TL Productions, 2019)
- A Gentle Touch (TL Productions, 2020)
- The Balance of Nature (TL Productions 2021)
- La Vidala (TL Productions 2021)
- Just the Two of Us (TL Productions 2022)
- Lamento ( TL Productions 2023)
- The Lyrebird ( TL Productions 2023)
- Madjari Yandha Gadhu ( TL Productions 2023)
- Geera Nhama-ya ( TL Productions 2023)
- Minnamurra (TL Productions 2023)
- My Happy Place ( TL Productions 2023)
- The Love of Life (TL Productions 2023)