The Band & Staff Today
We welcome photos and information to add to this page. Please send it to us if you can.
Tom’s lead guitarist and musical director Brian Monroney is considered by his professional peers to be a master musician. Brian studied guitar at Florida’s University of Miami and,since them, has made his mark as player, composer and music technologist. He joined Tom in 1992 and, in 1996, was named MD.Brian has played and recorded with artists from around the world, including saxophonist Paul Taylor and Gloria Estefan (with whom Kenny Anderson has also played). Brian, like many musicians, is a fan of the Mac, using a PowerBook G4 for a lot of his music and has written a software tutorial for a digital music app. He has worked in all genres, from rock to jazz to classical.
Brian and Tom mix it up for It’s Not Unusual and, in bottom photo, with Kenny, feel the emotion of What Am I Living For. 
Sax player Kenny Anderson is one of the most popular musicians onstage with Tom as his personality shines through in his solos, especially in What Am I Living For.Also considered a master musician, Kenny’s played with Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine and was featured on Arturo Sandoval’s Grammy-nominated album Arturo Sandoval And The Latin Train. He has mastered several instruments.(Photo of Kenny onstage at Chumash Casino, California, June 24, 2005. Courtesy of dwightmccann.com.) 
When Tower of Power opened for Tom in the spring and summer of 2005, it must have been like old home week for drummer Herman Matthews.Herman played with Tower of Power in 1997 and 1998. He joined Tom in 2003. He’s also played with Kenny Loggins, Stevie Wonder, Chaka Khan, Vince Gill, Amy Grant and Richard Marx, amomg many others.The Houston native is a graduate of that city’s prestigious High School of Performing and Visual Arts and the world-famous Interlochen arts program.In 2003 Herman wrote in Drum magazine: “I feel my role as a drummer is to support. Now, that doesn’t work for everyone, but I sure would love to hear more of it. Nowadays everybody is out to get theirs. Everybody wants to get noticed, forgetting that a groove has to be established so that the players on top have some support to play over.”Players should consider that in order for the tallest, grandest building to be built (or any building, for that matter) it has to have a strong foundation. When making gumbo, you must first have a good roux or when baking a cake, the ingredients must be the best they can be in order for the cake to be the best it can be.I appreciate a great foundation player, a player that plays from the bottom up.” Find out more about Herman at his great website. 
Home At Last is Herman’s new CD. You can sample and buy it here. (Photo of Herman onstage at Chumash Casino, California, June 24, 2005. Courtesy of dwightmccann.com).
Like Tom’s idol Jerry Lee Lewis, keyboard player Frank Strauss is indeed a “killer” on the keyboards, pounding out the boogie woogie beats Tom (and the audience) loves. Before joining Tom, he was Melissa Manchester’s pianist. He and Herman have both played with Phil Settle and, like Brian Monroney, Frank is an advocate of using computer technology to make music.Photo of Frank taken December 19, 2005, MGM Grand.
Trumpet player Kevin Richardson, like Tom’s other musicians (OK, it gets tiresome, but we have to say how great his band is because so many singers are backed by musicians who are, well, just journeymen and Tom’s really are among the very best) brings a wealth of diverse experience to the bandstand, having played with Brian Setzer and Leann Rimes. For the record, he is not a Backstreet Boy.
We’d love some more information on trombone player Michael Turnbull. All we know about this Nevada resident, is that he played on an album with bass player Kirwan Brown and has been with Tom’s band since 2000.
Stepping in for Pete Olstad on trumpet is Bill Churchville. An accomplished LA-based musician, Bill is an alumnus of Tower of Power. He’s worked with a very diverse list of musicians, from Elton John, Joe Cocker, John Hiatt, Wilie Nelson, Billy Joel, Bill Cosby, the Doobie Brothers, Kid Rock, The O’Jays, Percy Sledge, Rober Goulet, WAR, Dwight Yoakum….and — well, the list goes on and on.
A decorated veteran of the Armed Forces, the New Orleans native was awarded the awarded the prestigious Downbeat Magazine Outstanding College Jazz Instrumental Soloist Award while in college. He holds a master’s degree in Jazz Studies from USC, where he also taught.
You’ve heard his music in film, TV shows and commercials — and, now, with Tom.
You can read more about him and hear him play at his website.
Ric Fierabracci, who joined the band in February 2008, is an accomplished musician who has played with some of the finest musicians around today including Ben E. King, Shakira, the Beach Boys, Ann Hampton Calloway, Chick Corea and MD Brian Monroney. His band, Hemispheres, has a new CD out. You can sample it on his website or on his myspace page. The California resident describes himself as a “bassist/composer/producer” and he also teaches advanced bass students. Ric lists his heroes as Homer, Winston Churchill and Shemp…..With that list, he’s got to be a good guy.
Behind the Scenes
Tom’s personal assistant, Don Archell (left, with Tom), is a former singer who had a hit in Europe with The Wayward Wind and had one of the first of what today would be a music video. It was on a Cinebox machine, a kind of jukebox-like contraption. Before he joined Tom’s staff, Don was Rod Stewart’s PA.You’ll invariably see this fit (he’s a runner) and dapper Brit whenever you spot Tom while they’re on the road. He appeared with Tom in Agnes Browne. (Thanks to Mary for this photo.)
Tour manager Sandy Battaglia started with Tom as a sound engineer approximately 20 years ago. Early in his career, Sandy was a roadie with the Cleveland Ohio-based band Rapscallion.On a web page devoted to a band Sandy worked with early in his career, a band member writes: “Eventually we ended up living in a big old house in the center of Brecksville [Ohio]. It was old and ugly but what a cool house. Sandy and Mikey were our ‘road guys.’ Santos Battaglia and Mike Rogers. What a pair. You couldn’t ask for better entertainment. Sandy, with the Jerry Garcia hair, built like a linebacker…One powerful individual. Sandy could carry two bass reflex cabinets up a flight of stairs…one in each hand..while carrying on a casual conversation. I’ve seen him do it, amazing!”Today, of course, Sandy travels with Tom. His Henderson, Nevada-based company, Gig Productions, supplies the backline equipment (amps, some instruments, etc.) for the show and he serves as the liaison with Tom Jones’ management on the road.You’ll recognize Sandy when you see him because he’s is almost always clad in shorts.
Thanks to the fan who sent this photo.
from amazon.com. Ships worldwide Nov. 25!
