Jazz at the Vaults: Enrico Tomasso - Trumpet

Born into a musical family, his dad, Ernie Tomasso, and his uncle Freddie, played for Harry Gold’s band in the late forties and early fifties. Starting at the age of six with tutor Dick Hawdon, there was a good balance to his studying, one week it would be Louis Armstrong hot breaks but also Arban tutor, for embouchure and technique plus his dad writing out transcriptions of popular band tunes for him. 

"After college in Leeds he did a post-graduate course at the Guildhall, a one-year course which enabled him to get to London. After various bands he joined the Pasadena Roof Orchestra, a 1920s/1930s-style band which did a lot of touring and over the ten year period Enrico was with them, he played all over the World. 

Being brought up on the earlier styles of Swing and Dixieland, by his father, then at college discovering Miles Davis, Clifford Brown, Freddie Hubbard and the fusion jazz movement, Enrico is a musician whose mind is open to anything. As he says, “I play across the board, stylistically. I hope not to get too typecast in one style. Playing in different styles every night keeps me fresh”.

His debut solo album came out in 2012 and he won the “Best Trumpet” section of the British Jazz Awards in 2012 and 2013 with further awards in 2016 and 2018.

An exciting stage presence and a lively personality, combined with his fine command of his instrument and stylistic invention place Enrico among the finest jazz stars of today.