A little about our Blast from the Past guest artist:
DESPITE HIS NICKNAME Tom “Bones” Malone, began his professional career playing lead trumpet with Brenda Lee in Jackson, MS while enrolled at the University of Southern Mississippi. Malone continued working as a performer after transferring to North Texas State University.
Upon graduation, Malone played with the bands of Woody Herman,Frank Zappa, Spyro Gyra, Doc Severinsen and Blood, Sweat & Tears. In 1973, Malone began a 15-year association with Gil Evans,“ ” with whom Malone recorded seven albums and toured Europe, Japan & the Far East.
A call in the early 1970s from Saturday Night Live (SNL) led to Malone performing & arranging for the show from 1975-1985. In 1981 became the musical director of the SNL band.
A single SNL comedy skit featuring John Belushi & Dan Aykroyd turned into “The Blues Brothers,” for which Malone wrote the first chart then continued as an integral member of the franchise. Malone’s work is on all Blues Brothers recordings and The Blues Brothers (Universal) film score. In 1997 Blues Brothers 2000 was released with considerable contributions to the film score by Malone.
In 1993, Malone reunited with SNL veterans Paul Schaffer & Will Lee to form the house band for The Late Show with David Letterman, with whom he worked until the final episode in 2015.
An active writer & performer, Malone can be heard on the recordings of a Who’s Who list of jazz, R&B, rock & classical artists. His credits include performances with James Brown, Ray Charles, Miles Davis, Pink Floyd, Diana Ross, Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen & Diana Ross.
Besides performing, arranging, producing & composing, Malone is an active clinician in educational settings. He currently lives in Manhattan.