Tom Whitehead

The Hadacol Bouncers formed in the summer of 2013 for a Portland, Maine Swing Dance festival and have never looked back. They have continued their close association with the dance crowd and are always looking to play for dancers. The group is a joint effort by co-band leaders Tom Whitehead (piano) and Peter Dunphy (banjo). Tom has a multi-style background in blues, New Orleans R&B and bebop piano. Peter has been playing New Orleans and Chicago-style jazz since he was fourteen. For the Hadacol Bouncers, Tom and Peter handpicked some of their favorite musicians from the Portland and Portsmouth jazz scene. Like any band of this size, there are several players who rotate in and out, but the following are the established core. ​Read More »

This group is lead by vocalist, guitarist and pianist, Tom Whitehead. The ensemble also features Michael Arciero on guitar, Kris Day on upright bass and Don Whitney on drums. The sound evokes the smooth, acoustic feeling of Django Reinhardt’s gypsy jazz style, but with a distinctly American flavor of vocal standards from the 20’s, 30’s and 40’s. Read More »

The sound of WurliBird Jazz emulates the great organ trios of the 50’s and 60’s in which the keyboard player walks the bass lines in addition to the usual role of melody and harmonic support. Not only is this fun to watch, it also creates a very economical, sparse sound that swings hard with a funky edge. The trio features Wurlitzer electric piano, drums and guitar. They cover a wide range of material; moving easily from classic jazz compositions by Wes Montgomery, Wayne Shorter and Thelonius Monk, to more contemporary sounds, pop standards and original compositions. Read More »

Tom has been playing piano since he was four years old and it is definitely the instrument that helps him get closest to his soul. His current style of piano playing is a virtual gumbo of Jazz, Swing, Stride, New Orleans R &B, Blues and Boogie Woogie. Tom has worked both as a solo artist and in everything from a duo up to an 18-piece big band. Read More »

The Lay-Z-Gait band consists of Tom Whitehead on vocals and guitar; Jonathan Cooper on lap steel, dobro, fiddle and mandolin and Andy Happel on fiddle. The band has several, talented upright bass players to choose from; and when playing for dances and larger venues they also feature a drummer. Read More »

Sean Mencher and His Rhythm Kings play classic 1950's style Rockabilly music. The band is based out of Portland, Maine. Read more »

Mes Amis is a Gypsy Jazz trio led by guitarist, vocalist and composer Steve Lynnworth. The band plays an infectious mix of traditional Gypsy, Latin and American jazz standards along with many of Steve’s original compositions. More at mesamis.biz »