Tom Eaton is a Grammy-nominated[1] American multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer, and mastering engineer.[2] He is known as the composer of multiple albums, and as a producer and engineer who works with Grammy Award-winner William Ackerman.[3]

Tom Eaton
Background information
Born1971
Newton Junction, NH, United States
Genresnew-age, ambient
Occupation(s)Musician, composer, producer, mastering engineer
Instrument(s)Piano, synthesizer, bass guitar
Years active2000s–present
LabelsSpotted Peccary Music, Riverwide Records, Heartdance Records, Retso Records, Cassauna/Important Records
Websitewww.tomeaton.net

Since 1993, Allmusic credits Eaton 649 times on 147 albums for production roles, including being an engineer, a producer, mixing, mastering, and for performing piano, keyboards, electric bass, bass, guitar, percussion, accordion, and vocals.[4] He was an engineer on Laura Sullivan's Grammy Award-winning album Love's River.

His influences include Tangerine Dream, Patrick O'Hearn, Vangelis, George Winston, and Tim Story.[5][2]

Eaton currently resides in East Kingston, NH, where he composes and works in a converted barn.[6]

Early life edit

Eaton was born in 1971 in Newton Junction, NH, United States.[2] He attended Phillips Andover co-educational university-preparatory school where he encountered their music laboratory in 1987 and started composing music. A year later he started to play piano, influenced by George Winston.[2]

Musical career edit

In 1993, Eaton opened his first commercial studio, Thomas Eaton Recording in Newburyport, MA[7][8][9] In 2009, he received a phone call from William Ackerman to join him as a co-producer at Imaginary Road Studio where they have since co-produced dozens of albums together.[10] In 2014, Ackerman produced and Eaton engineered Laura Sullivan's Grammy Award-winning album Love's River.

In 2010, he co-released Winter Loves Company with cellist Kristen Miller.[11][2]

In February 2016, Eaton released his first album, abendromen on riverwide records.[5] abendromen garnered Eaton a Zone Music Reporter award as Best New Artist.[12] He was credited on three of the 2016 Zone Music Reporter award-winning albums, not including his own.[10] abendromen was followed up by indesterren, released in September 2016, also on riverwide records.[13] He also released a download only album, Days of Green and Light.[14][2]

At the 2017, Zone Music Reporter Awards, Abendromen was nominated as best ambient album and he won the award for best new artist.

In 2018, Eaton began performing with Jeff Oster and guitarist Vin Downes in a group they named Departure[15] and appeared on an Echoes streaming "living room concert." One of the songs performed in the streaming concert appears on Echoes album, Victoria Place: Echoes Live 23.[16] He also recorded SPICA/ACIPS on Important Records as part of their limited edition Cassauna cassette catalog.

In April 2019, Eaton released how it happened on Spotted Peccary Music.[17] It was selected by Ambient Music Guide as one of the best of 2019.[18] He also performed in the Zone Music Reporter's 15th Annual Music Concert in New Orleans on May 18, 2019.[19]

In April 2020, Eaton and Ackerman received the Best Instrumental Music Producer Award at the 18th Independent Music Awards for their work on FLOW's first self-titled album.[20]

In May 2020, Eaton released elements: audio environments on riverwide records.[21] Textura selected it as one of their Top 10 Ambient / New Age albums.[22]

Brothers edit

In July 2021, Eaton, William Ackerman and Jeff Oster began to record the album Brothers. Originally, Brothers was conceived by Oster as a collaboration with Ackerman, but based on Eaton's musical contributions (as well as his recording, arranging, mixing and mastering the album), Eaton was made a "brother" and given equal billing. Recording took place at Eaton's studio in Newburyport, MA and Ackerman's Imaginary Road Studios in Vermont. Eaton performed on piano, keyboard, bass, percussion, and electric guitar, Ackerman performed on acoustic guitar, and Oster performed on flugelhorn and trumpet.[23][24] The album was nominated for the Grammy Award's Best New Age Album.[1]

Notable collaborations edit

Artist Album Released Credits Award(s)
Will Ackerman Positano Songs[25] 2022 Producer, engineer, Mixing, Mastering, Piano, Bass Grammy Award Nominee for Best New Age, Ambient, or Chant Album[26]
Will Ackerman, Jeff Oster, Tom Eaton Brothers[27] 2021 Primary Artist, composer, Piano, Rhodes, Bass, Percussion, Guitar (Electric), arranger, producer, engineer, Mixing, Mastering Grammy Award Nominee for Best New Age Album[28]
FLOW Promise[29] 2019 Producer, engineer, Mastering, Accordion, Bass, Guitar (Electric), Keyboards, Percussion 2019 ZMR Album of the Year[30]
Kathryn Kaye Solace of Mountains And Clouds[31] 2019 Producer, engineer, Mixing, Mastering, Accordion, Bass, Guitar (Electric) 2019 ZMR Best Piano Album with Instrumentation[30]
Todd Mosby Open Waters[32] 2019 Producer, engineer, Mixing, Mastering, Fender Rhodes, Shaker, Synthesizer Pads 2019 ZMR Best Contemporary Instrumental Album[30]
Heidi Breyer Moonlight in Empty Rooms[33] 2018 Producer, engineer, Mixing, Mastering 2018 ZMR Best Piano Album with Instrumentation[34]
Jeff Oster Reach[35] 2018 Mastering 2018 ZMR Album of the Year, Best Contemporary Instrumental Album[34]
David Wahler Mosaic[36] 2018 Mastering 2018 ZMR Best Relaxation Meditation Album[34]
FLOW FLOW[37] 2017 Producer, Mixing, Mastering, Bass, Guitar 2017 ZMR Album of the Year, Best Contemporary Instrumental Album,[38] Independent Music Awards New Age Album of the Year[39]
Fiona Joy Hawkins Signature – Synchronicity[40] 2016 Producer, Mixing, Bass, Bass (Electric), Guitar (Electric), Keyboards, Percussion Independent Music Award for Best New Age Song for "Song Calling Earth," Best New Age Album;[41] 2016 ZMR Best Piano Album[42]
Kathryn Kaye There Was A Time[43] 2016 Producer, engineer, Mixing, Mastering, Accordion 2016 ZMR Best Piano Album with Instrumentation[42]
Jeff Pearce Follow the River Home[44] 2016 Mastering 2016 ZMR Best Ambient Album[42]
Erik Scott In the Company of Clouds[45] 2016 Mastering 2016 ZMR Album of the Year, Best Contemporary Instrumental Album[42]
Kathryn Kaye Patterns of Sun and Shade[46] 2015 Producer, Accompaniment, Bass, Percussion 2015 ZMR Best Piano Album with Instrumentation[47]
Jeff Oster Next[48] 2015 Producer, arranger, engineer, Mixing, Bass, composer, Fender Rhodes, Guitar, Hammond B3, Handclapping, Keyboards, Loop Programming, Percussion, Piano, Synthesizer 2015 ZMR Album of the Year, Best Chill / Groove Album[47]
Lawrence Blatt Emergence[49] 2014 Recording, Mixing, and Mastering 2014 ZMR Best Instrumental Album, Acoustic[50]
Jennifer DeFrayne By A Wire[51] 2014 Engineer, Mixing, Mastering, Bass, Cajon, Guitar (Bass), Guitar (Electric), Keyboards, Percussion, Tambourine, Vocals, Water Bottle, Wood Block 2014 ZMR Best New Artist[50]
Jill Haley Mesa Verde Soundscapes[52] 2014 Producer, engineer, Mixing, Mastering, Bass Engineer, Guitar Engineer, Piano Engineer 2014 ZMR Best Piano Album with Instrumentation[50]
Masako Call of the Mountains[53] 2014 Producer, engineer, Mixing, Mastering 2014 ZMR Best Piano Album, Solo[50]
Kathryn Kaye What the Winter Said[54][55] 2013 Producer, Recording, Mixing, Mastering, Accordion, Autoharp, Bass 2013 ZMR Best Holiday Album[56]
Masako Masako[57] 2013 Producer, engineer, Mixing, Mastering 2013 ZMR Best New Artist[56]
Shambhu Dreaming of Now[58] 2013 Producer, engineer, Mixing, Mastering 2013 ZMR Best Contemporary Instrumental Album[56]
Todd Boston Touched by the Sun[59] 2012 Producer, engineer, Mixing, Mastering, Clapping 2012 ZMR Best Instrumental Album, Acoustic[60]
The Gathering The Gathering[61] 2012 Producer, Editing, Mastering 2012 ZMR Album of the Year, Best Contemporary Instrumental Album[60]

Discography edit

  • Winter Loves Company with Kristen Miller (2010)
  • abendromen (2016)
  • indesterren (2016)
  • Days of Green and Light (2016)
  • SPICA/ACIPS (2018)
  • how it happened (2019)
  • elements: audio environments – air (2020)
  • elements: audio environments – earth (2020)
  • elements: audio environments – fire (2020)
  • elements: audio environments – water (2020)
  • snapshots (2021)
  • Brothers with Will Ackerman and Jeff Oster (2021)
  • shades of fog (2022)
  • verloren (2022)
  • twenty-two: collected singles 2021–2022 (2022)
  • ghosts (EP) (2023)
  • linger (2023)
  • weathering (2023)
  • into the fall (2023)
  • the hours (2024)
  • seven conversations with Jeff Oster and Vin Downes (2024)

References edit

  1. ^ a b "2022 GRAMMYs Awards: Complete Nominations List". GRAMMY.com. 2021-11-23. Retrieved 2021-11-26.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Interview with Tom Eaton, March 2016 | MainlyPiano.com".
  3. ^ day; jazz.com, remains a music opinion-maker at night His musings are strewn across the interwebs on; AllAboutJazz.com; Board, A. Football Discussion (2021-09-22). "Will Ackerman, Jeff Oster + Tom Eaton – 'Brothers' (2021)". Something Else!. Retrieved 2022-04-17.
  4. ^ "Tom Eaton | Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic.
  5. ^ a b "CD/DVD Reviews – TOM EATON, abendromen (Riverwide Records)".
  6. ^ Wednesday, March 30th: Grammy nominee Tom Eaton, retrieved 2022-04-17
  7. ^ "Exposé Online Reviews Tom Eaton – How It Happened".
  8. ^ "A Roundup of the Best Recording Studios for $100/Hr. or Less". 24 July 2010.
  9. ^ "Sweetnotes_February_06.pdf" (PDF).
  10. ^ a b "Echoes Podcast: Tom Eaton Engineering Ambience; Echoes". 8 June 2017.
  11. ^ "Winter Loves Company by Kristen Miller and Tom Eaton on Amazon Music". Amazon.
  12. ^ "2016 ZMR Music Award Winners".
  13. ^ "Review: Indesterren by Tom Eaton".
  14. ^ "Days of Green and Light by Tom Eaton on Amazon Music". Amazon.
  15. ^ "Ambient Visions Presents an Interview with Vin Downes".
  16. ^ "Departure Concert Streaming on Echoes – Echoes". 7 August 2018.
  17. ^ "How it Happened | Electronic Music Brainvoyager".
  18. ^ "Best Albums of 2019: Tom Eaton – How It Happened – Ambient Music Guide".
  19. ^ "ZMR Music Awards Live Show Performers".
  20. ^ "The 18th Independent Music Awards Winners".
  21. ^ "Expose Online | Reviews | Tom Eaton – Elements: Audio Environments".
  22. ^ "textura".
  23. ^ Correspondent, Victoria Chertok. "'Brothers' — in life and in music: Jeff Oster, Tom Eaton, Will Ackerman release new album". Brattleboro Reformer. Retrieved 2021-12-01.
  24. ^ Widran, Jonathan (2021-07-05). "WILL ACKERMAN, JEFF OSTER, TOM EATON, Brothers". Music Reviews – JWV. Retrieved 2021-07-18.
  25. ^ Positano Songs – Will Ackerman | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic, retrieved 2023-03-12
  26. ^ "Grammy.com". www.grammy.com. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
  27. ^ Brothers – Will Ackerman, Tom Eaton, Jeff Oster | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic, retrieved 2022-04-17
  28. ^ "Grammy.com". www.grammy.com. Retrieved 2022-04-17.
  29. ^ "Promise – FLOW | Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic.
  30. ^ a b c "2019 ZMR Award Winners".
  31. ^ "Solace of Mountains and Clouds – Kathryn Kaye | Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic.
  32. ^ "Open Waters – Todd Mosby | Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic.
  33. ^ "Moonlight in Empty Rooms – Heidi Breyer | Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic.
  34. ^ a b c "2018 ZMR Music Award Winners".
  35. ^ "Reach – Jeff Oster | Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic.
  36. ^ "Mosaic – David Wahler | Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic.
  37. ^ "FLOW – FLOW | Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic.
  38. ^ "2017 ZMR Music Award Winners".
  39. ^ "The 16th Independent Music Awards Winners Announced- Independent Music Awards". 2 April 2018.
  40. ^ "Signature – Synchronicity – Fiona Joy Hawkins | Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic.
  41. ^ "Independent Music Awards | Winners of The 15th Annual Independent Music Awards Announced at The IMAs Independent Music Party @ Lincoln Center". 17 November 2016. Archived from the original on 2016-12-20.
  42. ^ a b c d "2016 ZMR Music Award Winners".
  43. ^ "There Was a Time – Kathryn Kaye | Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic.
  44. ^ "Follow the River Home – Jeff Pearce | Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic.
  45. ^ "In the Company of Clouds – Erik Scott | Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic.
  46. ^ "Patterns of Sun and Shade – Kathryn Kaye | Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic.
  47. ^ a b "2015 ZMR Music Award Winners".
  48. ^ "Next – Jeff Oster | Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic.
  49. ^ "Emergence | Lawrence Blatt". 7 March 2017.
  50. ^ a b c d "2014 ZMR Music Award Winners".
  51. ^ "By a Wire – Jennifer Defrayne | Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic.
  52. ^ "Mesa Verde Soundscapes – Jill Haley | Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic.
  53. ^ "Call of the Mountains – Masako | Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic.
  54. ^ "Kathryn Kaye – What the Winter Said".
  55. ^ "What the Winter Said by Kathryn Kaye – Album Review | MainlyPiano.com".
  56. ^ a b c "2013 ZMR Music Award Winners".
  57. ^ "Masako – Masako | Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic.
  58. ^ "Dreaming of Now – Shambhu | Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic.
  59. ^ "Touched By The Sun – Todd Boston | Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic.
  60. ^ a b "2012 ZMR Music Award Winners".
  61. ^ "The Gathering – Various Artists | Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic.

External links edit