Galway based dobro/guitarist and songwriter Tom Portman is kicking off the spring of 2019 with a hop in his step, with an early February concert in the Courthouse Gallery Kinvara. Full of beans after concentrating on writing new material over the winter this promises to be beautiful and heart warming gig mixing instrumental dexterity with soulful to humorous songwriting. Tom’s music draws on folk, the blues, swing, classical, trad and all the way to music of the east. A good way to kick off the winter blues..
Off on tour again!
After a few months of lots of local gigs, teaching and writing everything’s about to kick off again. Was out playing on Inis Bofin on Saturday and then back to Galway to play the Twelve in Barna last night. Just finished a great night at the Roisin Duphh with the wonderful John Conneely Inc. Super vibe, super players and a super audience. What more can you ask for on a Sunday night.
From Thursday the 5th of May I’m off on tour for 2 weeks playing with Grammy nominated Brother Dege from Louisiana. I’ll also be doing supports for the shows. Can’t wait!
Thursday the 5th of May in the Spiritstore, Dundalk.
Friday 6th May, the Brewery Corner in Kilkenny.
Sunday 8th May, Crane Lane in Cork.
9th May Frog and Fiddle, Cheltenham, U.K.
10th May’s in the Royal Clark, Bath, UK.
11th May, Brixton Windmill Theatre, UK.
https://www.facebook.com/events/1721868951431039/
After that it’s over to France, Belgium and Holland. From the 13th to 21st. Details up shortly.
Spring time’s coming!
Wonderful last week to play at the Galway Guitar Night, it’s just great to play for such an appreciative audience and to have the opportunity to play an acoustic set. Loved hearing Megacone’s music with their 7th string guitars and tight arrangements, it’s like Ozric Tenticles meets Flash Gordan epic space adventures. Jake Curran was a real pleasure too, great tone, jazzy blues grooves and a fab rhythm section too top it off.
As for me at the moment, I’m busy teaching, practicing and writing and planning the year ahead. I’ve a few tours in the pipe line and some new recordings to finish off and get ready to release. Last year it was great o be involved in so many projects. I recorded on the Murmurations Album with John Conneely and Peader King, We Banjo 3’s live album, some other session work was released too and of course the biggy I finished and released ‘White Crow’ my fourth solo album which was a big and fun undertaking. Another lovely project on too was with Peader King for an album Notre Dame University playing more Traditional music and finishing off with a concert in Kylemore Abbey. It was great last year to play the Suwalki Blues festival in Poland with my Trio and do 2 tours with Brother Dege playing in Germany, Holland, Switzerland, Austria and Luxumbourg. It was a blast to being playing in so many great places with good people. Who know’s where this year will bring me to play, I’ll keep you posted. As for this weekend I’m playing the Twelve this weekend on Sunday, might even bring out the Mandolin as it’s Valentines day and then head for a jam with the wonderful John Conneely Inc. in the Roisin Duph’s afterwards for great gig, jam and vibe.
Tom Portman Trio @ Monroe’s
GALWAY ADVERTISER, AUGUST 16, 2012.
By Kernan Andrews
TOM PORTMAN, the gifted guitarist, and his band, will take to the stage of Monroe’s Backstage Bar next Wednesday at 10pm.
This will be an all electric affair from Tom, who is best known for his work as an acoustic and Dobro slide guitarist, and the night promises a dynamic alternate take on Tom’s compositions, with a strong blues element. Tom will be joined by drummer Cieron Kelly (The Lazy Blues Band/The Rye) and bassist Marcus Molloy (Big Geraniums).Tom has played the Electric Picnic and the DLR Festival of world cultures. He is currently on tour in the south of France. Check out his most recent album At One.Tickets are €5 and are available on the door or through www.monroes.ie and 091 – 583397.
Tom Portman launches new album at Town Hall
By Charlie Mcbride
TOM PORTMAN, performer, composer, songwriter and talented multi-instrumentalist, launches his new album At One, with a gig at the Town Hall on Saturday January 29. Portman is probably best known for his work with Dobro and guitar and both instruments are to the fore in At One’s collection of melodic, intimate, and contemplative tunes. Most of the tracks are instrumentals and feature a mix of Portman originals alongside his interpretations of traditional pieces like ‘Paddy Fahey’s Reel’ and ‘Bonaparte Crossing The Alps’.
Originally from Roscommon, Portman’s family moved to Chesterfield when he was a child. Music was a big part of his family life, as he revealed over a lunchtime chat in Sheridan’s Bar in Knocknacarra.
“All my family were into music,” he recalls. “My grandmother taught piano and sang with the Chesterfield Philharmonic Choir and my grandfather was a very good harmonica player. With my mum I remember we were always singing at home, she’s a great singer.
“My uncle plays guitar, my other uncle is a professional keyboard/piano player, and my dad was a lovely bodhran and bones player – he still plays a bit. I remember I got my first guitar when I was four or five, I couldn’t play it then though.
“My sister gave me loads of heavy metal records so I used to listen to those and jump off my chair with the guitar and pretend I was Richie Sambora from Bon Jovi!”
A few years later Portman began to study the guitar in greater earnest.
“My uncle started teaching me guitar when I was 12 or 13,” he recalls. “I heard it and I was captivated and wanted to learn. Later on I was taught by Kevin Walters who used to play with Shakin’ Stevens, he showed me some slide guitar and that got me kinda interested in the Dobro then my dad bought me one.
“I’ve always been curious about other instruments, I went travelling in my early 20s and wanted an instrument I could travel with so took a violin with me with the idea that I would learn it as I travelled – I’m still learning!”
Not only is Portman interested in different instruments, the music he plays and composes is like a melting pot, drawing on a wide range of sounds and influences. His eclecticism is borne out by his recent recording of an Indian classical fusion album, When Worlds Collide, with the Bah Band and his appearances with Kinvara rock group, Charis.
At One is Portman’s second solo album following 2007’s The Journey. He compares the two albums thus; “The first album incorporated my own compositions as well as some blues arrangements of people like Robert Johnson and Taj Mahal and featured more Dobro. This new album has Dobro but has more guitar work.
“I have some arrangements of traditional tunes like ‘Paddy Fahey’s Reel’ and ‘Bonaparte Crossing The Alps’. When I first came back to Ireland tolive when I was 19 I was listening to records by the likes of Martin Hayes and Charlie Piggott, that’s where I picked up some of those tunes and discovered a real love for them and so I wanted to record them.”
Portman expands upon At One’s gestation process; “I thought the album would turn out very different when I started, there was a whole other repertoire of things I’d like to have done. But I went out to Inish Bofin for three days, I was lent a cottage out there and I just recorded.
“When I was out on the island, it just seemed to be there that those pieces I used to play years ago came out so I recorded them and then I went on and did other pieces that I felt complemented them and formed a coherent body of work. At that stage the album wasn’t mixed or mastered but I got a Galway County Council arts grant which enabled me to do that so that’s how it all came about.”
He describes the type of music that he has chosen to feature on the album;
“A lot of the music I’ve recorded for the album is what I’ve been playing in my quiet time at home,” Portman says. “It’s not for a pub audience so it’s been a challenge for me to know where can I bring that kind of music because it’s very special to me.
“Sometimes I wonder would I have been better off making something really radio friendly, but so much music is really commercially driven, but this music is what I do and it’s honest. It’s not really pub music, and it’s not background music either, it’s something you can listen to and engage with, it’s delicate.”
At One is launched at the Town Hall studio on Saturday January 29 at 9pm. Admission is €12 which covers entry to the gig as well as a copy of the CD. There are also concessionary tickets for €7 which cover gig only. Tickets are available from the Town Hall on 091 – 569777.
Charly McBride – Galway Advertiser,01/10/2012
Tom Portman @ Town Hall
Galway Advertiser, MARCH 01, 2012.
By Kernan Andrews
GUITAR WIZARD, songwriter, singer, and multi-instrumentalist Tom Portman will play a solo concert in the Town Hall Theatre Studio this Saturday at 9pm.
Tom will perform his music on acoustic and electric guitar, Dobro, lap steel, mandolin, and oud. He will play songs from his most recent album At One as well as new compositions and a touch of blues.
He has performed at Electric Picnic and the Suwalki Blues festival.
Admission is €10/6. For more information contact the Town Hall on 091 – 569777 and www.tht.ie