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Tommy's Biography
Wadsworth grew up in Cobleskill, New York in a house where music was a favorite pastime for his parents, especially for his father, who played, among other instruments, mandolin, concertina and, near the end of his life, Highland Pipe Chanter. Around the local community, Tom heard many styles of music including: square dance bands, marching bands, church choirs, and, one year, the music of a calliope at the local county fair.
He became part of the wider music scene after taking up guitar at fifteen and two years later, began composing his first songs, and playing professionally. He's been performing ever since, often teaming up with master fiddler Frank Orsini, at contra dances, popular coffee houses, clubs, and private celebrations, playing guitar, mandolin and tin whistle. He played mandolin on Sam Whedon's 17 Songs CD (1995) and kept developing his honest writing and securing more and more fans of his personable, direct performing style, lyric insights and upbeat humor.
Wadsworth's playing, is influenced by the sounds of American roots music: Ragtime, Western Swing, Blues, Old Time and Bluegrass as well as Celtic music. His curious and surprising songs, and appearances at regional venues, including Caffe Lena and The Dance Flurry, have begun to build him a solid reputation as one of upstate New York's finest musicians and song writers.
Tom's songwriting has taken inspiration from writers as diverseas Bruce Cockburn, Hank Williams, Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen, Michelle Shocked, Pat Humphries and Bob Dylan. Instrumentally, he was first inspired by his discovery of Doc Watson in 1975.
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