Tom Larsen has been a major player on the East Coast music scene for the last twenty-five years. Originally a solo performer, Larsen specialized in the acoustic blues of the 1920’s and 1930’s covering such artists as Robert Johnson and Blind Willie McTell. Tom’s expanding love of blues music soon moved him to add the electric styling of Muddy Waters, Guitar Slim and B.B. King. Tom became especially noted for his intricate, clean slide guitar playing and for his ability to play harmonica and guitar simultaneously. Besides performing his solo blues act, this was a period of intense wood shedding as Tom taught himself electric guitar by listening to old blues records from the 60’s and 70’s.

Tom’s first public electric guitar gig was a stint with a black gospel group in the late 70’s. In his travels to churches around Maryland, Delaware and Virginia, his exposure to gospel’s impassioned vocals was to inspire his singing forever. Then one night in June of 1979, Tom decided to spice up his solo act by inviting a couple of his gospel buddies to back him up on bass guitar and drums for a set of electric blues. The response was immediate and overwhelmingly enthusiastic, and that night the Tom Larsen Blues Band was born.

In the late 70’s most people had not been exposed to blues, so from the start the idea was to present the music in an entertaining way that would get the audience to party and above all make them dance. Tom’s performing developed during this era when a performer had to reach out and involve the audience in order to win them over and keep their attention. Tom quickly became known for his showmanship, which included walking around the club playing slide guitar with outrageous objects.

As a bandleader, Tom realized early that it was futile to try and get local musicians to sound like old records. Tom developed a knack for getting the best available talent and showcasing each musician’s forte during the show. Eventually, the blending of Tom’s blues vocals, harp and guitar with the funk bass styles and aggressive drumming in vogue during the 70’s and 80’s evolved into what is now the signature Larsen sound; upbeat danceable blues driven by a tight, progressive rhythm section. Although his personnel have changed over the years, this highly original style has remained constant.

Along with this fusion of music styles came experimentation with original songs and by the mid 80’s Tom was writing and performing his own material. His repertoire had always included highly original versions of other artist’s songs, so the step to creating his own tunes was an easy one. Tom’s music has been covered by Johnny Winter and recorded by Delbert McClinton, Roy Buchannan, and Tinsley Ellis. His music has been featured in movie soundtracks, commercials, and many of his songs are in the repertoires of regional acts looking to perk up their shows with a Larsen tune. On any given night his show will be predominantly, if not totally, all-original. In the past few years Tom has returned to his roots, paying tribute to his original influences by adding the classic blues, funk and soul he cut his teeth on, to the delight of the band’s many fans.

Starting in the 70’s, throughout the 80’s and 90’s and now well into the new century, Tom Larsen is still on the cutting edge of modern blues. Not content to follow the rules and copy the old styles, Tom continues to forge his own trail in the blues world.