Leland Diran Tomboulian (born January 8, 1960) is an American jazz pianist, accordionist, composer, arranger, and educator.
Early life and career
Lee Tomboulian was born in White Plains into a music-loving family. He was the youngest of four children raised by Clyde Tomboulian and sculptor Norma Tomboulian. Lee Tomboulian displayed an affinity for music, and for the piano in particular, by age seven. He was encouraged in this pursuit with several years of private instruction. Tomboulian attended the University of Arkansas, majoring in music composition with a minor in theater arts. He continued to live and work in Arkansas for more than a decade. It was where he met his wife, jazz singer Elizabeth (Betty) Elkins, in the late eighties.
In 1989 he formed the ensemble Circo Verde. The group was influenced especially by the music of Brazil and Uruguay. A particular inspiration was Brazilian percussionist Airto Moreira's 1973 album Fingers, whose Uruguayan rhythm section would go on to form their own influential jazz fusion trio, Opa. One of Opa's founding members, Hugo Fattoruso, produced the debut recording of Tomboulian's self-described "pop-latin-jazz" ensemble more than a decade later.
In 1992, Tomboulian married Elizabeth Elkins. The following year, they departed Arkansas for Denton, Texas where Tombolian would attend the University of North Texas as a graduate student, earning a Master of Music in Jazz Studies in 1997. While earning his degree, he performed and recorded with the university's One O'Clock Lab Band, appearing on the CD Lab '97. That album features the track, "B.B.", composed and arranged by Tomboulian.
At some point during the Tomboulians' 12-year stay in Denton, Circo Verde's name simply became Circo, the name under which its two albums were recorded.
In 2005, the Tomboulians moved to Wisconsin, where Lee served as Instructor of Jazz Piano and Improvisation at Lawrence University Conservatory of Music. He continued serving in this capacity until 2011, when the couple again relocated, this time to New York City. Since then, Tomboulian has released a CD, Imaginarium with solo piano and overdubbed accordion.
Discography
As le.dHe is er
North/South Convergence (Circo Music, 2000) Return to Whenever (Lee Tomboulian, 2007) Imaginarium (Lee Tomboulian, 2012)
As sideman
With Kelly Franklin
Labyrinth (Sidhe Records, 1993) With Little Jack Melody and his Turks World of Fireworks (Carpe Diem, 1994), accordion, piano With Trout Fishing in America Mine! (Trout Records, 1994), accordion, piano Who Are These People (Trout Records, 1994), accordion, organ With Brian Moore The Signpost (Brian Moore, 1995) With The One O'Clock Lab Band Lab '97 (North Texas Jazz, 1997) With The Two O'Clock Jazz Band Two O'Clock Jazz Band (1997, Klavier Records), piano Moon River (1999, Klavier Records), piano With Al Gibson It's About Time (Al Gibson Music, 1999) With The UNT Jazz Repertory Ensemble Rockin' In Rhythm (North Texas Jazz, 1999, recorded in 1996) With Tony Hakim Summer Place (Grasshopper Records, 2000, rec. btw November 1997 and November 1999) With Pete Brewer Second Wind (Pic Records, 2000), piano – track 3, part 2 With Mary Ellen Spann Little Red Robin (China Alley Records, 2002) With Susan Colin Shabbat Favorites (Lowell Music, 2003) Every Day: Songs of a Spiritual Life (Jewish Song Service, 2005) With Faith to Faith Worship (Doxology, 2005), piano With Colin Boyd Sincerity (Crystal Clear Sound, 2005), organ With Lisa Perry Tropical Rose (Angel Rose Music, 2005) With John Adams Trios (Congruent Music Co., 2006), keyboard, tracks 1, 7 & 8 With Wycliffe Gordon Jazz Celebration Weekend, November 11, 2006: Wycliffe Gordon (Lawrence University Conservatory of Music, 2006), piano With Maria Schneider Jazz Series, June 1, 2007 (Lawrence University Conservatory of Music, 2007), accordion, track 4 With Stuart Dempster Stuart Dempster, trombone w[ith] Brian Pertl, didjeridu & Dane Richeson, percussion (Lawrence University Conservatory of Music, 2009), accordion With Terrell Stafford Terell Stafford, trumpet: w[ith] Jazz Faculty Trio (Lawrence University Conservatory of Music, 2011)