Tomo Fujita possesses all the elements of great musicianship: astounding technical ability, flawless rhythm skills, and a total command of his instrument.  But if asked, Tomo would tell you that music is not just about playing.  It’s about feeling.  He has a remarkable ability to inject emotion into every phrase he plays.  Whether the style is blues, jazz, funk, or even rock, Tomo plays it with command and presence.

Tomo’s debut CD, Put On Your Funk Face, features original musical compositions that present a mixture of his many influences, including Earth, Wind & Fire, B.B. King, Jimi Hendrix, Joe Pass, Larry Carlton, Ray Charles, and James Brown. In Tomo’s playing one can easily hear his deep respect for these artists and others who have influenced his music.

Tomo earned his degree at Berklee College of Music and has been a faculty member at the College since 1993. Tomo is also affiliated with the major music schools in his native Japan. His articles have been published in the Japanese magazines Jazz Life and Jazz Guitar, and he is a regular contributor to the Japanese edition of Guitar Magazine. His instructional materials are very popular in Japan, where guitar players have bought more than 70,000 copies of his videos and books.

Tomo has shared the stage with Phil Collins, bassist Darryl Jones (Miles Davis, Sting, Rolling Stones), Paul Jackson (Herbie Hancock, Headhunters), James Genus (Saturday Night Live), Will Lee (David Letterman), Kenwood Dennard (Jaco Pastorious, Dizzy Gillespie, Jimmy Smith), Ronnie Earl, Mighty Sam McClain, Roomful of Blues and Susan Tedeschi. He also enjoyed a guitar playing stint in the award-winning (Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize) musical Rent.

Gear/Endorsements: Suhr Guitars, Eminence Speakers, Fuchs Amplifiers, Xotic Effects, Bob Burt Custom Cabinets, Hao Rumble Mod Pedals, D'Addario Strings and signature series Pickboy picks.