Northern Illinois University
School of Music
College of Visual and Performing Arts

Tom Garling

Applied Artist

Tom Garling’s career started at the age of twenty, when he joined Buddy Rich’s Big Band in 1986.  Later, he joined Maynard Ferguson’s band in 1993, and in 1995 became Maynard’s Music Director until 1998.  

He maintains a busy performing schedule at premier jazz clubs and large venues in Chicago and around the world. His playing and writing can be heard on numerous albums by Maynard Ferguson, Buddy Rich, the Chicago Jazz Orchestra, and the Frank Mantooth Big Band, to name a few. From 2011-2015, he toured with Frank Sinatra Jr., and in 2018, completed a two week tour of Japan as a guest artist, and educator.

The newly founded Tom Garling Jazz Orchestra has been playing his compositions and arrangements to packed houses around Chicago, and the Tom Garling Sextet is attracting more acclaim in the area as well.

He has been in high demand in the music scene for over 30 years as a performer, composer, arranger, director, recording artist, and educator. He has been teaching at the university level for almost thirty years in the areas of Jazz Trombone, Jazz Improvisation, Jazz Composition and Arranging, and Jazz Theory.