Tom Guerra Biography

A MUSICAL BIOGRAPHY

Since the late 1970s, Tom Guerra has been a popular guitarist on the New England club circuit, playing with a host of leading blues, rock n’ roll and R&B acts. Influenced by Rory Gallagher, Paul Kossoff, Jimmy Page, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood, Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy, and Joe Walsh, Guerra first gained notoriety after being featured in Guitar Player magazine (3/91). Over the years, Guerra has recorded or played with Rick Derringer, The Dirty Bones Blues Band’, Max Weinberg, Mark Nomad, Sticky Fingers (for which Tom wrote and arranged original music for the group’s debut cd), The Easton Brothers with Muddy Waters bassist Charles Calmese, Jai Johanny “Jaimoe” Johanson from The Allman Brothers Band, Second Son, Guitar Shorty, Adolph Jacobs of The Coasters, Kenny Aaronson, and The Delrays, for which he received acclaim from Buddy Guy.

In 1999, he formed Mambo Sons with singer Scott Lawson, based upon a songwriting partnership that dated back to the early 1980s. Their debut album, released in 1999, featured guitar legend / producer Rick Derringer. This twelve-song effort contained both new music as well as songs the two had originally written a decade before, and yet was immediately met with very positive reviews.

Mambo Sons’ second disc “Play Some Rock & Roll!” (2002) was named top indie release of the year by NYRock magazine, and their third “Racket of Three” was called album of the year in Pattaya Thailand by legendary rock and roll author Mott the Dog. In addition, In 2007, Tom joined the Editorial Board of ToneQuest Magazine following that publication’s feature on him in April of that year.

In 2009, at the request of legendary guitarist Johnny Winter, Tom created the liner notes for Johnny’s latest release “Vol. 4 – The Bootleg Series.” Tom has subsequently written liner notes for other Johnny Winter albums as well.

On Aug. 1, 2009, Mambo Sons released a 20 song double album entitled “Heavy Days,” which delighted their fans and attracted legions more. Songs on the two disc set include “The Early Train,” “She Just Wants to Ride,” “Overend Watts” (about the legendary Mott the Hoople bassist Peter Watts (musician)). and an energetic live cover of the Jimi Hendrix classic Stone Free.

“Heavy Days” was named “CD Release of the Week” by the Hartford Courant. In this review, rock writer Eric Danton said “Accordingly, Guerra is the focal point here, and deservedly so: he peels off blistering slide guitar licks on opening track “She Just Wants to Ride,” dials in an acoustic-Zeppelin feel with the faintly Eastern-sounding riff on “Love is Strange” and unleashes enough funk on “I Love My Family” to make Sly Stone proud.”

In early 2010, Cleveland’s “Rock and Roll Report” named “Heavy Days” the best straight ahead rock and roll recording of the year.

All records have been critically acclaimed as the group enjoys considerable cult status in the Northeast United States, if not widespread popularity, as well as a substantial fan base throughout Eastern Europe and Asia.

In 2012, following the announcement of Mambo Sons hiatus, Tom switched focus to his studio guitar service, and for the next two years, he helped other artists with their songs, arrangements and recordings.

Of the hundreds of songs Guerra has written, two recent numbers have garnered praise for their positive and healing nature despite the gravity of subject. Immediately following the Sandy Hook school shooting in December, 2012, Tom wrote and recorded “Love Comes to Us All” to honor the impacted families. Following the release of the song and associated video, Newtown First Selectman Pat Llodro and several directly impacted wrote letters praising the song.

In early 2013, Tom wrote and recorded “Put Up Their Names – The Ballad of the U.S.S. Frank E. Evans” to honor the 74 sailors lost aboard the U.S.S. Frank E. Evans Naval disaster off the coast of Vietnam in June 1969. According to Guerra, the purpose of the song is to bring attention to the U.S. Government’s refusal to list the names of the 74 who died on the Vietnam Wall.

In 2014, Tom Guerra released his first ever solo album “All of the Above,” featuring 11 new original songs, and featuring both Morgan Fisher, pianist from Mott the Hoople and Queen, and keyboard whiz Matt Zeiner on piano, clav and Hammond B3.

Tom released his second solo album “Trampling Out the Vintage” in 2016, which again features Morgan Fisher, Matt Zeiner, drummer Mike Kosasek. New to the studio band is legendary bassist Kenny Aaronson.

In June, 2018, Tom released his third solo album, “American Garden” with ten new songs including three originally penned by Tom and Yardbirds’ bassist Kenny Aaronson for a new Yardbirds studio album. Also included are “Blood on the New Rising Sun” with Jon Butcher, and “Meet Me at the Bottom of Your Glass,” Tom’s duet with pianist Morgan Fisher. Tom’s take on Tom Petty’s “Walls” and Brandi Carlile’s “The Story” are two cover songs that are included on “American Garden.”

In May 2020, Tom released his fourth solo album entitled “Sudden Signs of Grace.” According to Pete Prown, music editor for Vintage Guitar magazine, “With his previous albums, Tom established himself as a fine rock and roll guitarist… ‘Sudden Signs of Grace’ shows his growth and new direction as a songwriter steeped in the Laurel Canyon school of songwriting.“

“Sudden Signs of Grace” contains nine new original tunes including the single “Lover’s Time,” and two covers: “Streets of Baltimore” as popularized by Gram Parsons, and “Gimme Some Water,” an early Eddie Money composition. Said Guerra about his late friend Money “When I heard Eddie was sick, I recorded one of my favorite tunes of his and sent him a copy.” Former MTV VJ Martha Quinn, Money’s longtime friend, also gave Tom’s version a thumbs up.

Longtime collaborator Kenny Aaronson said “Tom is a great songwriter. He has great pop sensibilities, and I really like his way of crafting a melody. He is a sensitive and keen observer of the human condition as one will hear in his lyrics.” Aaronson contributed bass throughout the album as well as a gorgeous string arrangement on “Inspiration Memories.”

Several videos from the album are now on YouTube, including the title track “Sudden Signs of Grace” which features special guests including Christine Ohlman, Alvin Youngblood Hart, G.E. Smith, Jack Sonni, Saiichi Sugiyama, Scott Lawson Pomeroy, Kenny Aaronson, Hilton Valentine, Mark Bosch, Jeff Pevar, Brian Wolfe, Binky Philips, Jon Butcher, Greg Sherrod, Stan Slossberg, Morgan Fisher, and Georgia Satellite Dan Baird.

In 2021, Tom was inducted into the Music Museum of New England (“I don’t feel dusty!”) and has been busy writing songs for the next album, which will feature a return to Tom’s rock and roll roots, a vocal duet with Jon Butcher and a reunion with Mambo Sons vocalist Scott Lawson Pomeroy.

In 2022, Tom released his fifth solo album “Sentimental Junk.” Marking a return to the roots based rock and roll that “plagued my entire career,” “Sentimental Junk” features 10 new originals and a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Clean Cut Kid.” The first single from the album is a vocal duet with Jon Butcher, called “California’s Got to My Girl.” Said Butcher, “As someone lucky enough to have rubbed shoulders with some of the finest players in the world I am proud to call Tom Guerra a friend and fellow brother-in-arms. I highly recommend Sentimental Junk as a must hear for anyone digging on guitar music. Like me.”

In keeping with the times, Guerra started releasing singles in 2023, starting with “Mutilated World”, also featuring Kenny Aaronson and drummer Mike Kosacek. In January 2024, the single “Sister Topanga” was released with this same lineup followed by “New American Way” in March 2024. In June 2024, Guerra released a new single with his core lineup of Aaronson and Kosacek, called “Television Dreams” with Jon Butcher on lead guitar. August 2024 saw Guerra guest on the new single by The Forefront Ramblers and in September, Guerra’s new single “Good Times Big Fun” featuring the core lineup of Aaronson (bass) Kosacek (drums) and Guerra (vocals and guitars) was released and added to the online streaming services. In January, 2025, Tom released “Chi Chi Chu,” a collaboration with legendary SNL vocalist Christine Ohlman.

Guerra has been praised for his commitment to songwriting: in a review of his 2016 album, American Songwriter said, “Guerra has honed his songwriting homework… All in all, the record is that rarity in the rock world: eclectic but never unfocused”

Since 1998, Tom has written for Vintage Guitar magazine, and has endorsed Brian Moore Custom guitars, Colby and DST-Engineering amplifiers and a variety of guitar related effects including EBow.

Contact Tom through his facebook account

DISCOGRAPHY

2025 – “Chi Chi Chu” (single) – Tom Guerra with Christine Ohlman

2024 – “Good Times Big Fun” (single) – Tom Guerra

2024 – “Not So Fast Saint Marie” (single) – w/ The Forefront Ramblers

2024 – “Television Dreams” (single) – Tom Guerra with Jon Butcher

2024 – “New American Way” (single) – Tom Guerra

2024 – “Sister Topanga” (single) – Tom Guerra

2023 – “Mutilated World” (single) – Tom Guerra

022 – “Sentimental Junk ” (album) – Tom Guerra

2020 – “Sudden Signs of Grace” (album) – Tom Guerra

2019 – “360 Degrees” – Jon Butcher