Tommy Graham joined his first band in Scarborough, a Toronto suburb in 1958. Along with his good friend, Brian Massey, this band became the original “Regents” ... The Regents members evolved, when gigging around Toronto over the following 2 years. Kay Taylor, singer extraordinaire, joined the band in 1961 ... This led to Kay Taylor and the Regents becoming the house band at the famous original Club Bluenote, on Yonge Street. During its time, this first and original R&B club, hosted many of the recording R&B artists who came Toronto for single night appearances ... These artists would gravitate to the Club Bluenote after their gigs. Club owner, Al Steiner, would always encourage them to get up and sing a couple of songs during the famous “Floor Show” in the middle of the evening. With the Regents jamming these non-rehearsed songs ... artists such as Jimmy Reed, Maxine Brown, The Olympics, The Marathons, Jackie Shayne, Johnny Nash, Dianne Brooks, Joe Dee, The Charmaine's, Shirley Mathews, and others would perform, and at times, magic was created. It was a special time in the R&B history of Yonge Street ... and Toronto. A historical Toronto plaque has been placed on the sidewalk by the City of Toronto, in front of the original front door of the Club Bluenote on Yonge Street near Gerard Street. After the Big Town Boys projects late 1968, Graham travelled on a cultural journey for a year and a half to many parts of Southeast Asia, ... In certain times he was able to explore parts of India, West Pakistan and Afghanistan, In India, he took in the music cultures there and studied for a time at the Akbar school of music, in Calcutta. On returning to Toronto, he began working for producer Brian Ahearn, contributing as a musician on Anne Murray's hit Snowbird and some other needed parts during Anne's first four LPs. Paul White, executive producer at Capital records, gave Graham the opportunity to record his first album titled “Planet Earth” in 1972. Some of the singles released from this album appeared on the Canadian charts at the time along with the cover version of Neil Young's, “After the Gold Rush” which charted in North America and Europe. During 1980, he co-founded and created a unique computer graphics company based in Toronto, Canada. Ariel Computer Productions pioneered a new process for graphic designers to create and then output at super hi resolution quality. These images created were then transferred from the graphics work stations and imaged to film at up to 8000 lines of resolution. In the 1990s, Graham resumed his career in music recording and production full-time. An initial project, involved going deep into the rainforest of Trinidad and Tobago, carrying a high end digital recorder. Nature sounds and environs were recorded during various times of the day and night. Easy music composed, was integrated, along instruments and flavours from the Caribbean resulting in two CDs, “Sounds of Tobago” and “More sounds of Trinidad and Tobago” Two CDs were also produced for Brent Titcomb and his music Another project involved taking a portable multi track, recorder to South America, recording certain indigenous groups in their environments as well as recordings with more refined contemporary groups during his time in Ecuador, Colombia, and Argentina ... In recent years Graham has been working with Roger Gibbs, originally from Barbados, currently living in Toronto. They have recorded and produced two CDs with the group Shak Shak as well as various Roger Gibbs recordings including the song "Toronto Carnival" featured during the recent Carnival time in Toronto ...
Discography
Albums
Singles
1975 "Here I Go Crying Again"/"Two Fisted Patriot Man" Beverly Hills Records # 45-9366 7" - 45 RPM Single Matrix 85057/8
