Tom Haines is a UK-based composer and musician specialising in original Jazz composition and bespoke composition for Dance & Media.

A multi-award-winning Jazz Composer / Arranger, Tom won the 4th Annual European Big Band Composer Competition with his work ‘Elegantly Ella’ (2017), the 28th Barga Jazz Composition Award for his work ‘Yitzoid’ (2015), the inaugural ‘Eddie Harvey Jazz Arranging Award’ (2014) for his work ‘Mystery Dog (Mr E Dog)’, whilst ‘Whistleblower’ landed him the prestigious accolades of the ‘Duvel Jazz Award’ as well as the ‘Bose Audience Prize’ at the Brussels Jazz Orchestra International Composition Contest (2013).

His debut album ‘Tom Haines & The Birmingham Jazz Orchestra (Live)’ was self-released in June 2017 and is available as digital download and CD.

Tom will be working with pianist Elliott Sansom later in 2017 to record an album of his original works for Jazz Trio, for release in early 2018.

Tom has also had his works performed by Fukuda-Gumi (Japan), The El Camino College Jazz Orchestra (USA), The Pagsberg Big Band & The Vocals (Denmark), Barga Jazz Orchestra (Italy), the National Youth Jazz Orchestra (UK), Brussels Jazz Orchestra (Belgium), The Norwegian Academy of Music Big Band (Norway), and the Walsall Jazz Orchestra (UK).

What they say about Tom:

‘a very gifted composer, and one of those who dares to challenge the genres he writes in, which results in original and surprising music . . . . his strongest side is perhaps his urge to go in a different direction than the mainstream and have guts, skills and ability to make new music without being retrospective.’

Helge Sunde (Norway) – Composer, Arranger, Conductor.
‘Ensemble Denada’ (ACT Music, Ozella Music), ‘SWR Big Band’ (ECM)

‘Tom’s music is a fresh and most welcome breeze on the European big band scene.’

Geir Lysne (Norway) – Jazz Musician, Composer, Arranger and Chief Conductor of NDR Big Band.

‘. . .an original and interesting voice as a composer, using a variety of rhythmic patterns and grooves not often found in jazz . . . he has the ability to construct logical and developmental large-scale forms in the style, and use instruments in an idiomatic but fresh way within the ensemble.’

Mark Armstrong (UK) – Jazz Musician, Composer, Arranger, Professor, Director of The National Youth Jazz Orchestra

“a wealth of orchestration ideas . . . compelling colours and the artful use of space . . . elements of surprise and a touch of humour’

Judging panel for the Duvel Jazz Award, on ‘Whistleblower’

Jeff Levenson (USA) – Grammy Award-Winning producer & journalist
Michel Herr (Belgium), Florian Ross (Germany), Carlos Azevedo (Portugal), Klas Lindquist (Sweden) – Jazz musicians and composers.

‘. . . he composes jazz orchestra music in a really interesting and original manner . . . highly energised music, which in turn draws strong audience engagement . . . serious stuff, full of atmospheric textures and more expansive writing.

Peter Bacon (UK) – Journalist, ‘The Jazz Breakfast’, ‘Jazzwise’, & ‘London Jazz News’

‘Very original . . . imaginatively using the sections and the sounds within the space of the orchestra. Unconventional, but still swinging.

Francesco Martinelli (Italy) – Jazz Academic and author.

‘inventive, complex but accessible piece full of changes of rhythm and mood’

Judging panel for the Eddie Harvey Jazz Arranger of the Year Award,
on ‘Mystery Dog’:

Mark Armstrong, Jason Yarde, Kate Williams, Pete Hurt – Jazz musicians and composers (UK).