“Of course, he was a giant of the jazz world, and all his fans know he was a Gypsy. But many people don't realize what an enormous effect being a Gypsy had on his music which in fact transcended jazz. His behavior was at times puzzling to non-Gypsies. Every true genius behaves differently to the rest of us. But, above all, my father was a Gypsy.” - Babik Reinhardt
Guitarist, Ethnomusicologist, Preservationist, Luthier
In 2002 Tommy Davy began his journey to study the world of Gypsy music. His introduction was initially through the music of Django Reinhardt and through his teachers he discovered more traditional forms of Gypsy music from other cultures such as Serbia, Romania, Hungary, and Russia. His fieldwork has traced the trail of Romani/Gypsy music from its roots in India, to its arrival in the Balkans and across Eastern Europe. Tommy hopes to share his passion for these traditions with the English-speaking world and illuminate great artistry that has effected much of the way music has been written and performed for at least 1000 years.
He has accompanied and performed in concert with international artists including Angelo Debarre, Ludovic Beier, Samson Schmitt, Raphaël Faÿs, Jon Brion, Leon "Ndugu" Chancler, Robin Nolan, Gismo Graf, Tcha Limberger, Lolo Meier, George Miu, Florin Niculescu, Boulou Ferre, and Rickie Lee Jones. He studied with the greatest living masters in Europe such as Angelo Debarre, Miroslav Tadic, Petro Ivanovitch, Ernest Bango, Frank Anastasio and Serge Camps. His studies also included North Indian classical music with Ustad Aashish Khan and Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri. Tommy and his ensemble have been featured at Largo at the Coronet, Grand Performances, The Henry Fonda Theatre, Theatre Raymond Kabbaz, Bimbos 365 Club, The Freight and Salvage, Soka Performing Arts Center, and Town Hall in Manhattan to name a few. In recent years Tommy has been working with French guitarist and composer Stephane Wrembel as an adjunct member of his touring ensemble.
In 2008 Tommy founded DjangoGuitars; a purpose-built specialty shop and preservation hub that brings a deeply-rooted European sensibility to the American guitar market. There are over 150 DjangoGuitars self-produced brand items and accessories offered. Tommy has restored and adjusted some of the most highly regarded and valuable vintage guitars. Tommy’s clientele includes discerning artists and connoisseurs such as Grammy award-winning guitarists John Jorgenson, Andy Summers, Derek Trucks, Pat Metheny, Nile Rodgers, and Willie Nelson.
Tommy has performed for many underprivileged and incarcerated audiences through Vijay Gupta’s Street Symphony, a non-profit organization affiliated with the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
In 2012 Tommy founded Trio Dinicu along with violinist Luanne Homzy and bassist Frank Anastasio. This group blends folk, jazz, classical, and Gypsy music in an improvisatory conversation. Trio Dinicu weaves many different musical genres under one roof, literally obliterating the boundaries that separate these otherwise distinct styles.
In 2017 Tommy produced and presented vintage instruments in a live interactive presentation on the history of Django Reinhardt featuring author/Django expert Michael Dregni at the Los Angeles Django Reinhardt Festival. Tommy is a regular instructor at guitar camps such as DjangoFest NW and Django a Go Go.
In January 2020, Tommy launched his own signature guitar model in collaboration with Altamira Guitars.
Notable instruments in his collection have been featured in the upcoming book by Patrice Veillon and Arnaud Legrand “Histoire Des Luthiers Jacques & Jean Pierre Favino”. Tommy is a recurring contributor to Acoustic Guitar Magazine on the subject of Gypsy Jazz and has been featured in the NY Times. In 2023 Tommy recorded and produced “Cabaret Tzigane” with his group Trio Dinicu.