Tom Brechtlein grew up in Long Island, New York and
gravitated to playing drums after listening to the Beatles,
the Rolling Stones, The Who, Cream and the Jimi Hendrix
Experience.
When entering high school, his attention turned to big
band jazz, and he became attracted to the music of the
Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra, Maynard Ferguson and
Woody Herman’s Thundering Herd. His investigations of
jazz led him to Dave Brubeck’s drummer Joe Morello and
then to modern jazz giants like Elvin Jones, Tony Williams,
Jack DeJohnette, Billy Cobham, Lenny White and Alphonse
Mouzon as well as legends like Max Roach, Philly Joe Jones
and Roy Haynes. During High School, he was awarded
NAJE Award for performance.