NATIONAL/WORLD PERFORMANCE HIGHLIGHTS

LaBella currently plays with Jon Bon Jovi and the Kings of Suburbia, Billy Hector, The Big Joe Henry Variety Show, The Bobby Bandiera Band, Glen Burtnick’s Summer of Love, The Rascals, Max Weinberg and Billy Lawlor.

In the 1980’s he established a musical relationship with notable organist the late Charles Earland, “The Mighty Burner.”  Over the ten years they worked together, LaBella shared the stage with jazz greats Freddie Hubbard, George Benson, Roy Haines and Grover Washington, Jr., and performed on a variety of stages including The Blue Note, The Apollo Theater, Symphony Hall in Baltimore, Seventh Avenue South and the Village Gate.  The Earland Group also opened for Nancy Wilson at the First Annual Bahamas Jazz Festival.

LaBella has played with R&B soul giants Sam Moore and Frankie Lee. 

He performed at Lee Atwater’s celebration for Young Americans as part of the 1989 Inaugural festivities.  The line up of stars included Sam Moore of “Sam and Dave,” Joe Cocker, Dr. John, Eddie Floyd, Billy Preston, Bo Diddly and Ron Wood.

LaBella was featured as the opening act for the Monmouth County Arts Council’s presentation of the World Saxophone Quartet at the Count Basie Theater in Red Bank, New Jersey. 

Opened for Wynton Marsalis, Stanley Jordan and Spyro Gyra at the Count Basie Theater. 

When keyboard player Danny Federici of Bruce Springsteen’s “E Street Band” formed his own “Stone Hill Band,”  LaBella was called to join the band with other noted Jersey Shore musicians including Tico Torres of Bon Jovi.

In June of 1990, LaBella toured with Sam Moore and Billy Preston throughout Italy. 

In May 1991, he backed Booker T and the MG’s, Carla Thomas, Eddie Floyd, Sam Moore and Phil Collins on a television special entitled “An American Saturday Night,” which was broadcast live on the ABC television network from the “Lone Star Café” in New York.

During 1992 and 1993, LaBella toured throughout the United States and Canada with 10,000 Maniacs.  During that time, he performed with them at the 1993 New Year’s Eve MTV show.  They also performed at the MTV Inaugural Ball, which was recorded live and on CD.  During the Maniacs’ tours, they performed on “The Jay Leno Show,” “Arsenio Hall Show,” and “The Today Show.”  LaBella also performed live with 10,000 Maniacs on a special issue CD with Michael Stipe of “R.E.M.” 

In 1995, Tommy performed with Jose Feliciano at several renowned clubs.

World Party called upon LaBella during 1997 to perform at concerts and on a television special on PBS entitled “Live on 57th”.

In the fall of 1998, Shin Hyo Bum, who at the time was the number one artist in Korea with a number one chart topping record, came to America to do her first concert.  She hired LaBella to play soprano, alto and tenor saxophones.

In addition, he played with Rob Paparozzi and the Hudson River Rats with the legendary Bernard “Pretty” Purdie on drums (the world’s most recorded R&B drummer).

In 2007, LaBella performed at a Labor Day party at the East Hampton home of Jon Bon Jovi which the New York Daily News dubbed “a summit of the rock gods”.  LaBella was in the company of an impressive guest list that night.  Even more impressive was the list of performers with whom LaBella shared the stage, which included Jon Bon Jovi, Billy Joel, Jimmy Buffet, Roger Waters and Sir Paul McCartney.