Leland Diran Tomboulian (born January 8, 1960) is an American jazz pianist, accordionist, composer, arranger, and educator.

Early life and career Lee Tomboulian was born in 1960 in White Plains, New York. He is the youngest of four children of Clyde Tomboulian and sculptor Norma Tomboulian. He displayed an affinity for music, in particular for the piano, by age seven, and was given several years of private instruction.

Tomboulian attended the University of Arkansas, majoring in music composition with a minor in theater arts. He continued to live and work in Arkansas for more than a decade, where he met his wife, jazz singer Elizabeth "Betty" Elkins, in the late eighties.

In 1989 he formed the ensemble Circo Verde. The group was influenced by the music of Brazil and Uruguay, particularly Brazilian percussionist Airto Moreira's 1973 album Fingers, whose Uruguayan rhythm section formed their own influential jazz fusion trio, Opa. One of Opa's founding members, Hugo Fattoruso, produced the debut recording of Tomboulian's self-described "pop-latin-jazz" ensemble more than a decade later.

In 1992, Tomboulian married Elizabeth Elkins.Tomboulian, Betty (Elizabeth Ann Elkins) . Encyclopedia of Jazz Musicians. Retrieved 2014-07-23. The following year, they departed Arkansas for Denton, Texas where Tomboulian attended the University of North Texas as a graduate student, earning a Master of Music in Jazz Studies in 1997. While earning his degree, he performed and recorded with the university's One O'Clock Lab Band, appearing on the CD Lab '97. The album features a track, "B.B.", composed and arranged by Tomboulian. At some point during the Tomboulians' 12-year stay in Denton, Circo Verde's name became simply Circo, under which name its two albums were recorded.

In 2005, the Tomboulians moved to Wisconsin, where Lee served as Instructor of Jazz Piano and Improvisation at Lawrence University Conservatory of Music. He continued in this capacity until 2011, when the couple relocated to New York City. Since then, Tomboulian has released a CD, Imaginarium, with solo piano and overdubbed accordion.

Discography As le.dHe is er North/South Convergence (Circo Music, 2000)"North South Convergence (Musical CD, 2000)". WorldCat. Retrieved 2014-07-21. Return to Whenever (Lee Tomboulian, 2007)"Return to Whenever (Musical CD, 2007)". Worldcat. Retrieved 2014-07-21. Imaginarium (Lee Tomboulian, 2012)"Imaginarium (Musical CD, 2012)". Worldcat. Retrieved 2014-07-21.

As sideman With Kelly Franklin Labyrinth (Sidhe Records, 1993)"Labyrinth (Musical CD, 1993)". Worldcat. Retrieved 2014-07-21. With Little Jack Melody and his Turks World of Fireworks (Carpe Diem, 1994), accordion, pianoLee Tomboulian Discography. CD Universe. Retrieved 2014-07-21. With Trout Fishing in America Mine! (Trout Records, 1994), accordion, piano Who Are These People (Trout Records, 1994), accordion, organ With Brian Moore The Signpost (Brian Moore, 1995)"The Signpost (Musical CD, 1995)". Worldcat. Retrieved 2014-07-21. With The One O'Clock Lab Band Lab '97 (North Texas Jazz, 1997)"Lab '97 (Musical CD, 1997)". Worldcat. Retrieved 2014-07-21. With The Two O'Clock Jazz Band Two O'Clock Jazz Band (1997, Klavier Records), piano Moon River (1999, Klavier Records), piano With Al Gibson It's About Time (Al Gibson Music, 1999)"It's About Time (Musical CD, 1999)". Worldcat. Retrieved 2014-07-21. With The UNT Jazz Repertory Ensemble Rockin' In Rhythm (North Texas Jazz, 1999, recorded in 1996)"Rockin' in Rhythm (Musical CD, 1999)". Worldcat. Retrieved 2014-07-21. With Tony Hakim Summer Place (Grasshopper Records, 2000, rec. btw November 1997 and November 1999)"Summer Place (Musical CD, 2000)". Worldcat. Retrieved 2014-07-21. With Pete Brewer Second Wind (Pic Records, 2000), piano – track 3, part 2"Second Wind (Musical CD, 2000)". Worldcat. Retrieved 2014-07-21. With Mary Ellen Spann Little Red Robin (China Alley Records, 2002)"Little Red Robin (Musical CD, 2002)". Worldcat. Retrieved 2014-07-21. With Susan Colin Shabbat Favorites (Lowell Music, 2003)"Shabbat Favorites (Musical CD, 2003)". Worldcat. Retrieved 2014-07-21. Every Day: Songs of a Spiritual Life (Jewish Song Service, 2005)"Every Day: Songs of a Spiritual Life (Musical CD, 2005)". Worldcat. Retrieved 2014-07-21. With Faith to Faith Worship (Doxology, 2005), piano With Colin Boyd Sincerity (Crystal Clear Sound, 2005), organ With Lisa Perry Tropical Rose (Angel Rose Music, 2005)"Topical Rose (Musical CD, 2005)". Worldcat. Retrieved 2014-07-21. With John Adams Trios (Congruent Music Co., 2006), keyboard, tracks 1, 7 & 8"Trios (Musical CD, 2006)". Worldcat. Retrieved 2014-07-21. With Wycliffe Gordon Jazz Celebration Weekend, November 11, 2006: Wycliffe Gordon (Lawrence University Conservatory of Music, 2006), piano"Jazz Celebration Weekend, November 11, 2006: Wycliffe Gordon (Musical CD, 2006)". Worldcat. Retrieved 2014-07-21. With Maria Schneider Jazz Series, June 1, 2007 (Lawrence University Conservatory of Music, 2007), accordion, track 4"Jazz Series, June 1, 2007 (Musical CD, 2007)". Worldcat. Retrieved 2014-07-21. With Stuart Dempster Stuart Dempster, trombone w[ith] Brian Pertl, didjeridu & Dane Richeson, percussion (Lawrence University Conservatory of Music, 2009), accordion"Stuart Dempster, trombone with Brian Pertl, didjeridu & Dane Richeson, percussion (Musical CD, 2009)". Worldcat. Retrieved 2014-07-22. With Terell Stafford Terell Stafford, trumpet: w[ith] Jazz Faculty Trio (Lawrence University Conservatory of Music, 2011)"Terell Stafford, trumpet: w[ith] Jazz Faculty Trio (Musical CD, 2011)". Worldcat. Retrieved 2014-07-21.

As arranger/composer With The One O'Clock Lab Band Lab '97 (North Texas Jazz, 1997), composer – "B.B." With Al Gibson It's About Time (Al Gibson Music, 1999), composer – "Rhoda Ribbon" and "Memory Gardens" With The Lawrence University Conservatory of Music A Concert for Humanity (Lawrence University Conservatory of Music, 2006), composer – "Set for New Orleans" (disc 1, track 16) Hybrid Ensemble and Solo Jazz Singers in Concert (Lawrence University Conservatory of Music, 2009), arranger – "Louva-a-Deus" (Milton Nascimento)"Hybrid Ensemble and Solo Jazz Singers in Concert (Musical CD, 2009)". Worldcat. Retrieved 2014-07-21. Just Jazz: Hybrid Ensemble (Lawrence University Conservatory of Music, 2010), arranger and lyricist – "Nothing Personal" (Don Grolnick)"Hybrid Ensemble concert, May 22, 2010 (Musical CD, 2010)". Worldcat. Retrieved 2014-07-21.

References

Further reading "A Tomboulian New Years Eve". Arkansas Jazz Calendar: Arkansas Jazz Heritage Foundation Newsletter. Vol. 8, No. 4. December 2000. p. 4. "Live from the Circo Planet". Arkansas Jazz Calendar: Arkansas Jazz Heritage Foundation Newsletter. Vol. 9, No. 2. November 2001. p. 2. Peterson, Rick. "Grammy-winning Composer/Conductor Maria Schneider Closes Lawrence University Jazz Series". Blogs.Lawrence.edu. May 24, 2007. "Monday Jazz Project Features Pianist Lee Tomboulian: Jazz for Cats (Benefit for Feline Rescue and Rehome)". Arkansas Jazz Calendar: Arkansas Jazz Heritage Foundation Newsletter. Vol. 17, No. 2. July / August 2009. Pertl, Brian. "Putting the Play Back into Playing Music". Blogs.Lawrence.edu. October 11, 2009. [Final two paragraphs.] Breeding, Lucinda. "Couple Returns for Sweetwater Gig". The Dallas Morning News. December 23, 2010. Tomboulian, Lee. "Take Five With Lee Tomboulian". All About Jazz. March 2, 2013. "Lee Tomboulian in Concert at the Downtown Site". New English Newsletter. June 9, 2013.

External links Audio Interview on KUAF's "Ozarks At Large"

Text at BMI Lee Tomboulian's jazz commentary & criticism (1989–1991) at Arkansas Jazz Heritage Foundation