"The world folk band stole the stage with a set that was less of a performance and more of an experience.
Many of its songs weaved through various genres — starting as an Irish highland tune, then transitioning to a traditional Japanese song and ending with a bluegrass swing."
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localspins.com, John Sinkevics
Thom Jayne
Over the years, Thom has been inspired by influences ranging from Tony Rice to Flamenco to Jethro Tull to Brazilian folk music. His eclectic style of guitar also draws from African influences where he has worked for 35 years as a Professor of Agricultural Economics at Michigan State University. Thom has been part of Michigan’s music scene since the Lansing-based “Thom Jayne and the Nomads” emerged in the early 2000s with a hard-to-categorize blend of African, Celtic, jazz, and Latin influences. His first two releases, The Forgotten Conquest and Road Trip, both won WYCE Jammie Awards for best local World Beat CD of the year. His guitar features on several tracks by the Zambian singer Ballard Zulu. In addition to playing in Whorled, he is the guitarist in the traditional Celtic band Trillium. When not playing or listening to music, Thom enjoys communing with Spirit and nature, spending time with family and friends, and petting dogs.