{{Short description|American saxophonist (1956–2011)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2022}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Tom Borton | image = | caption = | birth_name = Thomas William Borton | birth_date = January 4, 1956 | birth_place = Norristown, Pennsylvania, U.S. | death_date = July 26, 2011 (age 55) | death_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S. | restingplace = | restingplacecoordinates = | othername = | genre = Jazz | occupation = Musician, songwriter, composer | instrument = Saxophone | years_active = 1981–2011 }}
'''Thomas William Borton''' (January 4, 1956 – July 26, 2011) was an American jazz saxophonist, songwriter and composer, and was the founder and CEO of ''Los Angeles Post Music, Inc.''<ref name="discogs">{{cite web | title = Tom Borton | website = Discogs | url = https://www.discogs.com/artist/3830741-Tom-Borton-2 | access-date = September 5, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title = Los Angeles Post Music | url = http://lapostmusic.com/ | access-date = October 13, 2023 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180307121415/http://lapostmusic.com/ | archive-date = March 7, 2018 | url-status = dead}}</ref>
==Early life== Borton was born in Norristown, Pennsylvania to Robert G. and Phyllis M. (Phelps) Borton, and later on moved to Indianapolis, Indiana, where he grew up and began playing the saxophone at age 7.<ref name="legacy.com">{{cite web | title = Thomas William Borton | website = Legacy.com | url = https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/latimes/name/thomas-borton-obituary?id=20390326 | access-date = March 6, 2023}}</ref><ref name="atrain.com">{{cite web | title = A-Train Mourns the Passing of Tom Borton, Friend and Client and Some Extra Text | website = A-Train Entertainment | date = August 2011 | url = https://www.a-train.com/wp/2011/08/a-train-mourns-the-passing-of-tom-borton-friend-and-client/ | access-date = March 6, 2023}}</ref> Borton attended Eastwood Junior High School, where he was a member of the school band; he won a talent show at a summer music camp held by Purdue University when he was in eighth grade.
While in high school, he played with ''Tarnished Silver'', a band which featured R&B singer and songwriter Kenneth Edmonds, best known as Babyface, record producer Daryl Simmons, and drummer Rayford Griffin.<ref name="atrain.com"/><ref name="jazz">{{cite web | title = Tom Borton | website = Inside Jazz | date = January 2018 | url = https://insidejazz.com/2018/01/tom-borton/ | access-date = March 7, 2023 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20260211125554/https://insidejazz.com/2018/01/tom-borton/ | archive-date = February 11, 2026 | url-status = dead}}</ref><ref name="discogs"/> Borton graduated from North Central High School in Indianapolis in 1974, and attended Indiana University Bloomington, where he joined a band called ''Streamwinner'', which featured guitarist David Grissom, and drummer Kenny Aronoff.<ref name="legacy.com"/><ref name="jazz"/><ref name="obituary1">{{cite web | title = Thomas Borton | website = Funeral Innovations | url = http://funeralinnovations.com/obituaries/view/152087/2/ | access-date = September 5, 2022}}</ref>
==Music career== In 1981, Borton moved to Los Angeles, California, where he started writing for television and film music. In the summer of 1987, he joined ''The Big Picture'' band as a composer and played alto saxophone; the band also featured singer and songwriter Joanna St. Claire.<ref name="atrain.com"/><ref name="jazz"/><ref name="obituary1"/>
In 1990, Borton released his debut album ''Dancing With Tigers'', which was co-produced with jazz musician Vel Lewis, and released under the ''Mesa/Bluemoon Recordings'' label;<ref>{{cite web | title = Tom Borton - Dancing With Tigers | website = Discogs | date = 1990 | url = https://www.discogs.com/release/5701357-Tom-Borton-Dancing-With-Tigers | access-date = July 30, 2024}}</ref> two of the songs from the album, "Wherever You Are" and "Looking for a Way", were both featured in the "Local Forecast" segments on ''The Weather Channel''.<ref>{{cite web | title = "Wherever You Are" by Tom Borton | website = TWC Classics | date = January 5, 2017 | url = https://twcclassics.com/watch.php?file=920710-wherever-you-are | access-date = June 13, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title = "Looking for a Way" by Tom Borton | website = TWC Classics | date = March 15, 2014 | url = https://twcclassics.com/watch.php?file=looking-for-a-way-041992 | access-date = June 13, 2023}}</ref> In 1992, Borton released his second album ''The Lost World'', which was also co-produced with Lewis.<ref>{{cite web | title = Tom Borton - The Lost World | website = Discogs | date = 1992 | url = https://www.discogs.com/release/14267384-Tom-Borton-The-Lost-World | access-date = July 30, 2024}}</ref>
Borton also worked with jazz musician and composer Steve Allee, and co-produced two of his albums, ''The Magic Hour'' (1995), and ''Mirage'' (2003).<ref>{{cite web | title = The Magic Hour - Steve Allee | work = AllMusic | url = https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-magic-hour-mw0000173852 | access-date = March 18, 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title = Mirage - Steve Allee | work = AllMusic | url = https://www.allmusic.com/album/mirage-mw0000323316 | access-date = March 18, 2026}}</ref> In 2002, Borton and Allee both performed together at the ''Montreux Jazz Festival'' in Switzerland.<ref name="atrain.com"/><ref name="jazz"/> Borton was the founder and CEO of ''Los Angeles Post Music, Inc'', a production music library, in which he composed music for TV shows such as ''Friends'', ''Sex and the City'', ''The Sopranos'', ''Lost'' and ''King of the Hill''.<ref name="legacy.com"/><ref name="jazz"/><ref name="discogs"/> He also composed music for the 1998 TV documentary ''Titanic: Secrets Revealed'',<ref>{{cite web | title = Titanic: Secrets Revealed | website = Radio Times | url = https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-9m39ik/titanic-secrets-revealed/ | access-date = March 6, 2023}}</ref> and movies such as ''The Jitters'' (1989), and ''Amy's Orgasm'' (2001).
==Death== Borton died unexpectedly at his home in Los Angeles on July 26, 2011, at the age of 55.<ref name="legacy.com"/><ref name="atrain.com"/><ref name="obituary1"/> His third and final album, ''Simply One'', was released posthumously in 2012.<ref>{{cite web | title = Tom Borton - Simply One | website = Discogs | url = https://www.discogs.com/release/10717950-Tom-Borton-Simply-One | access-date = July 30, 2024}}</ref> Borton was survived by his parents, his sisters, Rebecca Ann (William) Erdel, and Janis Elaine Borton, and his two nephews and great nieces.<ref name="legacy.com"/><ref name="obituary1"/>
==Discography==
'''Albums''' *1990: ''Dancing With Tigers'' (Mesa/Bluemoon Recordings) *1992: ''The Lost World'' (Mesa/Bluemoon Recordings) *2012: ''Simply One''
'''Compilation Appearances''' *1990: ''Best of Mesa Records & Bluemoon Recordings'' (Mesa/Bluemoon Recordings) (features the song "Photoland" from ''Dancing With Tigers'').<ref>{{cite web | title = Various - Best of Mesa Records & Bluemoon Recordings | website = Discogs | date = 1990 | url = https://www.discogs.com/release/25292398-Various-Best-Of-Mesa-Records-Bluemoon-Recordings | access-date = August 17, 2024}}</ref>
*1992: ''The Best New Jazz in America: Volume 3'' (Catalyst Communications/Encore Distributors Inc.) (features the song "Swingopolis" from ''The Lost World'').<ref>{{cite web | title = Various - The Best New Jazz in America Vol. 3 | website = Discogs | date = 1992 | url = https://www.discogs.com/release/30698530-Various-The-Best-New-Jazz-In-America-Vol-3?srsltid=AfmBOopJ63WlVJQT-7Y0ZEgCemvuiOgG9i1HwEoGAyrnkc_JPcqL54qG | access-date = July 30, 2024}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[https://www.allmusic.com/artist/tom-borton-mn0000931657 Tom Borton at AllMusic] *[https://www.discogs.com/artist/3830741-Tom-Borton-2 Tom Borton at Discogs] *[https://m.imdb.com/name/nm0097579/ Tom Borton at IMDB]
{{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Borton, Tom}} Category:1956 births Category:2011 deaths Category:American jazz composers Category:American jazz saxophonists Category:American jazz songwriters Category:American male composers Category:American male jazz composers Category:American male musicians Category:American male saxophonists Category:American male songwriters Category:Indiana University Bloomington alumni Category:Musicians from Indiana Category:Musicians from Indianapolis Category:Musicians from Pennsylvania Category:People from Norristown, Pennsylvania