Austin's "Jazzmanian Devil", was born Tomás Almendarez Ramirez in Falfurrias, Texas in 1948. Ramirez began playing clarinet in his early childhood years and encouraged by his Uncle Wally, he began playing in bars at age 13 wearing a fake mustache. He learned his tenor saxophone chops from his uncle Wally and after Tomás graduated from high school, he studied under Dick Goodwin at the University of Texas at Austin where he toured with the UT Jazz Ensemble throughout Mexico in 1971. Two years later, he joined the Lost Gonzo Band backing Jerry Jeff Walker and began to widen his range of performance and reputation with such groups as Beto y los Fairlanes, Tommy Hancock’s Supernatural Family Band, Christopher Cross, and the Texana Dames.
Tomás has appeared on Austin City Limits with many artists over the years and in 1982 under his own name. He has recorded with Carole King, Jerry Jeff Walker, The Explosives, Calvin Russell, Papa Mali, Junior Medlow, Beto y los Fairlanes, the Texana Dames, Dan Del Santo, Christopher Cross, the Electromagnets, and many others.
Ramirez dropped his first solo album, Thanks for the Goodbyes, in 1983. Five more followed; Tejazz in 1995, Lonely Vato in 2009, Tomás Ramirez in 2010, Tres in 2012 and Sin Palabras in 2015. He continues to compose and offer electronic compositions on-line.
Beginning in 1981, Tomás would go on to rack up an “All-Time Winner” record of Austin Music Awards as “Best Sax” with 11 total honors.
Ramirez has toured with his alto and tenor horns all across Europe, Canada, the U. S., and Mexico. His band was the premier performance in 1991at the now iconic Elephant Room setting the stage for all Austin jazz musicians and creating a residency that continues to this day.
A creative force of tornado proportion, you can’t stop him. He’s the Jazzmanian Devil!