Small World Coffee on Witherspoon Street hosts a homegrown talent with deep roots in the local music scene on Saturday, May 10, when jazz bassist and educator Tom Littwin takes the stage with his group, the Tom Littwin Trio. While the performance is reason enough to spotlight him, Littwin’s journey — shaped by early passion, world-class mentorship, and a commitment to community — deserves equal attention.
Littwin picked up the bass guitar at the age of nine. While he admits that it wasn’t his first choice, he quickly realized choosing the bass would open the door to the type of music that interested him the most: jazz. Though he began on the upright bass, Littwin didn’t limit himself stylistically. He soon went on to the electric bass and now plays both full-time.
Growing up in the Trenton-Ewing area, in close proximity to both New York and Philadelphia, meant that he was surrounded by opportunities to develop his skills and his passion for jazz. At a bass store in Bensalem where he took lessons from professionals, he met Anthony Wellington — a member of Victor Wooten’s Band — and at just 12 years old, Littwin attended the Victor Wooten Bass Nature Camp in Tennessee, a formative experience that would broaden his musical and personal horizons.
The camp, led by renowned bassist Victor Wooten, gave him opportunities beyond just advancing his technical skill. It was there that he met several other professional musicians, including Dennis Chambers, Chuck Rainey, and Steve Bailey. There in Tennessee, he acquired musical knowledge and nature skills, blending artistic growth with exploration of the outdoors.
Littwin found strong musical guidance performing with notable musicians like Richie Cole, Michael Ray, and Clifford Adams. These mentors helped him refine his skills and introduced him to new genres and techniques. “Usually, a lot of people that I play with are kind of by the books — they play the music the way it’s written. But Michael Ray likes to take things in a different direction,” Littwin says.
In 2014, while attending The College of New Jersey, Littwin was beginning to secure gigs at the 1867 Sanctuary in Ewing. It was then that he decided to start his own group, transitioning him from a sideman to a bandleader. “I just wanted to choose my own music rather than just play other people’s music a lot of the time,” Littwin says. “It’s nice to be able to pick and choose who you want to play with and who you get to play with.”
His compositions often start with a simple rhythm that grabs his attention. “I sometimes will take an idea that I hear in a song and kind of turn it into my own kind of concept — a little clip of a song — and draw inspiration from that,” Littwin says. From there, he builds pieces that allow space for improvisation.
Littwin also teaches music part-time at The Pennington School, where he helps the next generation of musicians find their voice. His role at The Pennington School began while he was still in college teaching private bass lessons. Since then, he has taken over Jazz Band sectionals and leads the Rock Ensemble.
“It’s nice to get out and teach kids and have an influence on them and help share the music,” he says. “Because a lot of kids these days don’t necessarily like jazz — so it’s nice to introduce them to music that they otherwise might not hear.”
His teaching approach focuses first on the basics, like technique and rhythm. From there, he makes sure to teach his students about improvisation. “That’s another thing a lot of students don’t get in school or education programs,” he says. “They get a book and they read it, and that’s how they learn the music — but then, if you ask them to improvise something, they struggle.”
Students benefit not just from Littwin’s technical skill, but from his genuine passion for music and education. When he’s not teaching, Littwin uses his evenings and weekends to perform regularly in New York City and Philadelphia.
Littwin credits much of his growth to the teachers and mentors he has studied with over the years. One of the most influential was Anthony Wellington, Victor Wooten’s long-time bassist and educator, who began teaching Littwin when he was in middle school.
“He taught me a lot about what it’s like to be a musician and what it takes: dedication,” Littwin says. His guidance extended even beyond music — Littwin originally planned to go to a music conservatory after high school, but Wellington encouraged him to take a broader path. “He kind of pushed me in the direction of living a little bit outside of just playing music. You don’t want to just focus solely on music and go to school where everybody’s a musician — so I ended up going to The College of New Jersey,” Littwin says.
Throughout his childhood, Littwin also participated in Gerald Veasley’s Bass Bootcamp and took lessons with a range of professional bassists. There, he would go every year to take private lessons and masterclasses and play jazz standards with Veasley. “It was a whole weekend, and each day you got to take three classes with top level professional bassists from all around the world,” Littwin says.
Now, Littwin studies with Orlando LeFleming, a well-known jazz bassist based in New York, who reminds him that there is always room for improvement. “He really let me know that my rhythm, knowledge, theory, and technique weren’t as good as I thought it was,” Littwin says. “He’s almost like a perfectionist.”
Despite frequently performing in New York and Philadelphia, Littwin remains closely tied to the Trenton and Ewing area. “There’s not really a consistent music scene here,” he says. “There’s been a lot of venues that have come and gone. When I was in college, there was this place called the Candlelight Lounge in Trenton. I got to play there a few times with Clifford Adams and Michael Ray.”
Still, Littwin plays in the area frequently. “A lot of times in New Hope, so it’s now moved outside of the Trenton-Ewing area, but it’s kind of in the communities surrounding it. And I like to play there,” he says.
Littwin grew up in Ewing and went to The Pennington School before studying at TCNJ. His parents supported his passion from an early age, each working multiple jobs to put Littwin through school and music lessons. As a dance teacher, his mother had a particularly strong influence on him: “I feel like she always had my back, and still does, as far as knowing what it’s like to be like an artist,” Littwin says.
Littwin credits his strong work ethic to his parents, who continue to show unwavering support today. “If I get some work done on my bass, they’ll throw me some money to help cover the cost. I don’t even ask them, they just offer to help me out,” he says.
His advice for young or aspiring musicians? “Get out there and play.”
“You’re going to make mistakes, and it’s good to make mistakes and good to make a fool of yourself, because then you learn from those experiences,” he says. “So just get out and experience, hang out with more experienced musicians, and follow what they do.”
Tom Littwin Trio, Small World Coffee, 14 Witherspoon Street, Princeton. Saturday, May 10, 7 p.m. Free. www.smallworldcoffee.com.
More on Littwin: tomlittwin.com.
