Todd Wolfe
Birth name Todd Stewart Wolfe
Born January 22, 1957
Queens, New York, United States
Genres Rock, blues, blues rock, psychedelic rock, Southern rock
Occupation(s) Musician, bandleader, producer
Instruments Guitar, vocals
Todd Stewart Wolfe (born January 22, 1957 in Queens, New York) is an American blues rock guitarist and singer-songwriter.
During a professional career that has spanned three decades, Wolfe has had numerous album releases with his own band in the blues and rock genre. He has also worked as the lead guitarist for Carla Olson from 1991 to 1993 and for Sheryl Crow from 1993 to 1998.
As a writer, Wolfe’s songs have been covered by Faith Hill, Stevie Nicks, Deborah Coleman, and others.
Since departing Sheryl Crow’s band, Wolfe has been gaining popularity as a solo artist and guitarist in North America and Europe—especially in Germany—where he and his band have toured extensively since 2001.
Wolfe was born in the Forest Hills neighborhood of Queens, New York, an area of New York City renowned for its musicians, with former residents including Burt Bacharach, The Ramones, Leslie West, and Simon & Garfunkel.
Wolfe’s parents contributed to his musical tastes. As his father was a native New Yorker and his mother from the small town of Marshall, Texas, Todd heard many types of music as a boy. The different styles of music regularly heard in the Wolfe household encouraged Todd’s love of music. Like many Americans of that era, the appearance of the Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show accelerated Wolfe’s growing appreciation for music. He was particularly inspired by the sounds emanating from the guitars of George Harrison and John Lennon. His appreciation deepened with the arrival in the United States of the British Invasion with bands such as The Animals, The Dave Clark Five, The Yardbirds and The Rolling Stones.
After the arrival of the second “British Invasion” and the play of Eric Clapton and the Cream, the Jimi Hendrix Experience, British guitarists such as Peter Green, Mick Taylor and Jeff Beck, and the emergence of American guitarists such as Johnny Winter, Mike Bloomfield, and Leslie West, Wolfe began to develop his own skills as a guitarist. At thirteen, he purchased his first guitar, a Dakota red Fender Mustang, and began learning the fundamentals of playing a guitar. Two key components to his apprenticeship were attending numerous concerts and listening to records. From these experiences, Wolfe’s interests expanded to include the works of American blues guitarists such as B.B. King, Freddy King, Otis Rush, Hubert Sumlin, Buddy Guy, and Albert King. Wolfe found similar inspiration in the electric blues of Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf bands. These artists, whose works greatly influenced British musicians, were equally inspirational to Wolfe.
By the time he was sixteen, Wolfe was committed to developing his skills as a guitarist. Concurrently, he began the long path of refining an artistic sensibility that drew fully from the foundations laid by musicians in the United States and Great Britain.
In 1979, Wolfe began his career by playing in garage bands. He played at local parties and participated in “battle of the bands” competitions. While still in high school, Wolfe put together his first band. Four years later, he formed his first club band, Nitetrain. The band included Wolfe and fellow Forest Hills residents, drummer Steven Menasche and bassist Emil Samuels. During their first year, the band opened for Albert Collins, Dickey Betts, and Walter “Wolfman” Washington.
Four years later, he formed his first club band, Troy & the Tornados. This band opened for many acts appearing in the metropolitan New York area. These groups included Gregg Allman, The Outlaws, Dickey Betts, Johnny Winter, Robin Trower, and The Neville Brothers.
In 1998, Wolfe left Sheryl Crow’s band so that he could focus on a new project. He formed a new band with a varying lineup of players including two former members of Mojoson—Eric Massimino and Michael Lawrence— as well as Rich Pagano, Dave Hollingsworth, and others. Currently, Wolfe’s band features drummer Roger Voss and bassist Justine Gardner who replaced Massimino, Lawrence and Suavek Zaniesienko. This lineup recorded Wolfe’s sixth (studio) release since leaving Sheryl’s band, Stripped Down at The Bang Palace. Wolfe and his band have kept busy with six album releases and over a dozen European tours to Europe in the last ten years.
Present career
In August 2013, Wolfe released his seventh studio album titled Miles To Go. In September 2013 the album reached #15 on the Jam Band Radio Charts.
Discography
1999 Live from Manny’s Car Wash Blue Lizard Music
2002 Wolfe Ulftone Music, Okra Tone Records
2004 Delaware Crossing Ulftone Music, Valley Entertainment
2006 Why, Thank You Very Much Ulftone Music, Valley Entertainment
2008 Borrowed Time Blues Leaf Records
2009 Stripped Down at the Bang Palace Blues Leaf Records
2011 Live American Home Entertainment
2013 Miles To Go American Showplace Music
Additional credits
1988 Sweden USA Carla Olson Guitar
1991 Too Hot for Snakes Mick Taylor Guitar
1993 Within an Ace Carla Olson Guitar
1994 Fast Track to Nowhere: Songs from “Rebel Highway” Various Artists Guitar
1994 Reap the Whirlwind Carla Olson Guitar
1995 Boys on the Side Original Soundtrack Composer, Guitar
1995 Live One Phish Composer
1995 Wave of the Hand: The Best of Carla Olson Carla Olson Guitar
1996 Pompatus of Love Original Soundtrack Guitar
1996 Sheryl Crow Sheryl Crow Dobro, Guitar (Electric), Guitar
1996 Sheryl Crow [Japan] Sheryl Crow Dobro, Composer, Guitar (Electric), Guitar
1997 Hard to Make a Stand Sheryl Crow Pedal Steel, Guitar, Guitar (Electric)
1997 Live on Letterman: Music from the Late Show Various Artists Pedal Steel
1998 Enchanted: The Works of Stevie Nicks Stevie Nicks Guitar
1998 Faith Faith Hill Guitar
1998 Love Will Always Win Faith Hill Composer
1998 Globe Sessions Sheryl Crow Soloist, Guitar (Electric)
1998 Globe Sessions [DVD] Sheryl Crow Guitar (Electric)
1998 Globe Sessions [SACD/Bonus Track] Sheryl Crow Guitar (Electric), Soloist
1999 Loud Guitars, Big Suspicions Shannon Curfman Composer
1999 Hampton Comes Alive Phish Composer
2001 Honest as Daylight: The Best of Carla Olson (1981–2000) Carla Olson Guitar
2001 Livin’ on Love Deborah Coleman Composer
2001 Best of Sessions at West 54th, Vol. 1 Various Artists Guitar
2002 2 Good 4 U Michelle Penn Slide Guitar
2002 Live Phish, Vol. 08 Phish Composer
2002 Mystic Fire Mountain Slide Guitar
2002 Live Phish, Vol. 14 Phish Composer
2003 Chas Chas Slide Guitar
2003 Live Phish, Vol. 17 Phish Composer
2004 Chartbuster Karaoke: Faith Hill, Vol. 1 Karaoke Composer
2004 Songs I Left Behind Mike Tramp Guitar
2007 Masters of War Mountain Guitar (Rhythm), Guitar
2007 Collection Leslie West Guitar (Rhythm), Guitar
2008 Step Up Doña Oxford Guitar, Soloist
2008 Dark Horses Carla Olson Guitar
2008 Beautiful People/Circles The New Seekers Composer
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