Tom Gullion began studying the saxophone at ten, from teachers including Larry Kirkman and Harry Miedema. He attended Indiana University, where he studied with David N. Baker, making his recording debut with Baker's group, the 21st Century Bebop Band. When he was 22, Gullion was hired by J.J. Johnson, his first professional job. He later returned to Indiana to finish his degree, then moved to New York with his wife, a classical violinist. The couple moved again to Spain when his wife got an orchestra job there, and he played with several Spanish groups, recorded an album with the band Clunia, and worked on television and film soundtracks. He and his wife moved back to the U.S. in 1995 and settled in Chicago, where Gullion began attending Northwestern University to pursue his master's degree. In 1997, he recorded his first solo album, Cat's Cradle, which was released by Naim Records in 1999. ~ William Ruhlmann