Tom Hambridge Interview - Blu Ja Vu CD and life on the road - Work with Andy Pratt and Johnny Winter. Live June 26 Norwood MA, June 27 Manchester NH June 30 Wex Rex in Hudson MA tour dates listed here
Tom wrote Lone Wolf for Johnny Winter and Blues Don't Care on his Quatro Valley release
For Tom Hambridge Tour Dates scroll to beyond the album review at the conclusion of this page Jun. 26, 2026 Norwood, MA Fallout Shelter
http://hambridgetunes.com/on-tour
1)Blu Va Ju is a rocking, excellent group of thirteen songs, how do you compose a song these days with so much travel on the road?
Tom-I love writing songs so wherever I am I try to make time for it.
2)Absolute Sound writes “ On his new long player he’s bringing powerhouse drums and percussion and soulful blues vocals to bear on an impressive batch of tunes he’s produced, written, and played on for and with others, some of whom join the festivities.”
Tom-It was very cool to have so many friends like Buddy Guy, James Cotton, Joe Bonamassa and Christone Kingfish Ingram play and sing on my album.
Which studio or studios did you record these songs in ?
Tom-I recorded this album in a few different studios around Nashville. Blackbird Studio A, Soundstage, Ocean Way, Ronnie’s Place (Ronnie Milsap’s old studio on Music Row) and The Switchyard Studio
https://www.discogs.com/sell/release/1487183
3)Back in 1987 to the early 1990s in Boston you put out at least four discs with T H and the Wreckage - how are your memories of the Boston scene you were a part of?
Tom- I have wonderful memories. I really cut my teeth performing all over New England. Boston had such a vibrant original music scene. There was live music every night of the week. So many phenomenal bands: The Fools, Farrenheit, The Stompers, Morphine, The Del Fuegos, Extreme, Barrence Whitfield and the Savages and so many more.
4)Was Balderdash your debut with Artemis Records? If so, what was the demo that got the deal with Artemis, and also, the demo that got the deal with Quarto Valley?
Tom- “Balderdash” was my debut album on Artemis Records. I got signed by Danny Goldberg. An A&R rep named Dave Wilkes heard my demos I recorded in Boston with my dear friend and engineer Ducky Carlisle at his studio Room 9 From Outer Space. Dave played them for Danny and they signed me.
For Blu Ja Vu. I recorded that entire album and then sent it to my friend Mike Carden and he sent it Bruce Quarto at Quarto Valley Records. Bruce loved it and wanted to release it as is so I signed a deal with Quarto Valley Records.
5)So many artists have recorded your music, and it is quite a diverse group, from Meat Loaf performing “Boneyard” to Guitar Shorty covering “Get Off,” along with Z.Z. Top, Billy Ray Cyrus and Felix Cavaliere, among others. A collection of Artists Sing Hambridge might be a fun collection. Who would you like to see cover your music in the future?
Tom- My “dream list” has all come true.
6)Do you live in Nashville now?
Tom-yes
7)You played drums in 2003 on Andy Pratt Live at the Village Underground. Playing on “Avening Annie” to “Brother John Boogie” on the current disc is stylistically different, and something few drummers could do exact. How did you find playing Andy’s music in a club setting like that?
Tom- That was quite a memorable night. I flew to New York City. We rehearsed for a few hours at SIR then went to the club and played the gig. No time to think too much about it. You can see “Treasure That Canary” from that show on YouTube. Andy is such a creative artist and that was a wonderful night.
8)We lost the great Johnny Winter in 2014, how did 2004’s I’m a Bluesman come about?
I received a call from Teddy Slatus, Johnny’s manager. He said Johnny really dug a song I wrote, produced and played drums on called “Rock Me Right” for Susan Tedeschi. Johnny wanted to ask if I could write and produce a song for him. I flew out to Detroit and rode on the bus with Johnny for a couple shows in the midwest. I ended up writing a few songs for him one called “Lone Wolf”. We recorded a lot of that album at The Carriage House in Connecticut. I still can’t believe we lost Johnny.
9)I’m glad you are pushing for Johnny to get into the Hall of Fame with your song “Johnny Winter.” Did you perform live with Johnny?
Tom: Wow these are some amazing questions. Johnny asked me to play drums for him at the legendary Bishopstock Festival in England. We flew over to England and on the day of the show he got sick and we had to cancel.
10)What can we expect on your next cd?
Tom Hopefully more noisy, loud, rootsy rock & roll.
Blu Ja Vu review by Joe Viglione
On “Blues Don’t Care” Tommy Hambridge rocks with authority that he has “had his share” and the blues just don’t concern themselves about it. The album, on Quatro Valley Records, is almost like Frank Sinatra Duets with Rob McNelly, James Cotten, Josh Smith, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Buddy Guy and Joe Bonamassa contributing. The uplifting piano on the first track, “Ain’t It Just Like Love” juxtaposed to Guy’s guitar playing ...or more like introducing the wild leads ...has a thumping rhythm that compels. The track is extraordinary.
“That’s My Home” evokes memories of Cream, but gets down to pure blues as it progresses. Bonamassa following Buddy Guy on an album is a double whammy of fun. Great follow up to the first song. “Wear You Out” leans more towards Hambridge’s rock sensibilities with more driving guitar with only 3 of the 13 songs going over four minutes. “Wear You Out” is at a hand three minutes and six seconds, very radio friendly as is most of this disc. “Sick with Love” feels very Alvin Lee (of Ten Years After) when he went into his slow-motion blues that was so effective. It simply grabs you like a good TYA show did back in the day. “Automatic” takes us back to the driving blues/rock that is the essence of this album, and that is what is to like about the disc. Tommy takes the blues and rock intensifies it, a groove that makes repeated spins mandatory. Interesting how “Symptoms of Love” comes a song after “Sick with Love” as the two songs are thematically similar...again resonating with Ten Years After keyboard vibes. And what can one say about James Cotten on “Brother John Boogie” except that the drumming allows for the musicians to play nice with each other. “Get Outta Town” leans into Rolling Stones in their Exile on Main St. days while “Johnny Winter” is a demand to put Winter in the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame. I don’t want to give all the secrets in these ones and zeroes on the CD away, other than that the collection of songs is a keeper.
Gary Sohmers Roar’s Back March 8 with Collectibles Show, To Jah Nature Ellis, Tom Hambridge New CD, Keith Richards Waiting for the Man, Sean Walshe American Son, Clive Davis with Anthony DeCurtis
https://joevigtop40.blogspot.com/2024/03/gary-sohmers-roars-back-march-8-with.html
ON TOUR!
TOM HAMBRIDGE TOUR DATES:
Get updates on new shows, new music, and more. http://hambridgetunes.com/on-tour