Talking Music w/Tom Hambridge, Buddy Guy’s Producer and Drummer
Tom Hambridge is a multiple Grammy award winning musician, songwriter, and producer with his own new album Blu Ja Vu. Tom is currently on tour with legendary guitarist Buddy Guy on Buddy’s farewell tour as his drummer and one of his opening acts. Recently this American music master spoke with Americana Highways about the tour, his own music, and producing. The resultant discussion, edited for length and clarity, is below.
Americana Highways: Since it’s Buddy’s farewell tour, how would you describe the emotions everyone is feeling ? Or is it like the other tours?
Tom Hambridge: This tour is definitely different. Every night is highly emotional. You can feel it from the audiences as well. The crowd reacts as if this is the last time they will ever witness one of the last remaining original blues masters.
AH: How would you describe your songwriting process ?
TH: Around the clock. I’m constantly writing because most of the albums I produce I also write or co-write. So I’m always cultivating ideas in my head.
AH: Can you describe how your latest solo album Blu Ja Vu, which was released in September of last year, came about ?
TH: My last solo album before Blu Ja Vu was a record called The Nola Sessions which was released in 2018. I realized that in the 4 years after that record had come out, I had produced 18 albums for other artists including two Grammy Award winning Buddy Guy albums, two award winning Christone “Kingfish” Ingram albums, Keb Mo’s Grammy nominated Good To Be, Kenny Neal’s Grammy nominated Bloodline, Tommy Castro’s Bluesman Came To Town, Ally Venable’s Real Gone album. Frank Bey’s Back In Business, Mike Zito’s Make Blues Not War, two Jim Allchin albums, two Altered Five albums, two Selwyn Birchwood albums, a Devon Allman record, a Casey James album and numerous singles for other artists. I just figured it was time I got my butt into the studio and produce a record of my own material.
AH: What inspires you ?
TH: The ocean, the sky, my daughters. I’m inspired by music, both old and new. Greatness inspires me. I can listen to a song like “Come Back To Me” by Aretha and get chills and be inspired every time.
AH: How is the blues different from other genres, in your opinion?
TH: The blues blends and incorporates all kinds of music together like a good gumbo. Blues can be soulful, funky, slow, fast, funny, sad. positive or painful. It can be spiritual and rocking at the same time. I love it!
AH: How would you describe your approach to producing?
TH: Well you know I am a musician first and I play drums on nearly every record I produce. I am in the trenches with the guys in that sense and I see from the field and I am not on the sidelines telling them what to do from behind a wall of glass. I am well equipped to feel the tempo and the arrangement of each particular song and to suggest changes to make it feel and sound different. The artists that I work with appreciate and feel this and respond extremely well to this approach. They know I am feeling the music right along with them.
AH: How would you describe the power of music in our lives?
TH: For me its the most powerful thing. It encompasses love, faith, and all the important things in life. I feel like I experience all of them through music. It has that much power. It is able to tap into that and make us feel all of that and that is incredible. It is not limited to any particular kind of song or genre either. It really can come from any song that you hear which is why it is inherently powerful.
Thanks very much for speaking with us, Tom Hambridge. You can catch Buddy Guy’s farewell tour by checking the show dates on his website and find out more about Tom Hambridge’s music by visiting his website.
