Tom Hambridge – Live review by AJ Wachtel The Blues Blog

Tom Hambridge - Live review by AJ Wachtel

Tom Hambridge And The Rattlesnakes
Johnny D`s
Somerville, Ma
8/27/11

By A.J. Wachtel

Tom Hambridge spent years touring and playing with many of the biggest names in the business. He won a Grammy last year for his work producing Buddy Guy`s Blues Album Of The Year and he has worked and written songs for many major Blues artists including Johnny Winter, B.

. King, George Thorogood, Shemekia Copeland and Susan Tedeschi. So when Tom Hambridge and his lot came to town, I was set for a big night of Blues and Rock and Roll music. Tom and his band are celebrating the issue of their latest combustible product "Boom": and the walls of the club shook as the music exploded. Guitarist Jimmy Scoppa and bassist Tom MacDonald are veterans from his `80′s Boston band Tom Hambridge and The Wreckage and guitarist Sal Baglio from The Stompers joined drummer David Fox and caught fire behind Hambridge`s vocals. Tommy even went back behind the kit for a few songs to remind everyone in the interview but how well he still pounds also. Songs like "Sweet Mama", a strain he wrote for Lynyrd Skynyrd, "The Fixer", a strain he wrote for George Thorogood and "It Hurt So Bad" a strain he penned for Susan Tedeschi just screamed in their virtuosity. This music has hands and they grabbed everyone in the order and really shook them up. The group also played the strain of the year "Living Proof" he wrote for Buddy Guy`s Grammy Award winning album.

But the songs that really prove the high of Tom Hambridge`s talent are off his new cd "Boom" including "I Had A Really Good Time" that he co-wrote with Delbert McClinton, "Upside Of Lonely" with it`s quirky take on the right position of being alone, or "happy Blues" as he laughed and introduced the song onstage and "I Got Your Country Right Here" which was a big hit for Gretchen Wilson.
Behind all these large compositions are the great group. Jimmy`s rockabilly influences and Sal`s rock and roll influences never let the songs stay in one genre and the vivid way they play against each other is a highpoint of the night. MacDonald`s tight and rocking four strings and Fox`s right on percussion keep it all together and let the medicine to actually get off. These cats play well together and the songs are first-rate. More great music from Tom Hambridge.

September 11, 2011 - Posted byGFats |Uncategorized|