Photo by Mamta Popat/Arizona Daily Star

Tucsonan Tom Walbank is a displaced bluesman from the unlikely town of Somerset, England. He’s been living here for about nine years now and considers Tucson his home, which I find surprising considering the weather, but it actually goes along perfectly with Walbank’s own sunny disposition.

And it’s true; Walbank has a lot to shine about. His vinyl-only record Sugarmama (Mudhouse, 2008) was just released by local producer and drummer for The Deludes, Jake Bergeron.

Walbank still has a skip in his step from his record release show last week at Club Congress and he can’t wait to hock his phonographic achievement all around town, starting with Plush this Saturday, Aug. 23 opening up for prodigal Tucsonan and musical wunderkind Bob Log III.

Below, Walbank emphatically answers some questions about playing the blues, his vinyl-only release and how important Tucson is to him or he is to Tucson. You figure it out.

How was the record release show at Club Congress last Friday night?

TW: THE RECORD RELEASE WENT GREAT. PACKED CROWD, LOTS OF DANCING AND WE SOLD A BUNCH OF THE RECORD. THE FELL CITY SHOUTS RIPPED IT UP, AS DID ANDREW COLLBERG—BOTH GAINING A CROP OF NEW FANS ALONG THE WAY.

Tells us a little bit about your new 10-song, vinyl-only LP Sugarmama.

TW: SUGARMAMA, THE ALBUM, IS A SESSION WE DID AT NATHAN SABATINO’S LOVELAND STUDIO HERE IN TUCSON BACK IN 2006. IT TOOK TWO DAYS TO RECORD AND MIX. IT IS A GOOD REPRESENTATION OF THE AMBASSADORS SOUND WITH A GOOD MIX OF FULL ON BOOGIES AND SLOW BLUES, BUT EACH SONG HAS IT’S OWN CHARACTER, SO IT MAKES FOR AN ENGAGING LISTEN. IT IS IN STEREO BUT WE MASTERED IT USING OLD LIGHTNIN HOPKINS RECORDINGS AS A TEMPLATE SO IT HAS THAT PUNCHY MID RANGE SOUND; ALL ORIGINALS EXCEPT ‘SUGARMAMA,’ WHICH IS BY SONNY BOY WILLIAMSON 1.

I think it is great to see vinyl making a comeback and even though my personal trend in record buying is vinyl, that may not be the case with the majority of music buyers. How do you justify a vinyl-only release to your record-less fans and why did you ultimately decide to distribute your record exclusively on vinyl? What did Jake Bergeron think?

TW: JAKE OF MUDHOUSE HAS BEEN A PLEASURE TO WORK WITH. TO HAVE THE GET-UP-AND-GO HE HAS IS JUST WHAT THE TUCSON MUSIC SCENE NEEDED. MUDHOUSE PUTS OUT VINYL ONLY RELEASES OF TUCSON BANDS. GOLDEN BOOTS AND FOURKILLER FLATS ARE THE NEXT RELEASES.

You mention on your MySpace page that you’ve been playing the blues since you were 15. Was it weird growing up in England playing the blues? Did people get what you were doing or did you stand out like a sore thumb?

TW: KIDS HAVE BEEN PLAYING BLUES IN ENGLAND TO VARYING DEGREES OF CAPABILITY SINCE THE LATE ’50S, SO THE FACT I WAS BLOWING HARP WAS ACCEPTED PRETTY EASILY IN MY HOMETOWN.

Speaking of ‘blowing harp,’ you mention you studied the harmonica stylings of Sonny Terry. Where’d you come up with the playing like a train bit?

TW: THE TRAIN TUNE I DO ON THE HARMONICA IS KIND OF A BENCH MARK FOR THE BLUES HARP PLAYER SINCE THE EARLY ’20S. YOUR ABILITY TO MOCK THE TRAINS WAS JUST ONE OF THOSE SONGS YOU HAD TO BE ABLE TO PLAY. MY VERSION MIXES UP A LOT OF THOSE EARLY PLAYERS’ VERSIONS. FREEMAN STOWERS, DEFORD BAILEY AND SONNY TERRY ALL GET A MAJOR HAT TIP WHEN I PLAY THAT TUNE

Have you ever wished you were blind like Terry so you could be that much more authentic in the blues world and have a cool moniker that corresponded to a physical or mental malady?

TW: NO, I HAVE NEVER WISHED I WAS BLIND LIKE SONNY TERRY SO I COULD SEEM MORE AUTHENTIC. THERE WERE A LOT OF BLIND PLAYERS BACK IN THE DAY FOR THE REASON THAT THEY WOULDN’T LET BLACK PEOPLE INTO WHITE HOSPITALS. SEGREGATION, JIM CROW, APARTHEID; CALL IT WHAT YOU WILL, BUT THAT WAS A TIME I’M SURE A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE GLAD HAS GONE. OF COURSE TODAY IT’S NOT BIASED ON YOUR SKIN COLOUR IT’S BIASED ON YOUR BANK BALANCE.

Do you play any other mouth instruments like a jew’s harp? Do you know about its history at all?

TW: I DON’T PLAY ANY OTHER WIND INSTRUMENTS, A LITTLE MELODICA MAYBE, BUT NOTHING AUGUSTUS PABLO WOULD HAVE HAD TO WORRY ABOUT.

How does it feel to be awarded the Tammie for best blues act in Tucson?

TW: WARM AND FUZZY.

Who’re some of your favorite contemporary blues players?

TW: I AM NOT A HUGE FAN OF MANY CONTEMPORARY BLUES PLAYERS. DIMITRI MANOS AND MIKE BAGESSE WOULD TOP MY LIST. I LIKE CEPHAS AND WIGGINS. BILLY BOY ARNOLD JUST RECORDED A KICK ASS ALBUM. OH, AND TUCSON’S OWN ARTHUR MIGLIAZZA SURE PLAYS THE HELL OUT OF THE PIANO.

You are going to be opening up for Bob Log this upcoming Saturday. What do think of his blues sound?

TW: BOB LOG DOESN’T CONSIDER WHAT HE DOES BLUES, BUT HE SURE SOUNDS LIKE MISSISSIPPI FRED MCDOWELL TO ME. BOB PLAYS GREAT SLIDE GUITAR.

Do you have any good Bob Log stories?

TW: NO.

Is it true you only picked up the guitar a couple years ago?

TW: I STARTED PLAYING GUITAR ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO WHEN I LIVED IN SAN FRANCISCO. I PAINTED THE STORE FRONT SIGN OF THE NOE VALLEY MUSIC STORE IN EXCHANGE FOR A REGAL DOBRO. STILL GOT IT.

How is it working at 17th Street?

TW: 17TH STREET IS GREAT TO WORK AT. WHEN I WORKED IN BARS IN SCOTLAND I USED MY WAGES TO BUY BOOZE SO THIS WAY I SPEND IT ON GOOD FOOD AND MUSIC, FAR HEALTHIER.

I would think the logical conclusion for someone so interested in playing the blues would migrate down south after a while, but not as far as Bob Log’s Southern Hemisphere. What’s kept you in Tucson all these years?

TW: TUCSON IS HOME. I LOVE IT HERE. NO QUALMS ABOUT TOURING
ALL OVER, BUT TUCSON IS HOME.

Tom Walbank opens up for Bob Log III and Left Lane Cruiser at Plush, Saturday, Aug. 23. Get there early to cheer Walbank on and show him some reciprocated Tucson love. Show starts at 9:30 p.m. and is $8.