Tommy Tucker - ProfilesArchive

About Me

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Hello friends & neighbors,
I was born a poor black child . . . . . WAIT - That's not right . . . . Let's try again. Originally born near Frederick, MD to a truck driver (Dad) & a then homemaker (Mom - DUH !). I am the oldest of TWO boys. My "career" in music started at a VERY young age (about 3 yrs old) singing "The Devil Made Me Do It" at church (in Mt. Airy, MD) & at revivals up & down the East Coast under the guidance of my Ma Ma Ruby. Thanks to my MaMa Ruby, by the age of 6, I was a pretty much a touring veteran.
Though I have been a musician all my life, my other interests are history, cooking, doodling, & (here lately) language. I find it VERY interesting that the more technological we become as a society - The more interesting and abusive our language and how we interpret it becomes. If you can look at a letter written from a battle field during the cival war and an email (or text message) today - U wl ntc a dfrnc. There was an elegance to the way we once communicated. Now, it seems we're always in a hurry. What I don't understand is what are we in a hurry for?
Though my chosen instrument is bass. I LOVE to listen to GREAT piano players. I also enjoy listening to a well crafted song - Not a PRODUCED song, a well CRAFTED song - There is a difference. As well, how can turn your ear away from a GREAT singer? - Not a vocalist - a SINGER - I'm talking LUTHER VANDROSS - "House is not a Home" (in R&B does it get any better?); DIANNE SCHUUR; ELLA FITZGERALD; PAVAROTTI and the like.
I do my best to maintain as a steady, moving force in the music business as a bassist, road manager, producer, engineer & vocalist, while exuding finnesse, & charisma - Yeah . . . That's my story & I'm sticking to it.
As a bassist/vocalist/session player, I have had the good fortune & luck to work w/ an A to Z of the "Who's who" in rock-n-roll, gospel, blues & R&B in TWO different areas of the United States.
Dividing my time between TEXAS, the Gulf Coast & in New Orleans, I have been as blessed to have had the privledge of backing up some very talented folks: VINCE VANCE & the VALIANTS; The DIXIE CUPS; AL "CARNIVAL TIME" JOHNSON; CLARENCE "FROGMAN" HENRY; JIMMY CLANTON; the late JOHN FRED; JEAN KNIGHT; WILLIE T; ROBERT PARKER; PERCY SLEDGE to Denny Laine (Wings/Moody Blues); members of the Hensley Gospel Choir (Movie Leap of Faith); Guitar legends like: BUGS HENDERSON, SMOKIN' JOE KUBEK w/ B'NOIS KING, COOKIE McGee, Grammy Nominee RANDY McALLISTER, W.C. Handy Winner, ANDREW "Jr. Boy" JONES; CLAY HAMMOND & recently, Duwayne Burnside. I was even a member of the band GIRL for exactly one rehearsal before ( I had never been a GIRL before).
Aside from that, I divide my time being a father, husband and pursue the last of my passions, a pet project called JAM SANDWICH ! ! Jam Sandwich is a mixture of cover & original material. Some of the cover material is re-done to different feels & beats. However, it's the original material I love the most. I just like to create. Some of it cool, some of it, great, and some of it . . . . Well, it probably won't see the light of day - hahaha.
While most of the material is soul/R&B/ funk type songs, I have also been concentrating on material where the BASS carries the melody. From time to time you can check out some of it in the "Music Box" above.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy your stay here at my little hang. Look around, check out the pics, listen to the tunes, (I will be posting different stuff regularly) . . . . Hell, if you want to leave an opinion, good or bad, have it at.
OK, that's my best attempt at trying to make this "myspace" thang. I hope to hear from ya soon.
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PARTIAL DISCOGRAPHY (These are my favorite sessions over the years)
Newest to Oldest (This will be updated periodically) - Relying mostly on my memory
Nathan Johnson - "The Feeling I Got" - Independent
Du Rat Boy - "Hello Sweet Chagrin" - Independent
Betty Lewis - "Betty Lewis LIVE" - S.R.P. - Producer Only
Jake Crawford - "Nothing to Lose" - Independent - Producer & 1 bass
Andrew "Jr. Boy" Jones - "Mr. Domestic" - GalexC - Cover Art & Bass
Courtney Fairchild - "Simple & Distorted" - Independent
Tower Takes Texas by Storm - Various Artist - Rounder/Bullseye
Jay Quinn Band - "Good Ole American Fun" - Jamalu Records - Producer & Bassist
Cookie McGee - "Right Place" - J.S.P. London
Andrew "Jr. Boy" Jones - "Watch What You Say" - Rounder/Bullseye
Texas Guitar Summit - Various Artist - J.S.P. London
Randy McAllister - "Sofa Change" - J.S.P. London
Roy Coyote - "Roy Coyote" - Midwest Records/Song Dog - Engineer & Bass
Dusty De Santa Fe - "IV" - Independent/Midwest
Image Factory - "Imaginary Friends" - Independent/Midwest
Azroc - "Azroc" - Black Dog Records
Judy & the Essentails - "Kool Trax - Dallas Demos" - Radio Station Sponsored - Ghost Appearance - Gordy Connelly credited.
Jumpin the Gun - DEMO - Litzman Prod.
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Bass Solo during two sax bit w/ Vince Vance
The above video was caught on camera at GREEK BROS. in El Campo, TX while playing w/ Vince Vance. If you ever find yourself in the El Campo area, you NEED to go to GREEK BROS. There isn't a bad thing on the menu.
$ $ $ GEAR $ $ $ -
When I'm playing w/ VINCE VANCE & the VALINTS - I typically go direct using an APHEX Aural Exciter & SENNHEISER Wireless. There is the RARE occassion that I will use an amp on a festival gig. I' tend to be pretty picky though.
When I play with JAM SANDWICH - (That's the "MAIN" bass rig in the slideshow) It gets a little complicated. For MOST ALL the "rhythm" playing I do the signal path is: Bass (Usually my Yamaha BB-5000-A) to an A-B box (The B - side being for my "retuned" Copley 6 string. The bass I use for the melodic solo stuff) to an octave pedal then a delay unit. After that it goes to ANOTHER A-B box (The B - side being, in this case, for looping and going DIRECTLY to the drummers monitor via an old Yamaha PB-1). Then through an Aural Enhancer to an Ampeg SVPro pre to a QSC amp to an SWR 8x8.
The rig keep at home (For playing around Hot Springs) is pretty simple. A Bass to an SVPro Pre QSC amp and an SWR 4x10. Sometimes I will put a 1x15 underneath. Depending on the size venue . . . . etc.

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 04/12/2006
Band Website: www.unsungherorevolution.com/jamsandwichlive/
Band Members:

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I travel A LOT - Responses may take a few weeks.
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ABOUT THE MUSIC BOX (Upper Right Corner)

(these songs are in no specific order other than I thought THIS arrangement might sound good)

The FIRST tune is a BASS SOLO rendition of the STAR SPANGLED BANNER. Why? It was just something I've always wanted to do. I cut it on my YAMAHA 5000-A run direct.

* * * IF YOU DON'T ALREADY OWN THE CD - THE FEELING I GOT - YOU NEED TO GO TO CD BABY RIGHT NOW AND PURCHASE IT ! ! ! * * *

FINALLY, This artist has let me put up a piece of one of his songs. The song is "The Feeling I Got" from Nathan Johnsons' 3rd CD titled The Feeling I Got.

I have played w/ this artist on & off for several years, and I think THIS (The CD the Feeling I Got) is his BEST work to date. Not just as a songwriter, but also as a producer & arranger.

SESSION NOTES - Nathan Johnson - Electric & Acoustic Guitar, keys, Percussion, vocals; Josh Daniels - Guitar; Camin Melton - Guitar; Bart Elliott - Drums & Percussion; Shawn Ferris - B-3; ME - Bass Guitar. I used my Yamaha BB 5000A on all the tracks

* * * IF YOU DON'T ALREADY OWN THE CD - THE FEELING I GOT - YOU NEED TO GO TO CD BABY RIGHT NOW AND PURCHASE IT ! ! ! * * *

Next up, "BEEN BURNED TOO MANY TIMES", recorded on Cookie McGee's debut "Right Place" CD, for the London, England label J.S.P.

I Just like this groove.

SESSION NOTES - Cookie McGee - Lead Vocals & Guitar; Tommy Hill - Drums; Ron Mason - Keyboards; Benny Booker - Rhythm Guitar; ME - Bass - I played a Yamaha BB 5000-A

The 4th song is, "SO FAR AWAY" by DuRatBoy. You can buy the CD on his website, www.rat-o-rama.com
This C.D. also features one of my favorite Dallas drummers - Alex Hahn. He easily falls w/ in my TOP 5 DALLAS drummers and w/ in my TOP 20 Favorite drummers I've EVER played with.

SESSION NOTES - Du Rat Boy - Lead & Backing Vocals, & Rhythm Guitar; Alex Hahn - Drums; Joe McBride - Keyboards; (If you know I missed a name on this session - Drop me a line - I'll be glad to fix it. SORRY - This song was cut on an OLD Yamaha BB-300 w/ a Hip Shot

Then, "MR. DOMESTIC" from the CD Mr. Domestic - You knew I'd have to put a "Jr. Boy" song on here sooner or later. I really enjoyed touring & recording with Andrew. Not just a good friend, but a GREAT musician. In my life - right now - This song says a lot. Not in the TRUE sense of the lyrics (though I do most of the cooking). But in the sense that, "Baby gets what Baby wants". Call me "old school", "traditional", whatever . . . .

SESSION NOTES - Andrew "Jr Boy" Jones - Lead Vocals & Guitar; Tommy Hill - Drums; Shawn Phares - Keyboards; ME - Bass (duh!) - Recorded w/ a Yamaha - BB-5000-A.

I HAD to do it - "RISE ABOVE" from Nathan Johnsons "The Feeling I Got" CD. Why? Vocals, Vocals, Vocals, Vocals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nathan is one of the VERY few songwriters these days, that pays THIS much attention to vocals. I thought he did a GREAT job. And the bass player isn't bad either - hahahahaha.

SESSION NOTES - (See "Feeling I Got" above)

Another favorite, "The RIGHT PLACE TO HAVE A GOOD TIME". I REALLY liked Cookie's idea for the bass line on the song.

SESSION NOTES - See "BEEN BURNED TOO MANY TIMES"

Lastly, "The Right Thing" from "Hello Sweet Chagrin" by DuRat Boy - There's A LOT of melody and the feel that the flow of the song takes you to.

SESSION NOTES - See "SO FAR AWAY"

I have A LOT MORE recorded material that I will feature from time to time - but only so much room. Sometimes it will be stuff that I'm currently recording. Other times, I may feature 4 songs from an artist C.D. that I just completed. You just NEVER know. Check back often. I will always have something different.

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* * BEFORE YOU LOOK AT THE SLIDE SHOWS - Be sure to look at my pics for the "ON THE ROAD" pic gallery. Ah, ya gotta love life on the road.

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Here are some pics of different things - me, gear I use, gigs, etc. . . . .

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* * * * T.V. & RADIO Show appearances * * * * (Below)
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The BIG BREAKFAST - Edmonton, Alberta, Canada - A Channel - w/ "Jr. Boy" JONES - (2 seperate performances over a 3 year period)

OLIVER STONE MOVIE - "Any Given Sunday" - EXTRA - LONG hours - Very little pay - But it was fun anyway. Got to meet the cast on a personal level - Jamie Fox& Cameron Diaz were both great to chat with. No "star" tudes at all - VERY down to earth and honest.

GOOD MORNING DALLAS - Dallas, TX - Channel 8 - w/ 3 different artists - "Jr. Boy" JONES, Robert Lee Kobb, VINCE VANCE & the VALIANTS

GOOD MORNING TEXAS - Dallas, TX - Channel 4 - w/ 2 different artists - VINCE VANCE & the VALIANTS, "Jr. Boy" JONES

DALLAS VIDEOS - Cable Access - W/ ROY COYOTE

the METAL EXPRESS - KBHY Radio - Spear Fish, SD - w/ BILLY ZACK & the ATTACK

The "Morning Show" - ? ? ? ? (Radio Show) - Minot, ND - w/ BILLY ZACK & the ATTACK (I remember this - Cause we made an appearance at a RADIO STATION in our UNDERWEAR)

DALLAS NITE LIFE - Cable Access - w/ Judy & the Essentials

TEXAS TICKETS - Local Radio Show in Dallas on Radio Q102 - w/ Jumpin' the Gun - 2 songs were featured (Makin' Me Smile & Helpless) over the period of a year.

FOX's HOT TICKETS - Christmas Episode - FOX 33 - w/ Jumpin' the Gun

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Influences: Bill Payne, Richie Hayward, ALL of Little Feat, Stevie Wonder, Nate Watts, Nathan East, the oh so incredible - Chuck Rainey, Will Lee, Willie Weeks, Bill Pollatos, Tower of Power, Francis "Rocco" Prestia, Dr. John, the Neville Bros., my son WT, my wife TK, GOD, the Tuckers and Pollatos', Johnny Cash, the Eagles, Dave Gruisin, Chopin, Beethoven and so many more - I'll have to finish this later.......
Sounds Like: Depends on the tune - I like to bring different things to the table based upon the song I'm presented to support - Check back often - I will be posting present & past projects I have played on.
Record Label: Worked on; JSP, Rounder/BullsEye, Jamalu, etc.

My Blog

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