Tom Walbank and the Ambassadors

Born in 1969 Englishman Tom Walbank discovered blues at fifteen after seeing John Lee Hooker briefly on film.Studying the harmonica stylings of Sonny Terry he spent many a year performing in the bars of Edinburgh Scotland with STEVE O CONNOR .Spent five years in the San Francisco Blues ,after which he continued his journey to Tucson Arizona where he started playing and plying the welcoming Pueblo scene with Mr DOUG SMITH. HE THEN HOOKED UP WITH HIS CURRENT ENSEMBLE,Mr.Bagesse and Mr,Manos AKA the AMBASSADORS. .Bands opened for include Rod Piazza,Tommy Castro,Exene Cervenka,Dick Dale ,Bob Log 3,Holly Golightly,The Moaners,Robert Belfour ,T Model Ford,Paul Jones,Calexico,Giant Sand,Neko Case,Greg Allman, Buck 65,The Legendary Shack Shakers WINNERS OF THE 2005 ARIZONA BLUES SHOWDOWN winners of Tucson music awards 2006 Best Musicianship CRITICS CHOICE AWARD and Best Blues band READERS AWARD 2006 BEST LIVE PERFORMER 2007 ’ ’Walbank has an amazing feel for the Blues,which he plays raw and howling,with heart’’ ---No Depression magazine ’ ’ ’’Tom Walbank opened up for Greg Allman,I haven’t seen such a great harmonica player in my life.When was the last time you saw an opening act recieve a standing ovation?’’---Arizona Daily Star ’’ Thanks for keepin’ it going!’’ - Phil Wiggins’’ If you could bottle their energy,you could power a decent sized barrio for a week.’’ -Tucson Weekly SLIDE GUITARIST,HARP PLAYER AND SINGER TOM WALBANK’S JOURNEY HAS TAKEN HIM FROM ENGLAND TO SCOTLAND,SAN FRANCISCO AND NOW TO TUCSON,BUT HIS RAW BLUES PLACES HIM SONICALLY SOMEWHERE BETWEEN THE DELTA AND CHICAGO.A TWO GUITAR AND DRUMS LINE UP GIVES TOM WALBANK AND THE AMBASSADORS THE IDEAL FOUNDATION FOR REINVENTING THE LOW- DOWN SOUNDS OF EARLY ELECTRIC BLUES,AN AMBITION INDICATED BY THE TITLE OF MUDHOOK VOL.II[ROCKNROLL PURGATORY 016].’’HOWLIN TOMCAT’’ RECALLS J.B. HUTTO’S MOST SLASHING SIDES,THE STARK ’’2 STEPS FROM THE GUTTER’’CHANNELS HOOKER [DIG THE WAY THE NOTES OOZE OUT OF THE AMPLIFIER],AND ’’RAINCLOUD WOMAN’’ IS AS DOOMY AS ANY LIGHTNIN SLIM CUT.’’Tom Hyslop--- BLUES REVUE MAGAZINE APR/MAY 2006 ISSUE