Tommy Z Brings Decades of Blues History to Live in Colombia
Before Tommy Z found his direction in the blues, the young guitarist was drawn to the technical intensity of Eddie Van Halen and Yngwie Malmsteen. His musical path changed after a close friend introduced him to B.B. King and Stevie Ray Vaughan.
A Vaughan concert at Darien Lake became especially significant. On the drive home, Tommy unexpectedly encountered Vaughan at a Burger King rest stop, where the two discussed guitars, pickups and the Tube Screamer. From there, Tommy began tracing Vaughan’s musical lineage through B.B. King, Albert King and Freddie King.
That early education developed into a career with direct connections to blues history. Tommy toured with Muddy Waters pianist Pinetop Perkins, shared stages with Buddy Guy and worked with bassist Benny Turner, Freddie King’s brother.
His new album, Tommy Z Is Live in Colombia, places that background before an audience encountering the music with palpable excitement. Recorded at Teatro Santander in Bucaramanga, the collection arrives October 23, 2026 via South Blossom Records and is believed to be the first live blues album recorded in Colombia by an American artist.
Photo credit: José Santana
The latest single, “Dónde Está La Fiesta,” centers on a call-and-response passage built to change from one city to the next. When Tommy asks where the party is, the Colombian crowd answers with “Bucaramanga,” making its location part of the finished recording.
Another reaction follows during a guitar solo performed behind Tommy’s head. It is a theatrical gesture rooted in the traditions of live guitar performance, yet the recording’s lasting appeal comes from the immediacy of the room. The audience’s response communicates the atmosphere without requiring additional explanation.
That connection had been building across three Colombian tours. Tommy first visited as a cultural ambassador, combining performances with blues masterclasses. He returned in 2019, then came back in 2023 for the tour that produced the album.
Live in Colombia contains 14 tracks drawn from across his body of work, including “Tommy Guns,” “Plug In and Play” and “The Blues Has Got to Come Home.” The latter song’s concern with returning the blues to its human source adds another historical thread to the set.
Tommy’s recording career has already produced two Billboard Top 10 blues albums, Blizzard of Blues and Plug In and Play. He was inducted into the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame in 2007 and continues to perform, teach and run WBLZ, Blizzard of Blues Radio.
“Dónde Está La Fiesta” is available now. Tommy Z Is Live in Colombia can be pre-saved or pre-ordered ahead of its October 23 release, and additional information can be found through Tommy Z’s website.
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