A Little Background is Called For... Tony Uribe had been playing guitar for a lot of Tucson bands over the years, but he wanted to lead his own group. He wasn't unhappy with his previous work. He just wanted to hear his own version of the music he loved - blues. In the summer of 1995, Tony started up the Torpedoes. Over the last ten years, he's had a number of stellar Tucson players do "Torpedo duty", but there's always been a core sound. It's direct and heartfelt, soulful with a groove you could drive a truck through. The Torpedoes have developed a very loyal following, not to mention a lot of musicians who stop by to sit in. We're definitely a musician's band. Even with the basic line-up of current Torpedoes, we also have a pool of players who come in to add their creativity--their soul--their sound-- to ours. Hell, on any given night you might see two or three extra Torpedoes! Here's what my favorite blues DJ had to say about Tony & The Torpedoes! "When I think of the great bluesmen like Albert Collins, Albert King, Freddy King, Muddy Waters, B.B. King, and so many more, I notice a recurring theme. Along with endless creativity and musical talent comes the fact that they play the blues because they "gotta". Like John Lee Hooker says, "It's in 'im, and it's gotta come out". That's the sign of the genuine article. Tony Uribe falls into this category. The feeling he projects through his soulful singing and tasteful guitar work is completely sincere. Tony takes his music seriously. Every note is honest and heartfelt, burning with passion. This is contemporary blues, built on a foundation of respect for tradition. On this foundation, and out of this respect, Tony has developed a style all his own: a style with style. I mean style like a '58 Buick ragtop has style. That's class! Whether it's lowdown, or uptown, Tony and band aim the beat at your feet. When they take the stage, dance floors fill up. They don't just dance where he plays; they follow him wherever he plays. This is "feel good" music. When the band feels good, the crowd feels good. And his band always feels good. Tony's conduct as a gentleman of the blues, his gracious invitations to young up and coming musicians to sit in, and his commitment to quality have garnered him the respect of his contemporaries, too. He's shared the stage with bluesmen as diverse as Homesick James and Ronnie Earl, while the area's top musicians jump at the chance to fill in whenever the opportunity arises." - Marty Kool (DJ host of the Saturday evening Blues Review every week from 6 to 10 pm on Tucson's KXCI 91.3 FM Community Radio.)