Tommy Z to release “Tommy Z Is Live in Colombia”

Buffalo blues-rock guitarist, singer and songwriter Tommy Z has announced his new album, Tommy Z Is Live in Colombia, arriving October 23, 2026, via South Blossom Records.

The 14-track album captures a performance at Teatro Santander in Bucaramanga during Tommy Z’s third tour of Colombia. The recording is believed to be the first live blues album recorded in the country by an American artist.

Alongside the announcement, Tommy Z has released the latest single, “Dónde Está La Fiesta,” a blues rocker featuring an extended call-and-response section with the Colombian audience.

The song asks the crowd where the party is, prompting hundreds of fans to shout their city’s name in response. The performance also features a guitar solo played behind Tommy’s head.

“I love the energy and passion the Colombian people have for music, and you can really hear it on this song and throughout the album,” Tommy says. “From the first notes that night, the room was just lit all the way to the end.”

Tommy’s connection with Colombia began when a friend working at the U.S. Embassy in Bogotá introduced him to a local festival director. He was subsequently invited to tour the country as a cultural ambassador, teaching blues masterclasses and performing at universities, theaters and festivals.

He returned to Colombia in 2019 and again in 2023, when the performance featured on the new album was recorded.

During soundcheck at Teatro Santander, Tommy asked the venue’s engineers to record the concert. After returning home and listening to the audio, he decided the performance deserved an official release.

“You go over there to a place where the music still feels new to people and there’s this genuine appreciation and excitement,” he says. “People were jitterbugging in the aisles, and afterward the lobby was packed with people wanting photos. You can hear that connection on the recording.”

Tommy Z Is Live in Colombia features material from throughout the guitarist’s catalog, including previously released singles “The Blues Has Got to Come Home” and “Tommy Guns.”

“The Blues Has Got to Come Home” is a shuffle with gospel influences that Tommy originally wrote decades ago. The song explores the idea of the blues returning to its roots and has taken on additional meaning for the guitarist amid the growing prevalence of AI-generated music and digital production.

“Tommy Guns,” meanwhile, is a blues-funk rocker co-written with five-time Grammy-winning producer, songwriter and drummer Tom Hambridge and Richard Fleming.

Tommy Z began playing guitar seriously at 13, initially drawing inspiration from Eddie Van Halen and Yngwie Malmsteen before discovering B.B. King and Stevie Ray Vaughan. After attending a Vaughan concert at Darien Lake, he unexpectedly met the guitarist at a Burger King rest stop, where they discussed guitars, pickups and the Tube Screamer.

He subsequently explored the music of B.B. King, Albert King and Freddie King, influences that helped shape his approach to blues guitar.

Throughout his career, Tommy has toured with Muddy Waters pianist Pinetop Perkins, shared stages with Buddy Guy and worked with Freddie King’s brother and bassist Benny Turner.

He was inducted into the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame in 2007, while his albums Blizzard of Blues and Plug In and Play both reached the Top 10 of Billboard’s Blues Albums chart.

In addition to performing and recording, Tommy has composed and produced music for film and television. He also teaches guitar and operates WBLZ, Blizzard of Blues Radio, a 24-hour blues radio station.

Tommy mixed the new live album himself, drawing on his extensive recording and production experience.

Tommy Z Is Live in Colombia will be released October 23, 2026, via South Blossom Records.

TRACK LISTING

1. Pumpin’ (Let’s Have Fun) / ¡Vamos a Divertirnos!
2. My Eyes (Keep Me in Trouble) / Mis Ojos (Me Meten en Problemas)
3. Thank You / Gracias
4. Tommy Guns
5. Gangster of Love – Intro / Intro de Gangster del Amor
6. Gangster of Love / Gangster del Amor
7. Dónde Está La Fiesta – Intro / Intro de Dónde Está La Fiesta
8. Dónde Está La Fiesta (Tell Me Where Is the Party)
9. The Boogie (In Bucaramanga) / El Boogie (En Bucaramanga)
10. Plug In and Play / Conecta y Juega
11. Für Elitist / Para Elitista
12. One More Song and Encore Intro / Una Canción Más – Intro de Encore
13. The Blues Has Got to Come Home / El Blues Tiene Que Volver a Casa
14. Let’s All Take a Bow! / ¡Todos Hagamos una Reverencia!