A Great Loss: Tommy "T. Bone" Wolk

That's my friend, Tommy Wolk...better know in the music world as "T. Bone." He died last week at a young 58 and it has sent shock waves through the industry, the county (Westchester) as well as shivers through me. While we weren't a**hole buddies, we did spend a lot of time together in our formative years in the 70's and 80's (well before his fame in Hall & Oates.) In fact, that card he is so proudly displaying, a "Mumbo" card, is part of a secret handshake ritual of anyone who was granted the card by "Crazy Joe" Renda. One "member" could call the card of another, at any time...and woe to that Mumbo who could not produce his card! I called Tommy out backstage at the Seaport gig pictured here. He didn't flinch and pulled it out in one smooth motion.

Joe Renda owned North Lake Sound in the late 70's and early 80's with Chip Taylor and Chip's brother, Jon Voight. I was the recording engineer there and got to meet everyone Joe knew and played with. Tommy was everywhere, playing with everyone. I first saw him in the ubiquitous Big River, a blues band featuring the Gillette Brothers, Guy and Pipp.  He had a quirky style of playing his Telecaster, shortening his strap so it played high up his chest. And he would rock back and forth during solos. Captivated me as he had a Robbie Robertson style but played all those James Burton licks that sounded so simple. Wasn't long before he was playing with Billy Vera before Billy left for Hollywood and real success. But the roadhouses that they played rocked like nothing we had seen. Places like The Granite House, the Country House and the Left Bank. And I got to know Joe at the Siding in Chappaqua where Billy as well as Guy and Pipp would play with Tommy on guitar and bass.

As all the intensity and stress of a session would play itself out, Tommy was a pro before his time. He would always make it easy for me as an engineer, complacent, but with a sound that always killed and hardly ever needed to fix his tracks with overdubs. What I remember vividly was Tommy's eating habits. Many of us had terrible eating habits (along with the extracurriculars that were ever-present in those days...IYKWIMAITYD) and T. would show up with yogurt, fruit and nuts, with hot tea. And Renda would have so much fun mocking him. We all did. I eat fruit and nuts now myself and not a day goes by, I don't remember those days and Tom.

Wasn't long before he slid right up the ladder...a connection through Tommy Mottola, and he landed the gig of his lifetime...H&O, with that famous stint on SNL alongside G.E. Smith. Tommy was a locked-in bass player, the kind everyone in the band would rely upon. His fingering was often low, not "slapping" or flashy but tight, driving and always leading the piece.

I ran into the crew on a showcase that Mark Rivera arranged at the South Street Seaport in 2002. Here, Tommy pals around with Vinny Pastore, "Big Pussy" from the Sopranos. Only thing is, Vinny used to own one of those clubs everyone played in the 70's and 80's...a club called the Crazy Horse in New Rochelle.

Sometimes we don't realize the times are so special until they are gone.

Also on that gig was Bob Mayo (Frampton, Foreigner, etc. etc.) who also died suddenly in 2004. Bob played in H&O with Wolk for awhile.

G.E Smith, Mark Rivera, and Tom Wolk

Vinny Pastore, T.Bone Wolk, G.E. Smith and CC

For all that Tommy achieved and accomplished, he was a humble guy, and always a learner. I was recording Chuck Rainey out at Caribou Ranch in the 80's and Tom had just written a book on bass guitar that featured a section on Chuck's playing. He wanted desparately for Chuck to see it, as he was a hero to him (according to T.) So I packed it away in my luggage and one night (one late night) I pulled it out and Chuck was so pleased, signed it and told me to tell Tommy to call him. Well, when he got his own book back with Chuck's signature, you would have thought it was Babe Ruth's. I was glad to be a part of it.

I've been feeling mortal lately. Very mortal. So I up my running mileage and work out some more. All to stave off the inevitable but it is a ritual we bought into very early on. I am grateful for having known him.

Hey Tom,you got me! I can't find my Mumbo card.