I was born and raised in Willcox, Arizona with the sounds of rock and roll, folk, soul, country, funk, and blues all coming through the AM radio airwaves on my little transistor. My Mom and Dad, both musicians, had me going to band rehearsals at five and learning guitar by the time I was eight years old. I started playing bass in my first band at eighteen and it only took one paying gig for me to know my career path. I joined a working band at nineteen and played a regular Friday night gig in Safford at a VFW until I moved to Tucson in 1982.
I auditioned for Garry Rust and played in his band for several years before he moved to Phoenix and we became Wade and Highwater. It was in this band and from musicians like Wade Martin and Deacon Bunnell that I learned how to really play and entertain a crowd. It was not beyond us to go from Merle Haggard to Bob Marley to Queen, it depended on our mood. Wade taught me the art of flexibility in my music and the business of pleasing the people at all times. When the band all decided to pursue other avenues I moved to Phoenix and worked with Garry Rust again for a time but I really love Tucson so I came back. It was then that I started writing more seriously. I recorded my first "cassette" of originals and I was hooked. I finally began playing in venues where songwriters could be heard and appreciated for original music and it inspired me to continue writing and recording. I have enjoyed playing shows for Bonnie Vining and Lava Music at Abounding Grace Sanctuary, Civano Music Series, and Music on the Mountain. I was the TKMA Tucson Folk Festival Sunday Headliner in 2012 along with the Angel Band. I have been nominated for Tammie awards in the bass player, best female vocalist, and folk artist categories and have won a Tammie for best country band in 1997.
I have two CD's and am working on material for the third, hopefully coming soon. I feel like there is no other career choice that made any sense to me. I have played bass with some of Tucson's brightest stars like, Sam Taylor, Tony Uribe, Heather Hardy, Wade Martin, Garry Rust, Scotty Freel, Amber Norgaard, Namoli Brennet, Bryan Dean, Danny Krieger, Ed Delucia, Nancy McCallion, Kevin Pakulis and the list goes on.
I am currently playing with Heather Hardy in a duo that is amazing and in her band Lil Mama from time to time. I play in a great trio called Spool Tractor. Amber Norgaard and I play together quite frequently and I also enjoy doing my solo acoustic shows as much as I can. I am one fortunate little bass player, guitarist, singer-songwriter and I just want to keep on playing until I can't.
Sabra Faulk
September 19, 2011
