A song for all seasons
Tim Ambler
He had already played through The Beatles, Elton
John and Elvis during his third set of the night
when a request for 'A Bridge Over Troubled Water'
made its way to his mic stand. Singer/song writer
and self-proclaimed troubadour Tim Ambler didn't
skip a beat before applying a pick to his acoustic
strings and literally pounding out the song with
percussive slaps to his guitar. There were no drum
machines or backing tracks behind him; just a
man, his guitar and no apologies.
"That's the thing about my live shows," Ambler
said. "What you see is what you get." Ambler's
brand of Irish folk-inspired, acoustic music has
found its way to Japan thanks to a Hilton Osaka
initiative to provide its guests with live entertainment
from its lobby lounge bar The In Place. Hilton
Osaka has always featured live music in its roof top
restaurant "Windows on the World," but it wasn't
until Tim Ambler was hired that The In Place had
a chance to make its own limelight.
"His style of music matches what Hilton of Osaka
has been looking for," said Hilton representative
Ai Reynolds. Ambler's set lists read like a who's
who of popular music reaching as far back as early
Johnny Cash and as recently as James Blunt. "To
pick what I think are the most beautiful songs in
the history of pop music and to interpret them in
my way and to try to share them with people …
that's a real pleasure and a privilege," Ambler
said. He recreates their songs in his own style
that blends influences from acclaimed singer/songwriters
Bob Dylan and Cat Stevens with traditional
Irish folk music.
 Though the gig is about showcasing classic pop
songs, Ambler isn't above throwing a few of his own
tunes into the mix on occasion; and there are quite
a few to choose from. England-born Ambler started
his professional life as a licensed barrister, acting
as a legal advisor for companies such as Kodak in
the UK but donning wigs by day couldn't keep him
from picking up his guitar and playing small crowds
in London wine bars or writing songs at night.
"Law was a job and music was a compulsion
really," Ambler said. "As soon as I realized that
I could make a living out of the compulsion I quit
the job. "Ambler moved to Ireland and spent ten
years playing the Irish folk circuit with his original
material writing more songs all the while. During
this time he made his recording debut with a selftitled
album released under a contract with Sony
Music in Ireland. He soon followed up with a
second album called Fall From Grace featuring
what he considers his best song, 'The Corner.'
Unfortunately when none of his songs went
"stratospheric" Ambler had to find other ways
to make a living through music.
"Music being such a tough business, if you get
to the level where you're able to make a living out
of it in any way you're already pretty lucky." His
guitar would lead him to France in 2003 where
he recorded another album called Les Reves de
Domino this time in French with lyrics provided by
French poet Agnes Martin. Ambler would stay on
the move for the next four years, making a living
by playing his guitar in Australia, The Middle East,
The United States, South Africa and finally Japan,
his first gig in Asia. Though he primarily sings in
English, Ambler says he feels no disconnect with
audiences unable to understand the lyrics he belts
out over his guitar. "It's about the law of physics,"
he said. "The vibra- tions of certain sounds in the
air which somehow manage to evoke emotions in
people. Wherever I've been in the world I've found
the same thing."
Text: Jonathan McNamara • Photos: Courtesy Hilton Osaka
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