'Just Rolled In' - Reviews |
|||
|
These are some of the reviews that have come in about my new CD- Michael Ventre of MSNBC “This CD is one of the best live CDs I have heard for quite a while and really captures the essence of Toby’s live performance --- another one from Toby to file under ‘O’ for outstanding!” “When Toby Walker straps the guitar on, the notes fly at a rate that is dizzying. They dance with speed, grace and precision. The effect is one of steel-like strength. His blues are a flash of muscle and his gentle fingerstyle ballads speak poetry." “"A true master... Damn, that's good." "He has a fine voice, excellent timing and a way with a tall tale. And it doesn't hurt that he can coax amazing sounds from his guitar, and some great music too." Complete, In Depth Reviews"Whenever you hear an artist described as “Little” somebody -- as in “Little Stevie Wonder,” for instance -- it’s usually an ironic reference to his large talent. Little Toby Walker follows along in this rich musical tradition. His new CD, “Just Rolled In,” is a splendid example of that contradiction, although for whatever reason he dropped the “Little” on the cover, although he’s still “Little,” or big, as it were. “Just Rolled In” is a live performance that took place earlier this year before an appreciative audience at The Boulton Center in Bay Shore, N.Y., and it shows off not only his masterful blues-folk acoustic guitar finger-picking prowess, but also his playful songwriting ability and the ease with which he connects with the audience. Some of the highlights include the opening “Pony Blues,” “I Got the Dirt on You” and his lively cover of “Frankie and Johnny.” Once again, a “Little” goes a long way." "On-the-one-hand, it's great that there are so many hot blues guitarists out there these days. On-the-other-hand, it's easy for a true master to become a needle in a haystack. That's what happened to Toby Walker for me. I've been hearing the the name for quite a while but have not actually heard the man. Fortunately that problem has been fixed! Toby Walker is the Keeper of the Flame, Sovereign of those who beguile us with the acoustic blues. When Toby takes the stage time stops -- the audience is thrust back to the 1930s when the pinnacle of success for an itinerant blues player was to be able to record his or her songs on 78-RPM records, which is to say they used the guitar as a portable piano and sang songs that reflected the uncertainties of their lives. Toby interprets those definitive versions of America’s most sincere, close-to-the-edge performances but he does so in a way that is simultaneously witty, original, captivating and musically proficient to a level seldom achieved. Whether the piece is by Blind Boy Fuller or by Blind Willie Johnson, Walker’s work is no double-blind experiment. It is, instead, the art of a hard working entertainer who makes it look easy and a startlingly versatile guitarist/singer-songwriter who can whip off a complex, three-part, ragtime-inspired instrumental that humbles even the experienced picker. Toby stuns us with his skill and showmanship, and he makes it all look easy! "You haven't lived until you've seen Toby Walker in concert. He's not just a master guitarist, but a consummate entertainer. After you hear his new live CD, you may give it a standing ovation, like the ones he gets every time he plays."
Little Toby walker is best when he can stretch out, tell lots of big stories and feed on the energy of a loving and living crowd. This said, his best recordings are live. Just Rolled In captures such an evening, recorded pristinely at the Boulton Theater in Bay Shore. Playing to crowd of cognoscenti and blueshounds, Toby held forth to 250+ of the kind of audience that musicians would die for. They hung on every slide, every tasty bend and every little lie Walker could wrench out of his Delta soul. That night, he was on fire. His vocals roared like a moving freight crossing the Dog on a midnight run into the forgotten lands yet could easily croon with satiny silk. Toby’s axework has grown mythically, incorporating the lessons of a lifetime of peregrination. Son House, Rev. Gary Davis, Jorma K, ol’ RL and Sumlin’s hearts moaned as Walker plucked and strummed with the fluidity and soul of a master. No one does it better, especially when you add in Flamenco runs and Sousa flourishes to an old soul Delta master. Walker makes his 6 sing like an orchestra. Beyond the music, Toby’s stories put everything into historical perspective or explain the emotional aspects of the songs. Opening with a straight reading of the trad “Pony Blues”, we are given a quick lesson on how it’s done. Along with that, Walker explains certain euphemisms found in blues such as cookies in “I’m Gonna Try Some of That” or how “Cat Man Blues” wasn’t truly about felines. He then goes on to describe how 99.9% of his repertoire revolves around lying, cheating, stealing, thievery, murder and mayhem. By playing instrumentals such as his cooking “Sundance Rag’, Toby avoids that when placed in sensitive situations. The audience gets to help out too, with some call and response or simply by shouting approval before and after each great song. I particularly like the cooking heat of Toby’s “Saint James Infirmary” and the modern version of “Frankie and Johnny.” Nothing can express the horror of Bernie Klatsko’s experiences in early 60’s Jim Crow Mississippi like “Bernie’s Blues” nor could many artists drag the emotion out of a song like Walker’s scaldingly deep “Nobody’s Fault But Mine.” This CD is pure, hot, sublime and out of the park great. Any new CD from Toby is always going to be eagerly awaited by his growing legions of fans and this, his latest, is no exception. Recorded live in the Boulton Center for the Performing Arts in Long Island, his current home district of New York, this CD is one of the best live CDs I have heard for quite a while and really captures the essence of Toby’s live performance. |
|||