Blues In Britain... the U.K.'s premier blues magazine
Review by Keith Lee - Blues In Britain - 12/09
Bronte Blues Club, Laycock, U.K. October 2009
Bronte Blues Club, Laycock, U.K. October 2009
The artist formerly known as Little Toby Walker cut a Chaplinesque figure on the BBC stage; not simply his black clothing topped off with a natty black hat but his persona as the little man persevering against all life's vicissitudes. His performance was book-ended by two loser-in-love songs, Hank Thompson's "He's Got a Way with Women (and he's just got away with mine)" and Ray Charles' "It Should Have Been Me". He may have played the role of a fictional loser but he won the audience's affection from the start!
Toby, hailing from Long Island, is renowned as a fingerpicker non-pareil and, indeed, he showed that that reputation is well founded with a series of knuckle-twisting instrumentals including "Toby's Boogie Woogie" and a segued "Hacksaw Rag/Cincinnati Rag" that left the many guitarists in the audience open-mouthed. He moved forward in time with his version of Freddie King's "Hideaway", which he graciously dedication to bbc5's lead-guitarist John Watson.
House band bbc5, in acoustic mode, and local ragtime guitarist Graham Robinson had already played, in the first of two gigs under the 'Oc-oustic October' banner. (Rag Mama Rag will headline the second). But, without doubt, Toby Walker made a huge impression on the crowd, which, despite recent visits from Fruteland Jackson, Doug MacLeod and Kent Duchaine, has a new acoustic hero.
Toby, playing solo of course and alternating between a shiny, National Reso-phonic Guitar and a wonderful Huss & Dalton cutaway, took time out to introduce his band: his thumb on bass, his third finger on lead and his first and second on rhythm. Close your eyes and you could hear them jamming!
Surprisingly for a renowned songwriter, he was happy to draw his repertoire both from his originals and from a broad range of his blues (and country) heroes. Highlights included Willie Dixon's "Spoonful", Robert Johnson's "Phonograph Blues" and an hilarious tour-de-force with Zac Harmon's "Full Figured Women (are Back in Style)".
In the course of the evening, the audience laughed, cheered, sang-along (especially the name of Toby's favourite cookies) and lapped up his tall tales; but when he played quietly you could have heard a feather drop! This was the thirtieth gig at this friendly and enthusiastic venue, since it opened in 2007, but members were hard pushed to name one they'd enjoyed more. -- Keith Lee
Toby, hailing from Long Island, is renowned as a fingerpicker non-pareil and, indeed, he showed that that reputation is well founded with a series of knuckle-twisting instrumentals including "Toby's Boogie Woogie" and a segued "Hacksaw Rag/Cincinnati Rag" that left the many guitarists in the audience open-mouthed. He moved forward in time with his version of Freddie King's "Hideaway", which he graciously dedication to bbc5's lead-guitarist John Watson.
House band bbc5, in acoustic mode, and local ragtime guitarist Graham Robinson had already played, in the first of two gigs under the 'Oc-oustic October' banner. (Rag Mama Rag will headline the second). But, without doubt, Toby Walker made a huge impression on the crowd, which, despite recent visits from Fruteland Jackson, Doug MacLeod and Kent Duchaine, has a new acoustic hero.
Toby, playing solo of course and alternating between a shiny, National Reso-phonic Guitar and a wonderful Huss & Dalton cutaway, took time out to introduce his band: his thumb on bass, his third finger on lead and his first and second on rhythm. Close your eyes and you could hear them jamming!
Surprisingly for a renowned songwriter, he was happy to draw his repertoire both from his originals and from a broad range of his blues (and country) heroes. Highlights included Willie Dixon's "Spoonful", Robert Johnson's "Phonograph Blues" and an hilarious tour-de-force with Zac Harmon's "Full Figured Women (are Back in Style)".
In the course of the evening, the audience laughed, cheered, sang-along (especially the name of Toby's favourite cookies) and lapped up his tall tales; but when he played quietly you could have heard a feather drop! This was the thirtieth gig at this friendly and enthusiastic venue, since it opened in 2007, but members were hard pushed to name one they'd enjoyed more. -- Keith Lee
