Toby Walker: Blues and Slide Guitar: Handpicked


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Bio, Awards and Endorsements, Print, TV, Billed With, Festivals, Teaching Credits

Bio

Toby Walker is a unique, accomplished fingerstyle guitar virtuoso. Toby is adept at blues, rags, hot country picking, and coaxes more out of a guitar than anyone can imagine, but the originality doesn't end there. He is also a skilled singer and songwriter who draws inspiration from traditional and contemporary music. Toby takes that musical foundation and creates something uniquely his own and has been eagerly received in various venues including concert halls, festivals and coffeehouses throughout the U.S., England and Europe.

Toby’s passion for blues, rag, folk, and other traditional American music drove him to leave an apartment crammed full of recordings, books and instruments for the Mississippi Delta, Virginia and the Carolinas where he tracked down some of the more obscure - but immensely talented - music makers of an earlier era. He learned directly at the feet of Eugene Powell, James "Son" Thomas, Etta Baker, and R.L Burnside, among others.

The talent, passion, and soul of a Toby Walker performance reflects these travels. Whether it is telling the humorous and heartwarming tales of other masters, talking about his inspirations, or astounding you with his mastery, his performances are a feast for the senses. The audience is moved in ways that delight them long after the encores. You can catch a taste of these stories on his Web site in "The Masters" section. But make no mistake about it - he is to be experienced live. Those fortunate enough to attend one of his shows will vouch for that.

The love Toby has for his craft pushes him to share his history and experience where he has performed in libraries and schools allowing others to share the sounds, sights, and emotions of his unique abilities. His teaching credits include, among others, Jorma Kaukonen's Fur Peace Ranch in Ohio. In 2006, Carnegie Hall acknowledged his rare talents and hired him to augment and teach in their "American Roots" program aimed at honor level middle school students. This one-of-a-kind series demonstrates the history of blues music and traditions, while teaching the history of African Americans as they migrated from the south into the north.

His mastery of the blues was recognized in Memphis when he won the International Blues Challenge Award.

There is no doubt that Toby Walker has found his life's calling, and as a result everyone keeps calling for more Toby Walker.

Toby Walker with James 'Son' Thomas in Leland MS

Awards and Endorsements

2002 International Blues Challenge Award presented by The Blues Foundation

NERFA Formal Showcase Performer 2006

Bronte Blues Awards - Best Acoustic Blues Act and Best Acoustic Guitarist - 2009

Endorses Huss and Dalton Guitars

Endorses National Resophonic Guitars

Endorses Ultrasound Amplifiers

Endorses D'Addario Strings

Endorses Rocky Mountain Slides

London Sunday Times

Acoustic Live

Downbeat

Newsday

New York Times

Musicians Exchange

BluesWax

Blues In Britain

Blues Matters - Britain

Blues and Company - France

Blues In The Northwest - Britain

NewsTimes.com - Hartford CT

Elmore Magazine

Independent Traveler

L.I.E. (Long Island Entertainment)

Long Island Press

20th Century Guitar, National Publication

Blues Revue - National Publication

Blues Access

Bergen County Record NJ

Pulse Magazine - On The Arts

The Daily Record NJ

Good Tiimes

Island Ear

Natural Traveler

Westcheser Journal News

Backyard Blues...L.I.B.S. newsletter

Mosaic Monthly

Manhattan Blues Alliance

Huntington Record

Aural Fix Magazine

Authored two articles regarding his research of the blues published in Blues Revue

Long Island's Songwriter's Showcase

Television

News 12 Long Island

The Blues Show....Springfield, MO

News 12, Long Island

Art Scene Long Island

Cablevision's Wes Houston Presents

LT1 with Dave Tyler

Cablevision's Magique Carpet Cafe

The Jill Morrison Show

The Guitar Show with Mike Byrnes

Shared The Bill With:
Richie Havens,Taj Mahal, Bo Didley, John Hammond, James Cotton, Johnny Winter, Paul Oscher, Pete Seeger, Judy Collins, Bob Margolin, Charlie Musselwhite, Hubert Sumlin, Jimmy Vaughn, Kenny Neal, Robert Lockwood Junior, Lonnie Brooks, Hans Theesink, Doc Watson, David Bromberg, Mike Dowlilng, Johnny Copeland, Bobby Radcliff, Savoy Brown, Sonny Landreth, John Sebastion, Chuck Brodsky, Chris Smithers, Cliff Eberhardt, Eric Bibb, Roy Bookbinder, Christine Lavin, Cheryle Wheeler, Jack Williams, Pat Wictor, The Kennedys, Rich Furay, G.E. Smith, Corey Harris, Tracy Grammer, Laura Love, Duke Robillard, The Kingston Trio and J.J. Cale.

Festivals, Notable Clubs and Concerts

The Bottom Line, NYC, NY

The Birchmere, VA

Philadelphia Folk Festival, PA

Bethlehem Music Festival, PA

Rams Head Inn, MD

Cafe Lena, Saratoga NY

Hurdy Gurdy Folk Music Club, NJ

The Mainstay, MD

Amazing Things Art Center, MA

Down East Folk Arts Society NC

Ontairo Center for the Performing Arts

Sounds of the World Concert Series, CT

Steel City Coffeehouse, PA

Fur Peace Ranch, OH

Merkin Hall NYC

Sellersvile Theater, PA

The Turning Point, Piermont NY

Godfrey Daniels, PA

The Towne Crier, NY

West Side Cafe, MD

BBC Radio 2 - The Paul Jones Show - England

The Bottleneck Blues Club, England

Crossroads Cafe, Belgium

Beauvai Blues Festival, France

Burnett's Hill Chapel, Wales

Amsterdam Folk Club, Holland

Apple Blues Festival, England

Tring Blues Festival, England

Darlington Arts Center PA

The Minstrel Coffeehouse, NJ

Bound For Glory Radio Show, NY

Hillside Cafe, NJ

Joe's Pub, NYC, NY

Folk City, NYC, NY

Longwood Gardens, PA

Georgian Bay Music Festival, Canada

Makor, NYC, NY

Watercolor Cafe, NY

Outpost in the Burbs, Montclair NJ

B.B. Kings, Manhattan NY

Lansdowne Folk Society, PA

Cornell Folk Music Society, Albany, NY

Bucks County Blues Festival 'PA

Riverhead Blues Festival NY

Otterton Mill - England

Bridgewater Arts Center - England

Sacadaga Valley Coffee House, NY

Dorcchester Arts Center - England

The Harborside Club - Liverpool, England

The Musician, Leister, England

South Street Arts Center, Reading, England

The New Crawdaddy Blues Club, Billericay, England

Syracuse NYS Rhythm & Blues Festival Syarcuse NY

Split Level Concert Series, Scotch Plains NJ

Warwick Blues Festival, Warwick NY

Long Beach Jazz and Heritage Festival, Long Beach NY

Huntington Folk Music Society's Main Concert Series NY

Dogwood Blues Festival, Atlanta GA

Long Island's 1st Annual Blues Festival

Wedgestock Blues and Folk Festival NY

Old Time Fiddle Festival, NY

Stony Brook Fiddle Festival, NY

Port Jefferson Maritime Festival, 'NY

Hallockville Fall Festival, NY

Our Times Coffeehouse Blues Festival

Columbus Traditional Blues Festival - OH

W.C. Handy Awards Blues Festival - Memphis TN

Blues 2002, Ellenville NY

Riverhead Agricultural Festival

Howlin' Wolf Tribute Concert - Memphis TN

Cedar Beach Blues Festival NY

Mount Sinai Acoustic Blues Festival

New Daisy Theater, Memphis, TN

W.C. Handy Hall, Memphis, TN

Gibson Guitar Lounge, Memphis, TN

The Peabody Hotel, Memphis, TN

Intermedia Arts Centre, Huntington

Cinema Arts Centre, Huntington

Harry Chapin Rainbow Stage

Red Cedar Sound Stage

Jane's Song Box

Speakeasy, NYC

Hecsher Park Concert Series

Manhattan Folk Music Society

Long Island Folk & Blues Holiday Revue

Sam Ash Guitar Clinic Series