Now Hear This!!
Press articles about Toby Walker
Photo by David Derr
September, 2023 - Blues In Britain.
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Rutland Daily Herald
November 18th, 2016 "Walker is the type of musician that must be seen, and heard, to be believed. Armed with a couple of acoustics, a steel guitar and bottleneck slide, he takes listeners on a journey; entertaining and educating along the way. Before musicians were touring the genres of roots and Americana, Walker was part of a generation creating it. Starting with a base of blistering blues music, Walker blends ragtime, country, bluegrass, old-time jazz and rock along the way. It's safe to say you're on the right path when your list of accolades includes bringing home first place in the solo division of the International Blues Challenge, given out by the Blues Foundation in Memphis, Tennessee. Being paid to teach by Carnegie Hall is also no small feat. Another employer of his is Jorma Kaukonen of Hot Tuna and Jefferson Airplane fame, who has Walker teaching at his acclaimed Fur Peace Ranch guitar camp. Walker's finger-style guitar playing has been admired by many. And, if you're brave, you might check out his online lessons. Like many modern troubadours, Walker is also quite the storyteller and humorist, too (for example: "Blues musicians spend half their time on stage tuning their guitars, and the other half playing completely out of tune"). So expect a little banter between tunes. A veteran of the New York blues scene, Walker has been touring the United States, the United Kingdom and Europe for over a decade. His most recent CD is appropriately called, "Mileage" and features a mix of originals and covers from some of the legends." George Nostrand. |
Photo: Bernd Gürtler
Toby Walker in Café Friedrichstadt, Dresden, Germany
September 16th, 2016
by Bernd Gürtler
Is the Blues a synonym for nonconformist behavior? The audience, long haired people in Blue Jeans, parka and Jesus slippers? Well maybe long hairs, or at least what is left of it. The rest, dear readers, is really gone! But in the Mississippi delta, where a big part of the Blues came from, nowadays this music is also rarelyplayed traditionally in old shacks, that were called Juke Joints. Between Vicksburg, Mississippi, and Memphis, Tennessee, the Blues went to casinos and shows it's usefulness as genteel sonication after a long hard day with one-armed bandits, roulette and All You Can Eat buffet.
Toby Walker's circumstances in Café Friedrichstadt, that is more of an inn with hotel, were quite similar. The mobile advertising panel at the entry of the inn doesn't advertise for the star of the day but for menu of the day. In the wine cellar - where usually noble drinks are served - the tables have been put aside, rows of chairs have been arranged and a little stage has been prepared. Drinks are served conveniently at the visitor's seating place. And the audience consists of well known artists of the district, hotel guests and other casual customers, simply people that want to enjoy cultural enjoyment after work.
Blues experts were - if at all present - a very small minority. Is that a bad thing? No, absolutely not! In this way the Blues is wrest from the too clever by half Blues police, that knows everything better and likes to put everything in drawers. Instead the Blues is brought back to it's initial purpose of entertainment, something that would be problematic with other forms of music, but here it is a step in the right direction. Especially because the entertainment was top notch. The exceptionally gifted entertainer was not shown often because he was not sure about the audience's English skills and their ability to follow his funny stories in detail. But the musician would rise to peak form.
Ignoring all stilistic borders, Toby Walker moved from Blues classics like „Got My Mojo Working“ or „Statesboro Blues“ to the Jazz standard „Sweet Georgia Brown“ and from there to Judy Garland's „Over The Rainbow“ or „Norwegian Wood“, a George Harrison song from the repertoire of the Beatles. At the end of the show Walker played „I Know You Rider“, a Folk song with Blues roots, but played an the bass strings of the acoustic guitar in the fingerpicking style of Merle Haggard. And nearly each song was different, just from being played with an individual guitar accompaniment. Often the solo artist really sounded like a whole orchestra. Very nice indeed! Next year's Germany tour is already in the planning stage - surely again with Toby Walker's concert agent and Blues colleague from Düsseldorf (now living in Austria) Andi Saitenhieb, who was featured as the opening act and played his humorous Blues songs with German lyrics. They probably stop by in Dresden again and Café Friedrichstadt will definitely continue the concerts in the wine cellar.
Bernd Gürtler
September 16th, 2016
by Bernd Gürtler
Is the Blues a synonym for nonconformist behavior? The audience, long haired people in Blue Jeans, parka and Jesus slippers? Well maybe long hairs, or at least what is left of it. The rest, dear readers, is really gone! But in the Mississippi delta, where a big part of the Blues came from, nowadays this music is also rarelyplayed traditionally in old shacks, that were called Juke Joints. Between Vicksburg, Mississippi, and Memphis, Tennessee, the Blues went to casinos and shows it's usefulness as genteel sonication after a long hard day with one-armed bandits, roulette and All You Can Eat buffet.
Toby Walker's circumstances in Café Friedrichstadt, that is more of an inn with hotel, were quite similar. The mobile advertising panel at the entry of the inn doesn't advertise for the star of the day but for menu of the day. In the wine cellar - where usually noble drinks are served - the tables have been put aside, rows of chairs have been arranged and a little stage has been prepared. Drinks are served conveniently at the visitor's seating place. And the audience consists of well known artists of the district, hotel guests and other casual customers, simply people that want to enjoy cultural enjoyment after work.
Blues experts were - if at all present - a very small minority. Is that a bad thing? No, absolutely not! In this way the Blues is wrest from the too clever by half Blues police, that knows everything better and likes to put everything in drawers. Instead the Blues is brought back to it's initial purpose of entertainment, something that would be problematic with other forms of music, but here it is a step in the right direction. Especially because the entertainment was top notch. The exceptionally gifted entertainer was not shown often because he was not sure about the audience's English skills and their ability to follow his funny stories in detail. But the musician would rise to peak form.
Ignoring all stilistic borders, Toby Walker moved from Blues classics like „Got My Mojo Working“ or „Statesboro Blues“ to the Jazz standard „Sweet Georgia Brown“ and from there to Judy Garland's „Over The Rainbow“ or „Norwegian Wood“, a George Harrison song from the repertoire of the Beatles. At the end of the show Walker played „I Know You Rider“, a Folk song with Blues roots, but played an the bass strings of the acoustic guitar in the fingerpicking style of Merle Haggard. And nearly each song was different, just from being played with an individual guitar accompaniment. Often the solo artist really sounded like a whole orchestra. Very nice indeed! Next year's Germany tour is already in the planning stage - surely again with Toby Walker's concert agent and Blues colleague from Düsseldorf (now living in Austria) Andi Saitenhieb, who was featured as the opening act and played his humorous Blues songs with German lyrics. They probably stop by in Dresden again and Café Friedrichstadt will definitely continue the concerts in the wine cellar.
Bernd Gürtler
Photos by Love Imagery
Taj Mahal and Toby Walker - Concert Review in NJ Stage, July 20th.
On Thursday, June 30, 2016, legendary musician Taj Mahal and his Trio performed for a sold-out crowd at the South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC) in South Orange, NJ. Currently on a world tour with stops in Canada, France, Spain, Belgium, in addition to the United States, Mahal is universally known for putting on live performances which magically connect with his listeners. As Mahal explains, “Like ancient culture, the people are as much a part of the performance as the music. Live communication through music, oh yeah, it’s right up there with oxygen!”
Mahal’s opening act at SOPAC is American blues singer and guitarist Toby Walker. Highlights of Walker’s set include a pickin’ and grinnin’ version of “Sweet Georgia Brown,” along with “Seven-Day Wonder,” a humorous original tune from his new album Mileage about a man who has “a gal for every day of the week.”
Following up with yet another Mileage cut, “My Baby Owns a Whiskey Store,” Walker demonstrates his prodigious musical talent where he’s able to sing, play a solid bass line, strum rhythmic chords and when necessary, even pick out a stunning lead guitar solo— all simultaneously on a single guitar!
Switching over to his National steel guitar, Walker plays Blind Willie McTell’s Delta blues, “Savannah Mama,” sliding and twanging the strings — at times, even making them sound like a train whistle!
A final highlight of his set involves Walker segueing into a blues piece where he makes his guitar sound like a freight train — the engine clickety-clacking and gaining speed — as he strategically moves his left hand both over and under the fingerboard while the crowd metaphorically jumps on board and shows their excitement through enthusiastic applause. Using melody, harmony, and rhythm to slow the pace down to a frenzied finish line at the station, Walker leaves the audience standing on their feet, impressed by the sheer talent of this contemporary bluesman who, after the show, confesses to a little secret revealing, “I like playing in Jersey; that’s where I met my wife.”
Following Walker’s set, Taj Mahal and his trio take the stage with “Good Morning, Miss Brown,” an up-tempo blues featuring Mahal on vocals and guitar.
“The blues is a feeling!,” Mahal informs the crowd at SOPAC, and he goes on to prove it to the sold-out house by playing music that doesn’t need to be dissected and analyzed, but instead, felt and enjoyed in a way that words can’t often describe.
Moving on to his classic blues, “Shady Grove,” Mahal shouts, “Everybody holler!,” and sets up a call and response, his audience replying, “Whoot, whoot, whoot,” as he bounces in his seat, expertly making his instrument sing.
Moving to more of a “world music” sound, to the delight of the crowd, Mahal performs “Queen Bee” with Kester Smith effortlessly groovin’ to the Jamaican beat.
Explaining to the audience that he met blues legend Mississippi John Hurt back in the 60s when he was just 19 and Hurt was nearing the end of his life, he admits that, at the time, he could easily have gone on to become “one of those 60’s radicals.” Instead, he observed how Hurt handled himself and decided to model his behavior on Hurt’s saying, “If that man could live that peaceful in the middle of all that turmoil, I could also.”
Mahal then goes on to play Hurt’s “Satisfied ‘N Tickled Too,” a performance featuring Taj’s sultry and pleading vocal, his slinky sounding guitar, and a lively reggae-inspired rhythm arrangement.
Looking out over the audience and seeing so many people moving to the music in their seats, Mahal tells his bandmates, “You can see the wigglers from here!” He then goes on to explain to the crowd, “As Americans, we used to dance a lot more. My parents danced until their 90s. Other countries dance.”
“Can we stand up, Taj?,” bursts out one man in the audience.
“I’m just saying move,” Mahal responds with a twinkle in his eye. “You don’t have to stand up — then, people can’t see!”
Switching over to ukulele, Mahal segues into the Gus Cannon tune, “Bring It With You When You Come,” strumming his instrument and wiggling himself in his seat to Rich’s slapping bass and Smith’s percussive chunka-chunkas, gliding along like a slinky train, the audience having as much fun as he is having.
And speaking about his inspiration for having such an enjoyable time at his own performances, Mahal reveals, “What inspires me most…is that I’ve been able to make a living playing the music that I always loved and wanted to play since the early 50s. And the fact that I still am involved in enjoying an exciting career at this point in time is truly priceless.”
Adds Mahal, “My relationship with my audience has been fun, with great respect going both ways! I am extremely lucky to have fans who have listened to the music I choose to play and who have stayed with me for 50 years. These fans have also introduced their children, grandchildren, and in some cases great-grandchildren to this fabulous treasure of music that I am privileged to represent. It’s very exciting, to say the least.”
Telling the audience that he is a septuagenarian now and joking he “don’t need to be breaking no legs!,” Mahal gets up to switch instruments and, at the same time, instructs the audience in some long-standing etiquette. “Your mom should teach you how to do nice things for ladies,” he says. “I still walk on the outside because I’m a protector.”
And with that, he goes into a beautiful version of his catchy and melodic classic, “Lovin’ in my Baby’s Eyes,” accompanied by his talented musical colleagues.
Following a rollicking version of his classic blues number, “Going Up to the Country, Paint My Mailbox Blue,” Mahal informs the audience, “We’re gonna get out of here with this,” at which point he and his bandmates proceed to conclude the evening with a live version of the catchy and inspiring “Everybody is Somebody.” Everyone in the house — including those who didn’t already know the lyrics — joyfully joins Taj on the ubiquitous chorus joyfully singing over and over, “Everybody is somebody. Nobody is nobody,” proving that, in their hearts, they’ve come to understand what Taj Mahal has clearly taught them this evening: The blues truly is a feeling.
On Thursday, June 30, 2016, legendary musician Taj Mahal and his Trio performed for a sold-out crowd at the South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC) in South Orange, NJ. Currently on a world tour with stops in Canada, France, Spain, Belgium, in addition to the United States, Mahal is universally known for putting on live performances which magically connect with his listeners. As Mahal explains, “Like ancient culture, the people are as much a part of the performance as the music. Live communication through music, oh yeah, it’s right up there with oxygen!”
Mahal’s opening act at SOPAC is American blues singer and guitarist Toby Walker. Highlights of Walker’s set include a pickin’ and grinnin’ version of “Sweet Georgia Brown,” along with “Seven-Day Wonder,” a humorous original tune from his new album Mileage about a man who has “a gal for every day of the week.”
Following up with yet another Mileage cut, “My Baby Owns a Whiskey Store,” Walker demonstrates his prodigious musical talent where he’s able to sing, play a solid bass line, strum rhythmic chords and when necessary, even pick out a stunning lead guitar solo— all simultaneously on a single guitar!
Switching over to his National steel guitar, Walker plays Blind Willie McTell’s Delta blues, “Savannah Mama,” sliding and twanging the strings — at times, even making them sound like a train whistle!
A final highlight of his set involves Walker segueing into a blues piece where he makes his guitar sound like a freight train — the engine clickety-clacking and gaining speed — as he strategically moves his left hand both over and under the fingerboard while the crowd metaphorically jumps on board and shows their excitement through enthusiastic applause. Using melody, harmony, and rhythm to slow the pace down to a frenzied finish line at the station, Walker leaves the audience standing on their feet, impressed by the sheer talent of this contemporary bluesman who, after the show, confesses to a little secret revealing, “I like playing in Jersey; that’s where I met my wife.”
Following Walker’s set, Taj Mahal and his trio take the stage with “Good Morning, Miss Brown,” an up-tempo blues featuring Mahal on vocals and guitar.
“The blues is a feeling!,” Mahal informs the crowd at SOPAC, and he goes on to prove it to the sold-out house by playing music that doesn’t need to be dissected and analyzed, but instead, felt and enjoyed in a way that words can’t often describe.
Moving on to his classic blues, “Shady Grove,” Mahal shouts, “Everybody holler!,” and sets up a call and response, his audience replying, “Whoot, whoot, whoot,” as he bounces in his seat, expertly making his instrument sing.
Moving to more of a “world music” sound, to the delight of the crowd, Mahal performs “Queen Bee” with Kester Smith effortlessly groovin’ to the Jamaican beat.
Explaining to the audience that he met blues legend Mississippi John Hurt back in the 60s when he was just 19 and Hurt was nearing the end of his life, he admits that, at the time, he could easily have gone on to become “one of those 60’s radicals.” Instead, he observed how Hurt handled himself and decided to model his behavior on Hurt’s saying, “If that man could live that peaceful in the middle of all that turmoil, I could also.”
Mahal then goes on to play Hurt’s “Satisfied ‘N Tickled Too,” a performance featuring Taj’s sultry and pleading vocal, his slinky sounding guitar, and a lively reggae-inspired rhythm arrangement.
Looking out over the audience and seeing so many people moving to the music in their seats, Mahal tells his bandmates, “You can see the wigglers from here!” He then goes on to explain to the crowd, “As Americans, we used to dance a lot more. My parents danced until their 90s. Other countries dance.”
“Can we stand up, Taj?,” bursts out one man in the audience.
“I’m just saying move,” Mahal responds with a twinkle in his eye. “You don’t have to stand up — then, people can’t see!”
Switching over to ukulele, Mahal segues into the Gus Cannon tune, “Bring It With You When You Come,” strumming his instrument and wiggling himself in his seat to Rich’s slapping bass and Smith’s percussive chunka-chunkas, gliding along like a slinky train, the audience having as much fun as he is having.
And speaking about his inspiration for having such an enjoyable time at his own performances, Mahal reveals, “What inspires me most…is that I’ve been able to make a living playing the music that I always loved and wanted to play since the early 50s. And the fact that I still am involved in enjoying an exciting career at this point in time is truly priceless.”
Adds Mahal, “My relationship with my audience has been fun, with great respect going both ways! I am extremely lucky to have fans who have listened to the music I choose to play and who have stayed with me for 50 years. These fans have also introduced their children, grandchildren, and in some cases great-grandchildren to this fabulous treasure of music that I am privileged to represent. It’s very exciting, to say the least.”
Telling the audience that he is a septuagenarian now and joking he “don’t need to be breaking no legs!,” Mahal gets up to switch instruments and, at the same time, instructs the audience in some long-standing etiquette. “Your mom should teach you how to do nice things for ladies,” he says. “I still walk on the outside because I’m a protector.”
And with that, he goes into a beautiful version of his catchy and melodic classic, “Lovin’ in my Baby’s Eyes,” accompanied by his talented musical colleagues.
Following a rollicking version of his classic blues number, “Going Up to the Country, Paint My Mailbox Blue,” Mahal informs the audience, “We’re gonna get out of here with this,” at which point he and his bandmates proceed to conclude the evening with a live version of the catchy and inspiring “Everybody is Somebody.” Everyone in the house — including those who didn’t already know the lyrics — joyfully joins Taj on the ubiquitous chorus joyfully singing over and over, “Everybody is somebody. Nobody is nobody,” proving that, in their hearts, they’ve come to understand what Taj Mahal has clearly taught them this evening: The blues truly is a feeling.
Little Toby Walker, The Red Lion, Godalming, Surrey, 15 November 2015
Any gig on a quiet Sunday night is good for a touring artist but Little Toby Walker could hardly have anticipated such a small audience after several gigs around the country that had attracted large crowds. Nevertheless, as a true professional, Toby gave us his full repertoire of excellent playing and amusing between-songs banter. As I arrived he had already started and was playing an instrumental version of The Beatles “Norwegian Wood” which immediately showed what an outstanding finger-picking guitarist he is, his fingers flying around the fretboard as he gave us a beautiful rendition. “It Should Have Been Me” showed Toby’s great sense of humour as he sang of missed opportunities, usually involving a pretty girl. The traditional “I Know You Rider” followed and included a rejoinder to a couple who were talking loudly to let those who had come to the pub to hear Toby do so. Moving to open tuning Toby donned his slide and gave us Blind Willie McTell’s “Savannah Mama” and an exciting run through SBW’s “Eyesight To The Blind” before declaring that the title of the next song was “pretty much the story of my life” – “Weak Willed And Easily Led”, another of Toby’s comic songs in which he found himself conned out of his wallet and left tied to the bed of the girl who had tempted him!
Two instrumentals summed up Toby’s talents well as first he gave us a gentle “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” and followed it with “Swingbean”, an original designed to show how he can sound like a whole band if he wishes. “She’s Shakin’ Her Bacon” was terrific fun with plenty of humour but the ‘tour de force’ that followed had this reviewer shaking his head in disbelief as Toby played an extended version of The Allman Brothers’ “Whipping Post”, combining it with a Mexican/Flamenco section and fully demonstrating his huge talent. The contrast with the Piedmont style version of “Corrina” (dedicated to the late John Cephas) was stark, but Toby can play all these styles so well. “The Lead’s All Gone” was full of lewd innuendo and was apparently exactly as 88 year-old Mississippi bluesman Eugene Bridges had told it to Toby in the 1990’s. Toby closed the show with a final instrumental which followed the blues tradition of train songs as he gave us thundering wheels, whistles and brakes on his guitar whilst telling us that he might have been hoboing down to the south, maybe to New Orleans, at which point he dropped in a short burst of “When The Saints Go Marching In”.
Little Toby Walker is a troubadour and whenever he is in town you are guaranteed a fine night of consummate playing, amusing storytelling and mastery of all the blues styles. He is a frequent visitor to the UK and every blues fan should make sure they catch him next time he comes over – keep an eye on his website for dates.
John Mitchell
Any gig on a quiet Sunday night is good for a touring artist but Little Toby Walker could hardly have anticipated such a small audience after several gigs around the country that had attracted large crowds. Nevertheless, as a true professional, Toby gave us his full repertoire of excellent playing and amusing between-songs banter. As I arrived he had already started and was playing an instrumental version of The Beatles “Norwegian Wood” which immediately showed what an outstanding finger-picking guitarist he is, his fingers flying around the fretboard as he gave us a beautiful rendition. “It Should Have Been Me” showed Toby’s great sense of humour as he sang of missed opportunities, usually involving a pretty girl. The traditional “I Know You Rider” followed and included a rejoinder to a couple who were talking loudly to let those who had come to the pub to hear Toby do so. Moving to open tuning Toby donned his slide and gave us Blind Willie McTell’s “Savannah Mama” and an exciting run through SBW’s “Eyesight To The Blind” before declaring that the title of the next song was “pretty much the story of my life” – “Weak Willed And Easily Led”, another of Toby’s comic songs in which he found himself conned out of his wallet and left tied to the bed of the girl who had tempted him!
Two instrumentals summed up Toby’s talents well as first he gave us a gentle “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” and followed it with “Swingbean”, an original designed to show how he can sound like a whole band if he wishes. “She’s Shakin’ Her Bacon” was terrific fun with plenty of humour but the ‘tour de force’ that followed had this reviewer shaking his head in disbelief as Toby played an extended version of The Allman Brothers’ “Whipping Post”, combining it with a Mexican/Flamenco section and fully demonstrating his huge talent. The contrast with the Piedmont style version of “Corrina” (dedicated to the late John Cephas) was stark, but Toby can play all these styles so well. “The Lead’s All Gone” was full of lewd innuendo and was apparently exactly as 88 year-old Mississippi bluesman Eugene Bridges had told it to Toby in the 1990’s. Toby closed the show with a final instrumental which followed the blues tradition of train songs as he gave us thundering wheels, whistles and brakes on his guitar whilst telling us that he might have been hoboing down to the south, maybe to New Orleans, at which point he dropped in a short burst of “When The Saints Go Marching In”.
Little Toby Walker is a troubadour and whenever he is in town you are guaranteed a fine night of consummate playing, amusing storytelling and mastery of all the blues styles. He is a frequent visitor to the UK and every blues fan should make sure they catch him next time he comes over – keep an eye on his website for dates.
John Mitchell
August 16th, 2015
Weekend Best Bets: Toby Walker brings roots to Bull Run
By Bonnie Toomey, Correspondent
Read more: http://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/lifestyles-toplife/ci_28492429/weekend-best-bets-toby-walker-brings-roots-bull#ixzz3g4gSkbQQ
Weekend Best Bets: Toby Walker brings roots to Bull Run
By Bonnie Toomey, Correspondent
Read more: http://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/lifestyles-toplife/ci_28492429/weekend-best-bets-toby-walker-brings-roots-bull#ixzz3g4gSkbQQ
My friend Andi Saitenhieb, a wonderful musician and teacher just had an article published about me and my playing style in the German magazine called Gitarre & Bass. It includes a wonderful guitar lesson as well. Here is a link to the article as well as the translation. Thanks Andi!!!
Toby Walker at Listen Live! Music -
October 19th, 2013
by John J. Moser
Photos by Ami Lanning/Courteswy Listen Live! Music
During his show Saturday at Listen Live! Music in Macungie, guitarist Toby Walker portrayed himself as the rambling musician – speaking of his underfunded travels, his hard knocks in the business and his brushes with those greater than himself. But if there are musicians out there working bars and dives who are as talented as Walker, someone should be out there looking harder to find them.
Walker gave an extremely enjoyable show of 22 songs in two sets totaling an hour and 50 minutes, showing a finger-picking mastery that most top rock and blues stars would find it hard to improve upon.
But more than that, his show was made better by his ability to connect. He seemed very much like an everyman, except that he played guitar really well.
Walker opened the show with “Swing Bean,” an instrumental that introduced his “band”: his thumb on bass strings, his index finger on lead guitar, and even a horn section from the fingers between. And, indeed, it often during the set sounded as if there were several people playing Walker’s guitar.
His first set was mostly traditional blues: Pink Anderson’s “Try Some of That,” before which he unconvincingly told the audience the song’s salacious lyrics were about cookies; the Mississippi blues of Louisiana Red’s “Dead Stray Dog,” which he played on electric slide; and his melody of Blind Blake’s ragtime blues as “Puttin’ on the Blakes,” during which he produced sounds his introduced as his trombone and clarinet.
He introduced most songs with humorous stories. Sometimes they would be preludes to the songs, such as before his own “Everything I Want,” and sometimes he simply would finish a story by saying, “That’s got nothing to do with the song I’m about to play.”
But it told volumes about who Toby Walker is, and sometimes his magnificent noodling as he spoke, such as before “Corrina” told just as much.
He often sought participation from the audience of about 40, asking men in couples to sing along to their women on “She’s Got Something There.” On that song he also let the resonator guitar, on which he played string-scratching-slide Delta blues, “talk” about its own feelings -- even stepping to the edge of the stage to play it unamplified.
When Walker sang, it sometimes was in a blue-eyes blues voice, as on “She’s Into Something,” but on the set-closing “Glory Glory,” his voice sounded authentic amid a cyclone of electric slide and a hurricane flurry of notes.
The second set was far more eclectic, opening with his own autobiographical ”I Was Gone,” then playing Willie Johnson’s “God Moves” in his own arrangement on 12-sting guitar and Tampa Red’s instrumental “Boogie Woogie Dance.”
After a fun and demonstrative “Full Figured Woman” (on which he played his fifth guitar of the night) Walker strayed from his prepared program to play a stomping “Texas Tornado” that moved right into “Got My Mojo Workin’” – the audience’s loud applause for the former moving right into clapping along to the latter. And Walker was, indeed, working it.
“The whole set list just went to hell,” Walker said. “This is just too much fun.”
He closed with the stomping Chicago blues of “Talk About Your Woman,” the audience again clapping along, a cute “Roaches” and “Highway.”
For the encore, Walker played an audience-requested “Slingo Creek” and Chesapeake,” songs by Grammy-winning acoustic finger-style guitarist Al Petteway.
Wonderfully intricate, yet wonderfully jaunty, Celtic-flavored music, they showed Walker’s talent on guitar and as a showman, and made you wonder why he’s still a rambling musician.
October 19th, 2013
by John J. Moser
Photos by Ami Lanning/Courteswy Listen Live! Music
During his show Saturday at Listen Live! Music in Macungie, guitarist Toby Walker portrayed himself as the rambling musician – speaking of his underfunded travels, his hard knocks in the business and his brushes with those greater than himself. But if there are musicians out there working bars and dives who are as talented as Walker, someone should be out there looking harder to find them.
Walker gave an extremely enjoyable show of 22 songs in two sets totaling an hour and 50 minutes, showing a finger-picking mastery that most top rock and blues stars would find it hard to improve upon.
But more than that, his show was made better by his ability to connect. He seemed very much like an everyman, except that he played guitar really well.
Walker opened the show with “Swing Bean,” an instrumental that introduced his “band”: his thumb on bass strings, his index finger on lead guitar, and even a horn section from the fingers between. And, indeed, it often during the set sounded as if there were several people playing Walker’s guitar.
His first set was mostly traditional blues: Pink Anderson’s “Try Some of That,” before which he unconvincingly told the audience the song’s salacious lyrics were about cookies; the Mississippi blues of Louisiana Red’s “Dead Stray Dog,” which he played on electric slide; and his melody of Blind Blake’s ragtime blues as “Puttin’ on the Blakes,” during which he produced sounds his introduced as his trombone and clarinet.
He introduced most songs with humorous stories. Sometimes they would be preludes to the songs, such as before his own “Everything I Want,” and sometimes he simply would finish a story by saying, “That’s got nothing to do with the song I’m about to play.”
But it told volumes about who Toby Walker is, and sometimes his magnificent noodling as he spoke, such as before “Corrina” told just as much.
He often sought participation from the audience of about 40, asking men in couples to sing along to their women on “She’s Got Something There.” On that song he also let the resonator guitar, on which he played string-scratching-slide Delta blues, “talk” about its own feelings -- even stepping to the edge of the stage to play it unamplified.
When Walker sang, it sometimes was in a blue-eyes blues voice, as on “She’s Into Something,” but on the set-closing “Glory Glory,” his voice sounded authentic amid a cyclone of electric slide and a hurricane flurry of notes.
The second set was far more eclectic, opening with his own autobiographical ”I Was Gone,” then playing Willie Johnson’s “God Moves” in his own arrangement on 12-sting guitar and Tampa Red’s instrumental “Boogie Woogie Dance.”
After a fun and demonstrative “Full Figured Woman” (on which he played his fifth guitar of the night) Walker strayed from his prepared program to play a stomping “Texas Tornado” that moved right into “Got My Mojo Workin’” – the audience’s loud applause for the former moving right into clapping along to the latter. And Walker was, indeed, working it.
“The whole set list just went to hell,” Walker said. “This is just too much fun.”
He closed with the stomping Chicago blues of “Talk About Your Woman,” the audience again clapping along, a cute “Roaches” and “Highway.”
For the encore, Walker played an audience-requested “Slingo Creek” and Chesapeake,” songs by Grammy-winning acoustic finger-style guitarist Al Petteway.
Wonderfully intricate, yet wonderfully jaunty, Celtic-flavored music, they showed Walker’s talent on guitar and as a showman, and made you wonder why he’s still a rambling musician.
More articles
Q&A with Toby Walker
Dara McBride, Cecil Whig News - September 2013
http://www.cecildaily.com/features/music/article_f156c526-a485-576a-9874-b465cd87ef00.html
"Toby Walker's latest CD, Shake Shake Mama, is undoubtedly one of the best country style blues CDs to be released in years." - Bob Covemaker, Mississippi Valley Blues Society News - July 2013.
Roots musician Little Toby Walker to play, teach at Hooker-Dunham Theater
The Common, Bratttleboro VT August 2013
http://www.commonsnews.org/site/site05/story.php?articleno=8150&page=1#.UhpoVlNGHgc
Video and Story - Blues events bring rhythm to Tripp House - Toby Walker wow's them in Scranton PA
By Laura Legere (Staff Writer - The Times-Tribune June 10th 2012
Infused with Blues
By Elizabeth Baumeister Abington Journal May 2012
"For lovers of original blues, this is a relief!"
Hans Wolven... The Dutch Blues Magazine - Recensie..... January 2012
Walker knock's them dead in London
Heather Harrison... Blues in Britain... January 2012
Review of 'Shake Shake Mama'
Heck, any player who can hold down both rhythm and lead, sing on key with near-perfect pitch and keep a beat with the heel of his boot ought to be canonized for sainthood, or at the very least, nominated for a Grammy...
Del Ray... Boston Blues Society... December 2011
Walker will bring the blues to town to help with hurricane relief
Joseph Dimeck... New Jersey.com .... November 2011
Blues Artist Toby Walker Entertains Students
Michael Scro... Huntington Patch.... March 2011
Artist Profile of Toby Walker
Craig Harris... Driftwood Magazine... Sept 2010
"A gem... the tracks (on Lost and Found) present an energetic entertainer with lighting-fast fingers and talented friends.... The results are amazingly sharp and have the true-to-life feel of an unplanned live recording, complete with enthusiastic audience reaction."
Kay Cordtz... Blues Revue ... Feb/March 2010
Opposites Attract: Saints and Sinners Join Forces in Town
Meredith Mannino - Westfield Leader - Jan/2010 pdf.
"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 - Blues In Britain - Dec/09
"Little man, big sound, huge personality. What the New Jersey-based guitar finger picking maestro lacked in height he more than made up for with a memorable night of the blues."
John Lyon, Entertainment Editor - Mid Devon, England, Oct '09
"Channeling all the greats, be it House, Skp James, Robert Johnson, whomever, and yet, making it all sound os current, fresh and just about perfect, Walker is the epitome of a bluesman"
- Mark T. Gould, Soundwaves Magazine, Sept '09 pdf.
"Like many of the old bluesmen who has served as his members over the years, Walker has traveled from his new home base in NJ up and down the East Coast and throughout the world."
- Robert Hicks, Daily Record, August 09
"There is no better interpreter of the bues, traditional or contemporary, on stages today... and none more entertaining." Toby Walker in Concert."
- Sybil Moser: Huntington Folk Music Society - October 08
"Toby Walker has taken another giant step toward enshrinement in the pantheon
of the world's greatest fingerstyle guitarists."
- Richard Cuccaro - Acoustic Live October 08
"Just an outstanding disc in every way" ('Hand Picked')
- Bob Gottlieb - Folk and Music Exchange - September 08
"Another fabulous evening of blues music"
Lionel Ross - Blues In The Northwest
"6 CD's in only 7 years, as far as I'm concerned - masterpieces"
Eric Dumeige ... Blues & Company from France - July 08
"Walker learned his chops the old fashioned way, forgoing a trip to Barnes & Noble for a treck down to the Mississippi Delta...
Robert Bieselin ... Bergen County Record - March 08- pdf
"Toby Walker is literally a blues traveler"
NewsTimes.com February 08 - pdf
"Toby Walker is a charming enterainer who knows how to work an audience."
Kay Cordtz of Elmore Magazine January 08 - pdf
"The tallest men among us reach for their dreams, undaunted by life's trials. They keep fighting, win or lose. By these philosophical standards, Toby Walker isn't so little. He's a giant." - Acoustic Live, August 07 - pdf
"Little Toby Walker has to be one of the hottest acts on the circuit. This is the real deal and not to be missed."
Dorset Blues Society, May, 07 - pdf
"The South was school for bluesman Toby Walker."
The Daily Record - Morris County, NJ - February 07 - pdf
(Not So) Little Toby Walker
Pulse Magazine, On The Arts, - February 07
"Bringing the Blues into the classroom"
Long Island Press - January 07 -
"He got his start playing for tips in bars as he hitchhiked his way across the country...
'Blues Revue Article, December 06
'Blues is enjoying a resurgence because of the high quality of blues musicians here and Toby has fired up the scene''
New York Times -
"One of the most exciting players on the scene today"
- Bob Margolin's Interview of Toby Walker in Blues Wax
Podcast Intverview on Six String Island
"Blazingly talented blues artist"
- Scott MacDonald - 20th Century Guitar
"One of the best teaching artists we've ever had'
- Mark Buford of Carnegie Hall New York Times
England Discovers Toby Walker
The Natural Traveler
Get Schooled in Blues
- by Samantha Spector Westchester Journal News
"Toby's got the blues, and those woh have had the pleasure being blown away by this amazing solos are very thankful"
Man Of Steel Guitars - The Independent
Dara McBride, Cecil Whig News - September 2013
http://www.cecildaily.com/features/music/article_f156c526-a485-576a-9874-b465cd87ef00.html
"Toby Walker's latest CD, Shake Shake Mama, is undoubtedly one of the best country style blues CDs to be released in years." - Bob Covemaker, Mississippi Valley Blues Society News - July 2013.
Roots musician Little Toby Walker to play, teach at Hooker-Dunham Theater
The Common, Bratttleboro VT August 2013
http://www.commonsnews.org/site/site05/story.php?articleno=8150&page=1#.UhpoVlNGHgc
Video and Story - Blues events bring rhythm to Tripp House - Toby Walker wow's them in Scranton PA
By Laura Legere (Staff Writer - The Times-Tribune June 10th 2012
Infused with Blues
By Elizabeth Baumeister Abington Journal May 2012
"For lovers of original blues, this is a relief!"
Hans Wolven... The Dutch Blues Magazine - Recensie..... January 2012
Walker knock's them dead in London
Heather Harrison... Blues in Britain... January 2012
Review of 'Shake Shake Mama'
Heck, any player who can hold down both rhythm and lead, sing on key with near-perfect pitch and keep a beat with the heel of his boot ought to be canonized for sainthood, or at the very least, nominated for a Grammy...
Del Ray... Boston Blues Society... December 2011
Walker will bring the blues to town to help with hurricane relief
Joseph Dimeck... New Jersey.com .... November 2011
Blues Artist Toby Walker Entertains Students
Michael Scro... Huntington Patch.... March 2011
Artist Profile of Toby Walker
Craig Harris... Driftwood Magazine... Sept 2010
"A gem... the tracks (on Lost and Found) present an energetic entertainer with lighting-fast fingers and talented friends.... The results are amazingly sharp and have the true-to-life feel of an unplanned live recording, complete with enthusiastic audience reaction."
Kay Cordtz... Blues Revue ... Feb/March 2010
Opposites Attract: Saints and Sinners Join Forces in Town
Meredith Mannino - Westfield Leader - Jan/2010 pdf.
"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 - Blues In Britain - Dec/09
"Little man, big sound, huge personality. What the New Jersey-based guitar finger picking maestro lacked in height he more than made up for with a memorable night of the blues."
John Lyon, Entertainment Editor - Mid Devon, England, Oct '09
"Channeling all the greats, be it House, Skp James, Robert Johnson, whomever, and yet, making it all sound os current, fresh and just about perfect, Walker is the epitome of a bluesman"
- Mark T. Gould, Soundwaves Magazine, Sept '09 pdf.
"Like many of the old bluesmen who has served as his members over the years, Walker has traveled from his new home base in NJ up and down the East Coast and throughout the world."
- Robert Hicks, Daily Record, August 09
"There is no better interpreter of the bues, traditional or contemporary, on stages today... and none more entertaining." Toby Walker in Concert."
- Sybil Moser: Huntington Folk Music Society - October 08
"Toby Walker has taken another giant step toward enshrinement in the pantheon
of the world's greatest fingerstyle guitarists."
- Richard Cuccaro - Acoustic Live October 08
"Just an outstanding disc in every way" ('Hand Picked')
- Bob Gottlieb - Folk and Music Exchange - September 08
"Another fabulous evening of blues music"
Lionel Ross - Blues In The Northwest
"6 CD's in only 7 years, as far as I'm concerned - masterpieces"
Eric Dumeige ... Blues & Company from France - July 08
"Walker learned his chops the old fashioned way, forgoing a trip to Barnes & Noble for a treck down to the Mississippi Delta...
Robert Bieselin ... Bergen County Record - March 08- pdf
"Toby Walker is literally a blues traveler"
NewsTimes.com February 08 - pdf
"Toby Walker is a charming enterainer who knows how to work an audience."
Kay Cordtz of Elmore Magazine January 08 - pdf
"The tallest men among us reach for their dreams, undaunted by life's trials. They keep fighting, win or lose. By these philosophical standards, Toby Walker isn't so little. He's a giant." - Acoustic Live, August 07 - pdf
"Little Toby Walker has to be one of the hottest acts on the circuit. This is the real deal and not to be missed."
Dorset Blues Society, May, 07 - pdf
"The South was school for bluesman Toby Walker."
The Daily Record - Morris County, NJ - February 07 - pdf
(Not So) Little Toby Walker
Pulse Magazine, On The Arts, - February 07
"Bringing the Blues into the classroom"
Long Island Press - January 07 -
"He got his start playing for tips in bars as he hitchhiked his way across the country...
'Blues Revue Article, December 06
'Blues is enjoying a resurgence because of the high quality of blues musicians here and Toby has fired up the scene''
New York Times -
"One of the most exciting players on the scene today"
- Bob Margolin's Interview of Toby Walker in Blues Wax
Podcast Intverview on Six String Island
"Blazingly talented blues artist"
- Scott MacDonald - 20th Century Guitar
"One of the best teaching artists we've ever had'
- Mark Buford of Carnegie Hall New York Times
England Discovers Toby Walker
The Natural Traveler
Get Schooled in Blues
- by Samantha Spector Westchester Journal News
"Toby's got the blues, and those woh have had the pleasure being blown away by this amazing solos are very thankful"
Man Of Steel Guitars - The Independent