Joe Louis Walker
This poorly sourced must be removed immediately from the article and its talk page, especially if potentially libelous. )Find sources: "Joe Louis Walker" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (April 2009) |
Joe Louis Walker | |
---|---|
Website | www |
Louis Joseph Walker Jr. (born December 25, 1949),[1] known as Joe Louis Walker, is an American musician, best known as an electric blues guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer.[2] His knowledge of blues history is revealed by his use of older material and playing styles.[3]
NPR Music described him as "Powerful, soul-stirring, fierce and gritty...a legendary boundary-pushing icon of modern blues."[4] Another music journalist noted "If you define 'blues' by the rigid categories of structure rather than the flexible language of feeling allusion, Robert Cray... Larry Garner, Joe Louis Walker and James Armstrong are a new and uncategorizable breed, their music blues-like rather than blues, each of them blending ideas and devices from a variety of sources – soul, rock, jazz, gospel – with a sophistication beyond the reach of their forerunners".[5]
Career
Walker was born Louis Joseph Walker Jr. in San Francisco, California.
This event was the catalyst that placed Walker into a lifestyle change. He left the world of the blues and enrolled himself at San Francisco State University, achieving a degree in Music and English. Throughout this time, Walker was regularly performing with The Spiritual Corinthians Gospel Quartet.[1] After a 1985 performance at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, he was inspired to return to his blues roots whereupon he formed the "Bosstalkers" and signed to the HighTone label. Under the auspices of Bruce Bromberg and Dennis Walker, his debut album, Cold Is The Night was released in 1986.[1] He began a worldwide touring schedule, delivering a four more releases in succession for HighTone (The Gift (1988), Blue Soul (1989), Live at Slims Vol 1 (1991), and Live at Slims Volume 2 (1992).
After the long partnership with HighTone, Walker was signed by
JLW was released in 1994, featuring guests such as James Cotton, Branford Marsalis, and the Tower of Power horn section. During this period, Walker's touring schedule saw many re-appearances at the world's music festivals (
Blues of the Month Club was released in 1995, and was the first of three Walker albums that were co-produced with
.Also in 1996, Walker played guitar on James Cotton's, Deep in the Blues, a
In 2002, he featured on the Bo Diddley tribute album, Hey Bo Diddley – A Tribute!, performing the song "Who Do You Love?".
In March 2008, Walker signed to Stony Plain Records, and recorded his first album for the label in April (produced by Duke Robillard). This album featured guest appearances by Robillard and Todd Sharpville, and was released in September 2008. His second album for the label was released in September 2009 entitled, Between A Rock and The Blues. This album featured Kevin Eubanks as a special guest, best known for his work as the musical director for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. This album garnered five nominations in the 2010 Blues Music Awards.
In 2012, Walker signed with Chicago-based Alligator Records and released Hellfire, produced by Tom Hambridge. Billboard Magazine called it "One of the strongest albums in Walker's canon. Hellfire blows all over the map…gutbucket blues, joyous gospel, Rolling Stones-style rock crunch, and aching R&B. Walker's guitar playing is fine and fierce. Hellfire is a heavenly showcase for Walker's virtues."[7] In 2014, Alligator released Hornet's Nest, also produced by Hambridge. The Chicago Sun-Times said: "Hard rock to gospel, Hornet's Nest is proudly modern, designed to rest comfortably alongside anything from the Black Keys or Jack White. Walker's voice demands attention: scorching, imploring, always commanding, it leads this dynamic album along with his heavy guitar fills that lay the ground work for the horn-peppered soul, Memphis soul, gospel harmony, and a vortex of power chords and funk. He is living proof of the boundless potential of blues."[8]
In 2013, Walker was inducted to the
His album Everybody Wants a Piece (2015) was nominated for a Grammy. In an interview with PatchChord News in early December he shared his philosophy about music, saying "Don't be afraid to add other cultures into your sound."[11]
Discography
Albums
- Eclectic Electric (Cleopatra Records, 2021)
- Blues Comin' On (HighTone, 2020)
- Everybody Wants a Piece (Provogue, 2015)
- Hornet's Nest (Alligator Records, 2014)
- Hellfire (Alligator Records, 2012)
- Between A Rock and The Blues (Stony Plain Music, 2009)
- Witness to the Blues (Stony Plain Music, 2008)
- Playin' Dirty (JSP, 2006)
- New Direction (Provogue, 2004)
- Ridin' High (HighTone, 2003)
- She's My Money Maker (JSP, 2002/03)
- Guitar Brothers (JSP Records, 2002)
- Pasa Tiempo (Evidence Music, 2002)
- In the Morning (Telarc, 2002)
- Silvertone Blues (Polydor/Polygram, 1999)
- Preacher and the President (Verve, 1998)
- Great Guitars (Polydor/Polygram, 1997)
- Blues of the Month Club (Polydor/Polygram, 1995)
- JLW (Polydor/Polygram, 1994)
- Blues Survivor (Polygram, 1993)
- Live at Slim's, Volume Two (HighTone, 1992)
- Live at Slim's, Volume One (HighTone, 1991)
- Blue Soul (HighTone, 1989)
- The Gift (HighTone, 1988)
- Cold Is the Night (HighTone, 1986)
DVDs
- Live At 'On Broadway' (Blues Express, 2001)
- Joe Louis Walker in Concert (inakustik, 2003)
- Viva Las Vegas Live (DVD plus CD; Cleopatra Blues, 2019)
See also
Photographs
This section contains an unencyclopedic or excessive gallery of images. |
-
JLW performing in Rauma, Finland in 2007
-
Walker playing guitar at thePetalumaWine, Jazz, and Blues Festival, August 2009
References
- ^ Allmusic. Retrieved November 26, 2011.
- ISBN 1-904041-96-5.
- ISBN 1-85868-255-X.
- ^ "Joe Louis Walker in Concert". NPR Music. February 17, 2012. Retrieved December 1, 2014.
- ISBN 1-85868-255-X.
- ISBN 978-0313344237.
- ^ "Grammy-Winning Blues: Joe Louis Walker Band". Earlville Opera House. May 29, 2013. Retrieved December 1, 2014.
- ^ Guarino, Mark (February 28, 2014). "Listen: Joe Louis Walker brings the blues to City Winery". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on December 1, 2014. Retrieved December 1, 2014.
- ^ "2013 Blues Hall of Fame Inductees Announced". Blues.org. Archived from the original on October 26, 2010. Retrieved March 6, 2013.
- ^ "Blues Music Awards Nominees – 2013 – 34th Blues Music Awards". Blues.org. Retrieved March 20, 2013.
- ^ "Interview- Joe Louis Walker-Don't Paint By Numbers in Music - Patchchord News". Patchchord News. January 9, 2017. Retrieved January 9, 2017.