Showing posts with label Big Walker. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Big Walker. Show all posts

Monday, February 25, 2019

Big Walker & Blue Souls - Dream Walking

Year: 1998
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:35
Size: 100,8 MB
Styles: Electric blues, harmonica blues
Scans: Front, sleeve, tray, cd

1. If I Had One Wish (3:37)
2. I'm Going To Write A Letter (4:52)
3. Dream Walking (3:31)
4. Don't Mind Getting Old (4:15)
5. Boogie Woogie Nighthawk (3:26)
6. Black Ice (5:42)
7. One Man's Meat (5:51)
8. Where Shall I Be (3:05)
9. Blues In The North Land (4:36)
10. Dream Walking Part 2 (4:35)

Big Walker was born Derrick Roy Michael Walker in Lawton Oklahoma, December 3rd 1953. He grew up in an artistic family; his mother Jean Serman and aunt Evelyn Wooden were both working in the theater. His aunt was a musical songstress, and his mother an actress. Derrick learned to play harmonica when he was seven with his uncle John Wooden, who owned a small blues club in Cleveland Ohio. In 1962 Derrick moved to San Francisco with his mother, who worked in a Community Theater, where Big also acted in several children's productions. In San Francisco during this time the new music of Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jefferson Airplane etc, influenced him and his music. He was also a big fan of Clover who had great influence on Derrick's decision to become a musician.

In 1969 Derrick began to take saxophone lessons from Noel Jukes, who played saxophone with Jimmy Witherspoon and many others and by 1973 Derrick began to play saxophone and harmonica in The Luther Tucker Band. He played with them for 10 years. The same year he began to attend the College of Marin, majoring in Music and Martial arts (Judo and Karate). He was also touring with both Albert Collins and the Luther Tucker Band. They recorded a film at the North Dakota Club in Oakland.

Derrick began playing with a band called the Soul Rebels for one year (1977), who were working for Bill Graham as a warm up band in Bill's nightclubs. They fronted acts such as the Dead Kennedy's, The Ramones, Greg Kihn, The Beat and many others. The bandleader was Dean Devnear, bass and drums were manned by the Stench Brothers. The Soul Rebels were considered San Francisco's most popular band at the time. He took harmonica lessons from Paul Butterfield, who taught Derrick to sound like him self and play melodies,"not just licks". Bobby Forte - Villa Nova Dupré who played with BB King during the 60s and 70s gave him saxophone lessons.

Between 1978 and 1980 Derrick began playing with The Eddie Ray Rhythm And Blues Band, backing artists such as Lowell Fulson, Percy Mayfield, Big Mama Thornton, Sonny Roads, Jimmy McCracklin and Sugar Pie DeSanto. Derrick played with Michael Bloomfield and was his roommate for two years. Derrick then left the Bay Area in 1983 and went to Europe, playing in Holland, Belgium and France for three years. In Holland he met a friend from the Bay Area, i.e. Red Archibald whom Derrick knew since 1976 when Elvin Bishop introduced him to Red. Red, who passed away December 25, 2006, stayed in Europe for almost a decade.

In 1988 Derrick began to teach Harmonica at the Swedish State Community College, Studiefrämjandet. He also toured with the Grinders featuring Professor Washboard in Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Iceland and Germany. In 1993 he composed the song "Stars in the Sky" and performed two songs in the international film "Freud Leaves Home". Between 1995 and 2002 Derrick has undertaken several tours of Norway and Denmark, and regular club appearances in Sweden, with his Black and White Blues Band. He has also toured with Folk blues artist Eric Bibb and played on six of Eric's CDs, and recorded gospel with Cyndee Peters on "Songs From The Heart". He played harmonica and acted in the Broadway musical Big River, and has also appeared with Blues legend Jimmy Dawkins and singer Zora Young at The Great British R'n'B Festival in Colne as well as at festivals in Denmark and Sweden.

Dream Walking mc
Dream Walking zippy

Friday, January 4, 2019

VA - 1970s Slow Blues Jams

Size: 245,4 MB
Time: 105:01
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Electric Blues
Art: Front

01. John Hammond - Guitar King (3:36)
02. Big Mama Thornton - Jail (Live) (5:56)
03. Hound Dog Taylor - Sadie (6:12)
04. Son Seals - Sitting At My Window (4:30)
05. Albert Collins - When The Welfare Turns Its Back On You (5:24)
06. Jimmy Johnson - Your Turn To Cry (5:51)
07. Big Walter Horton - Little Boy Blue (3:12)
08. Left Hand Frank - One Room Country Shack (4:28)
09. Koko Taylor - Walking The Back Streets (6:46)
10. Johnny 'Big Moose' Walker - Worry, Worry (4:14)
11. Lovie Lee - Nobody Knows My Troubles (5:15)
12. Pinetop Perkins - Blues After Hours (5:00)
13. Lacy Gibson - Drown In My Own Tears (4:40)
14. Fenton Robinson - Going To Chicago (3:50)
15. Lonnie Brooks - Cold, Lonely Nights (4:42)
16. Hound Dog Taylor - Held My Baby Last Night (4:17)
17. Son Seals - Going Back Home (7:03)
18. Koko Taylor - That's Why I'm Crying (4:25)
19. Albert Collins - Conversation With Collins (8:49)
20. Big Mama Thornton - Rock Me Baby (6:42)

1970s Slow Blues Jams

Tuesday, August 21, 2018

Big Walker - Root Walking: Americana Blues & Roots

Year: 2012
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:05
Size: 106,6 MB
Styles: Blues, roots, Americana
Scans: Full

1. It's Hard (3:30)
2. Raise A Ruckus (2:31)
3. Wild Black Bill (3:26)
4. Run Nigri Run (3:49)
5. The Hypocrite Blues (2:05)
6. Can't Take No Train (4:03)
7. Midnight Special (4:31)
8. You Got A Home In That Rock (3:09)
9. Papa Guede (2:43)
10. Devil's Cloth (2:56)
11. Thirteenth Full Moon (3:55)
12. Slave (9:21)

Some projects are unique from their very inception. By virtue of their subject matter, inspiration, and/or execution, these projects distinguish themselves from the everyday, mundane, and clichéd subject matter. Often, the success of such an effort is determined by whether it speaks to its intended audience in a manner that educates, maintains a tradition, provides perspective on a particular history, and maybe even inspires.

Root Walking: Americana Blues and Roots by Big Walker is just such a project. This effort uses slave poetry from as far back as the 1700s for lyrics. As stated by Walker in the liner notes: “Many of the lyrics are changed to fit the general public as not to offend or threaten anyone. Some of the poems were told to me as a child. I in turn, recited them to my children in the forum of bedtime stories. Others are true accounts of events that occurred in my life, or how I feel about life. Like ‘Can’t Take No Train’ and ‘Slave.'” These lyrics are the voice of a people, telling their stories of day to day life.

Beyond the lyrics, there is the music. This album is set to late ’40s – early ’50s style (sometimes referred to as “post war”) blues. The sound quality and production are good, and the level of musicianship is high. The lead-off track, “It’s Hard,” is driven by light guitar blues, and some great harp playing from Walker. “Raise A Ruckus” is uptempo, with some fine steel picking, and more great harp playing from Walker. “Wild Black Bill” is about a man living life on his terms. It is slow, steady, and thumping, with a bit of wonderful old school slide.

“Run Nigri Run” is an extremely powerful piece. This song conjures up vivid images of a gang of pursuers hunting down the pursued as though he is a hated animal, rather than a human being. The music this hunt is set to definitely has echoes of CCR, and really moves things along. “Papa Guede” has a Louisiana flavor about it with Bonnie Raitt style slide, and will remind some of Little Feat. “Slave” is a very interesting piece of music. It is slow, bluesy, with an almost spiritual style backing vocal. The music stops at 5:04 and then picks up again at 5:22 with Walker chanting. An undocumented song? At 5:28 the music becomes an up-tempo Chicago style blues with some nice guitar work, killer electric piano, and a great sax run by Walker. This is a “HooDoo” song. Very tasty!

Root Walking: Americana Blues and Roots is a very different kind of blues album. It is a unique undertaking that works well. The finished work is spiritual; at once entertaining the listener, and forcing them to really hear what is being said. The images it entices the listener to conjure up are vivid and real. The excellent “post war” style blues these lyrics are set to, elevate and enhance the whole experience. Excellent work here Mr. Walker! /Barry Kerzner, American Blues Scene

Root Walking: Americana Blues & Roots mc
Root Walking: Americana Blues & Roots zippy

Sunday, September 7, 2014

Big Walker - Still Dream Walking

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 61:34
Size: 140.9 MB
Styles: Harmonica blues
Year: 2002
Art: Front

[3:29] 1. Dream Walking
[3:35] 2. If I Had One Wish
[2:39] 3. Open Book
[5:26] 4. I New The First Time I Met You
[2:51] 5. I Need My Prescription
[5:25] 6. Stars In The Sky
[2:32] 7. I Don't Want To See
[5:38] 8. Drive By Blues
[5:25] 9. My Favorite Tree
[4:50] 10. I'm Gonna Write A Letter
[2:55] 11. Little Elijah Jane
[3:23] 12. Boogie Woogie Nighthawk
[5:42] 13. Black Ice
[4:34] 14. Dream Walking Part Ii
[3:03] 15. Where Shall I Be

Big Walker was born Derrick Roy Michael Walker in Lawton Oklahoma, December 3rd 1953. He grew up in an artistic family; his mother Jean Serman and aunt Evelyn Wooden were both working in the theater. His aunt was a musical songstress, and his mother an actress. Derrick learned to play harmonica when he was seven with his uncle John Wooden, who owned a small blues club in Cleveland Ohio.

In 1962 Derrick moved to San Francisco with his mother, who worked in a Community Theater, where Big also acted in several children's productions. In San Francisco during this time the new music of Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jefferson Airplane etc, influenced him and his music. He was also a big fan of Clover who had great influence on Derrick's decision to become a musician.

In 1969 Derrick began to take saxophone lessons from Noel Jukes, who played saxophone with Jimmy Witherspoon and many others and by 1973 Derrick began to play saxophone and harmonica in The Luther Tucker Band. He played with them for 10 years. The same year he began to attend the College of Marin, majoring in Music and Martial arts (Judo and Karate) . He was also touring with both, Albert Collins and the Luther Tucker Band. They recorded a film at the North Dakota Club in Oakland.

Derrick began playing with a band called the Soul Rebels for one year (1977), who were working for Bill Graham as a warm up band in Bill's nightclubs. They fronted acts such as the Dead Kennedy's, The Ramones, Greg Kihn, The Beat and many others. The bandleader was Dean Devnear, bass and drums were manned by the Stench Brothers. The Soul Rebels were considered San Francisco's most popular band at the time. He took harmonica lessons from Paul Butterfield, who taught Derrick to sound like him self and play melodies," not just licks". Bobby Forte - Villa Nova Dupré who played with BB King during the 60s and 70s gave him saxophone lessons.

So what is Big Walker doing these days? Derrick plays and sings in the Sofia choir Stockholm and teaches at the Stockholm music Conservatory (rytmus) and Kulturama High school for Music and Dramatic arts. As a matter of fact Big Walker has been teaching classes in blues rock and country harmonica for over fourteen years now.

Still Dream Walking mc
Still Dream Walking zippy