Friend of the proGram Joe Louis Walker is one of the greatest bluesmen of his generation. He is a four-time Blues Music Award winner and 2013 Blues Hall of Fame inductee who has appeared on multiple Grammy-winning albums. He is known worldwide as one of the genre’s top musical trailblazers—a mesmerizing guitarist and soul-testifying vocalist. The New York Times raves, “Walker is a singer with a Cadillac of a voice. He delivers no-nonsense, gutsy blues. His guitar solos are fast, wiry and incisive, moaning with bluesy despair.” Rolling Stone simply calls him “ferocious.” And Billboard writes: “His playing 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.” Joe won the 2016 Blues Foundation Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year award at the Blues Foundation Awards ceremony in Memphis. The Blues Music Awards are universally recognized as the highest accolade afforded blues music performers. The annual Blues Music Awards ceremony is the premier event for blues professionals, musicians, and fans from all over the world.
I had the opportunity and pleasure to catch back up with Joe as he is set to release a brand new album on November 12th on Cleopatra Recordss titled “Eclectic Electric”. We spend some time talking about the songs and the guests and how people close to him kinda like to hear the way he spins the classics. We dissect a couple of the tunes so you know how they went down, like you were there yourself and we spend some time talking about our mutual pal, Bette Smith‘s work not only on the album, but perhaps a little more down the line as well. When you listen to Joe Louis Walker tell you about it….there is no wonder why he has been successful at doing what he does..it’s him.
