© Bluestronomical Publishing Inc. 2009

Joe Louis Walker
Between A Rock And The Blues
Stony Plain SPCD 1345

Joe Louis Walker has been one of the most prolific artists in the blues over the last 20 years. After releasing his first album, Cold Is The Night on Hightone in 1986, Walker has released 20 different albums on a variety on labels. Although I do not have all of these recordings, I do have quite a few of them and have found Walker’s work to be highly consistent over the years, and some of his work has been truly outstanding. After picking up this CD and discovering that it was produced by Duke Robillard, I knew the music would be good as I have yet to hear a Duke Robillard produced CD that I have not enjoyed.

Walker starts the CD of with “I’m Tide” which features a kind of twisted roots rock/60’s garage rock sound. The disc really heats up on a swinging cover of Travis Phillips’ “Eyes Like A Cat,” a tune that was also covered by Little Charlie and the Night Cats whom Walker produced several years ago. Backing Walker on this tune and the majority of the disc are Bruce Katz on keyboards, Jesse Williams on bass, Mark Teixeira on drums, Doug James on sax and Carl Queforth on trombone. A Walker penned tune “Black Widow Spider” is modern day soul of the highest order. The band turns in another great performance on the backwards shuffle “Way Too Expensive” and Walker’s guitar takes the forefront on the Otis Rush inspired “Prisoner of Misery”. Walker shares guitar duties with Robillard on “Tell Me Why” a long time staple of Robillard’s live set. Walker turns in a world class vocal effort on a cover of Ray Charles’ “Black Jack” and Sugar Ray Nocia adds harp to the acoustic closer “Send You Back”. The only missteps on the album are a couple of tunes featuring Kevin Eubanks of the Tonight Show band. These tracks are not bad but do not measure up to other tracks contained on the disc.

Chalk Between A Rock and The Blues up as another high point in Joe Louis Walker’s recording career. Containing a variety of styles while retaining an overall blues feel, Walker has combined good songs with outstanding performances that deserve to be heard by all blues fans. Highly recommended.

- Barry Gober -


Southwest Blues CD Review - November 2009

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