Joe Louis Walker at the Surf Club

Joe Louis Walker CRW_0382, originally uploaded by NoVARon.

I had not seen Joe Louis Walker since the last century so the chance to see him at Chick Hall's Surf Club In Hyattsville MD just outside of Washington DC on saturday night, August 12 was a real treat. Having seen him at the Poconos two weeks earlier reminded me just how powerful a performer he was. The advantage to this show was that it was in a more intimate setting,
I reviewed for Living Blues Walker's Hightone debut album "Cold is the Night" when it came out in 1986 and have followed his career since then. He has issued over twenty albums (with a new one due soon on JSP) and I suggest nobody has put together a body of blues recordings as deep and varied as Mr. Walker.
And his live performance was one of the best shows I have seen in awhile. He remains a great singer and guitarist and has a tight band. And added trteat was DC area bluesman Linwood Taylor joining him towards the end of the second set. Wish I had taken notes but I was too busy with the camera but somehow I was thinking the lyrics of his recording "747" when he launched into it with its great line "She took a 747 'cause a Greyhound runs much too slow; There no tracks in the airt, I don't know where did my Baby go." He even played some harp, laying his guitar down and going out into the audience.
Do see him when he comes to yoru town. The blues doesn't get any better than this.