New York, NY (Top40 Charts/ Stony Plain Records) - Stony Plain Records announces a
September 29 release date for Between a Rock and the Blues, the latest album from multiple Grammy and Blues
Music Award-winner Joe Louis Walker, which features guest appearances by label mate Duke Robillard and former 'Tonight Show with Jay Leno' music director and guitarist
Kevin Eubanks. Ten of the album's dozen tracks were produced by Duke Robillard and feature a core band of Walker and Robillard on guitars, Bruce Katz on keyboards,
Jesse Williams on bass, Mark Teixeira on drums, Doug
James on sax, Carl Querfurth on trombone and
Sugar Ray Norcia on harmonica. Stony Plain Records is distributed in the U.S. by ADA.
Joe Louis Walker wrote or co-wrote five of the dozen tracks on Between a Rock and the Blues, including one of the album's most powerful songs, 'If There's a Heaven,' which manages to combine both blues and gospel in one amazing brew. It also features some of the nastiest guitar work Walker has recorded in his career, tearing into both electric and slide guitar, while aided and abetted by Kevin Eubanks' accompanying crunchy fretwork. Eubanks, who co-wrote 'If There's a Heaven,' also plays on another track he had a hand in writing with Walker, 'I've Been Down.' Both of these songs were recorded at Kevin's home studio and produced by JLW.
As the album's title implies, Joe Louis Walker pushes the boundaries of the blues perhaps further than he ever has, creating an exhilarating sound that has an electrifying energy, while remaining firmly rooted in his foundation of blues, soul, gospel and R&B. Some of the other cover songs on Between a Rock and the Blues include Ray Charles' 'Blackjack,' Roy Gaines' 'Big Fine Woman' and Travis Phillips' 'Eyes Like a Cat.' JLW includes more contemporary songs written by Duke Robillard ('Tell Me Why') and a song perfect for today's economy, 'Way Too Expensive,' written by Murali Coryell, son of the jazz/rock fusion guitar great Larry Coryell.
Witness to the Blues, released one year ago on his debut for Stony Plain and also produced by Duke Robillard, generated enormous critical acclaim and hit No 1 on the Living Blues magazine radio chart. It was recently voted as the fifth best blues album of the year in the annual Down Beat Critics' Poll. 'Joe Louis Walker has established himself as one of the preeminent bluesmen of his generation, an artist who has invariably manages to keep the music fresh,' wrote the Philadelphia Inquirer in its review. Blues Revue called him 'one of contemporary blues' most dynamic and innovative musicians, releasing consistently exciting music. No matter what he's singing, Walker's churchy approach is soulful, heartfelt and spellbinding.' And Blurt summed it up by declaring Walker 'a phenomenal guitarist, a singer with a warm, soulful voice, a solid songwriter and a dynamic showman.'
