Walkright Records artist: John Earl Walker - Mustang Blues - New release Review

I just received the newest release, Mustang Blues, from John Earl Walker and it digs in deep. Opening with Hey Baby, a cool 12 bar jam with a Allstars flare. John Earl Walker has been playing his guitar for some time and he lays on it early showing he knows his way around. Joined by Peter Harris on bass, Frank Diorio on drums and Gene Cordew on keys, this track is a great opener! Solid down, The Devil Follows Me, sounds like it's straight from Chicago and Walker slings his guitar with comfort. His riffs roll off of his fingertips like water pushed along nicely by Cordew on piano. Title track, Mustang Blues, has a funky R&B feel along the lines of Mustang Sally or Poke Salad Annie. This is a cool track with Steve Ress adding some real nice slide guitar work on the mix. Funkify is a guitar led instrumental with a funky beat and extended guitar soloing. I'm Already Gone is a modern blues style take on a soul feel. It has the blues basis with strong bass by Harris and keys by Cordew with Savoy Brown like guitar and vocals giving it a very cool bluesy sound. One of my favorite track on the release. My Mama Told Me is a nicely paced shuffle track with stinging guitar riffs. Slower drag blues, Superstorm Sandy Blues plays into any blues guitar's hand with a great tempo and plenty of space to improvise. Walker really breaks loose on this track with some great trem bends. Excellent! Readjust falls more into a rock feel with R&B anchor. Tandem guitar leads and one flat out solo near the end of the track cap it off. Another nice shuffle track, One Plus One, finds Walker using some real nice double stop techniques on his solos giving them a grittier feel and George Thorogood like vocals makes this another top track. Wrapping the release is Even Up The Score, a driving shuffle backed track with Walker on vocal and lead guitar. A rowdy blues rocker, this is a fine track to close the set.

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The World is a Prison - John Earl Walker

John Earl and his band are composed of veteran performers whose electric blues are very well received world-wide. They have played together many years, with two of the members (John Earl and bassist Peter Harris) dating back to 1967. Peter was with John Earl in Capitol recording artists Plum Nelly and was onstage when they played at Carnegie Hall, opening for the James Gang, on May 15, 1971. Leading up to signing with Capitol Records they opened shows for every top act, such as; Buddy Guy, Bo Diddley, Muddy Waters, Jimi Hendrix, Dr. John, John Mayall, Fleetwood Mac, and many other luminaries.

John Earl Walker, founder, lead guitarist and lead vocalist of the band, took up the guitar at age thirteen. Shortly thereafter, John began forming his own bands to play at local gigs. He also started writing his own music and lyrics, a practice he continues to this day as evidenced by the forty two original tunes penned by Walker on his four studio CD releases. By age sixteen, John was playing professional gigs in clubs with older band mates. John cites the three Kings (BB, Albert, and Freddie) along with Chuck Berry as his biggest influences as he developed his own unique style.

A great day for John Earl was in December of 1975, when John Earl was asked to film a pilot playing guitar with BB King for channel 9 KHJ in Los Angeles called "Backstage Pass."
Peter Harris played bass guitar with Walker during 1967 in an early seven piece guitar band Plastic People, then in Plum Nelly and in many other Walker lineups.

Joey Tremelo, rhythm guitarist, was also part of Plastic People. Joey reconnected with Walker again in 1978 and he has remained with him to this day.

Gene Cordew pumps up the Walker sound on the Hammond B3 organ. Gene first joined up with Walker in 1995 and has played on all of Walkers CDs. Gene was a member of Little Buster And The Soulbrothers for many years, opening shows for BB King, and Johnny Guitar Watson.

Frank Diorio is the drummer in Walker's current band line up. Frank has played with Felicia Collins of The David Letterman Show and in the 1990's he toured with comedian Andrew Dice Clay. Frank's performance with Clay at Madison Square Garden can be seen in the movie "Dice Rules." Frank adds a tremendous dynamic power to the Walker sound.

Tommy Keys, the latest addition to the Walker lineup, is a great artist in his own right. Keys is a dynamite barrelhouse boogie and blues piano player and his debut appearance with the band was on Walker's latest CD, "Come Over Here". Tommy has opened for such acts as Bryan Lee, and Smokin' Joe Kubec.Write on our Facebook Wall or post your Photos of great blues events! -  Here