Over the course of a career that has spanned 25+ years and nearly two-dozen albums, Joe Louis Walker has consistently proven himself one of the most innovative and exciting of bluesmen. Unlike a lot of contemporary artists who were raised in one or another school of the blues, Walker's diverse early experience – performing with artists as stylistically varied as John Lee Hooker, Thelonius Monk, Charlie Musselwhite, and Jimi Hendrix, among others – has provided a wealth of influences for the guitarist to draw upon. Throw in the years he spent on the gospel music circuit, and Walker may be said to bring more to the table than your average blues guitarist.
Walker has performed for Presidents and paupers, and while every one of his albums has delivered the goods, he's been on somewhat of a tear as of late. Walker's two acclaimed albums for Canada's Stony Plain Records, Witness To The Blues and the award-winning Between A Rock And The Blues, represented a new era of creativity for the guitarist. Signing with Alligator Records for Hellfire, Walker traveled to Nashville to record with multi-talented producer, musician, and songwriter Tom Hambridge, who has brought studio magic to recent albums from Buddy Guy and George Thorogood. The results speak for themselves...
Joe Louis Walker's Hellfire
Hellfire jumps out of the gate with a purpose, the jaunty title track delivering some blistering fire-and-brimstone blues jams, the song a logical successor to Robert Johnson's "Hellhound On My Trail." With dancing keyboards and a rolling rhythm behind him, Walker describes the struggle between sin and salvation, and by the time he cuts loose with his first solo, a little more than a minute and a half in, you're not sure if it's heaven or hell inspiring the wailing chords echoing through your speakers. Walker tortures his instrument like few guitarists I've heard, and by the end of "Hellfire," as he's spitting out words like a machine gun and tugging on the strings, the resulting chaos is simply divine in nature.
After the album-opening romp, Walker brings down the tempo, but not the energy, with the passionate slow blues of "I Won't Do That." With former Steve Ray Vaughan keyboardist Reese Wynans backing his play with mournful, trembling piano notes, Walker's strong vocals and crying guitarplay evoke memories of SRV even as they speak of romantic frustration. The up-tempo rave-up "Ride All Night" reminds of a 1970s-era Southern rock tune, from Hambridge's claustrophobic production and the harmony backing vocals to the song's slightly-funky rhythmic track and Walker's twangy vocals. Most of all, Walker brings a little more rockin' fervor to his fretwork here, double-tracked guitars (Walker and second guitarist Rob McNelley) playing off each other and delivering the rock 'n' soul thunder and lightning.
What It's Worth
Producer Tom Hambridge and his songwriting pal Richard Fleming (who has written for Buddy Guy, Koko Taylor, and George Thorogood, among others) collaborate on several songs on Hellfire, sometimes together, sometime co-writing with Walker, and their contributions are uniformly interesting and entertaining. For instance, "I'm On To You" is a classic Chicago blues stomp with Walker's lovesick vocals and intricate guitarplay that reminds of the great Hubert Sumlin. Walker also contributes harmonica to the song, and while I found it shrill and unnecessary, the inspired fretwork more than makes up for it.
By contrast, the Hambridge/Fleming composition "What It's Worth" is a powerful, awe-inspiring blues-rock dirge that cleverly mixes light and dark, soft and hard, and quiet before the storm with the storm's full fury. Walker's soulful vocals stagger towards madness, while his guitar channels the pain and heartbreak of a thousand emotional cuts. As Hambridge's percussion and Tommy MacDonald's bass lines bring the explosive, stomping rhythms, Walker rides his guitar like a rocket into the stratosphere, mixing jazz-skronk, metallic feedback, blues licks, and everything else in his bag of tricks to come up with a performance that will leave the listener speechless.
Soldier For Jesus
Now that Joe Louis has your attention, he has a message to deliver, and "Soldier For Jesus" is just so damn infectious, joyous, and electric that one can't help but get a little of that old time religion deep down in their soul. The vaguely autobiographical lyrics are shouted/sang above a gospel-blues soundtrack bolstered by Wynans' reverent keyboard chiming. Walker's playing is more subdued, but no less powerful, elegant licks and bluesy guitar lines supporting the vocals-heavy production, the entire song hitting your ears like a preacher at a Southern tent revival. Walker changes the vibe considerably with "Too Drunk To Drive Drunk," a humorous but topical boogie-tinged rocker that, save for Wynans' nimble honky-tonk piano, would sound like something straight from the George Thorogood songbook. Walker lays down some hot notes, but the spotlight here is on his vocals, Wynans' piano, and the three-piece horn section that colors in the edges.
Walker's original "Don't Cry" is another welcome reminder of the 1970s, the singer mixing up soul, gospel, and blues to great effect on another lovely, powerful performance. Backed by the timeless harmony vocals of the Jordanaires, Walker's heartfelt declaration of faith is spun entirely from gold, his jazzy guitarplay sounding like George Benson crossed with Ernie Isley, while Wynans offers up his spot-on B3 organ fills. Since Hellfire was recorded in Nashville, it's only fitting that Walker should take on a country classic, and Hank Snow's paean to the locomotive, "Movin' On," fits the bill perfectly. As a metaphor for the rambling existence of the bluesman, "Movin' On" is well-suited to interpretation. Walker's rockabilly-tinged guitar is matched by Hambridge's sparse, driving rhythm, second guitarist John D'Amato delivering a tasty solo that pales nonetheless when compared to Walker's full-throated, full-throttle and imaginative fretwork.
The Reverend's Bottom Line
Joe Louis Walker has always delivered engaging, exciting blues music with every album and live performance. With Hellfire, however, the guitarist has entered a new phase in his career, reaching fresh creative peaks with an album that will stand as a milestone in Walker's impressive and deep catalog of music. Hambridge's steady production captures every nuance and stroke of Walker's talents, but it is the guitarist himself who brings life, love, and the blues to these wonderful performances. (Alligator Records, released January 31, 2012)
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