Exclusive Interview with Little Toby Walker!
LIVE from the Midnight Circus is proud to Talk to “Little Toby Walker”!
Listen to the Interview Below!!
[audio:toby.mp3]Internationally and nationally acclaimed Toby Walker has been hailed as a roots music finger-style guitar wizard who has toured the US, England, Wales, France, Germany, Belgium and Holland. Walker has been featured in the New York Times, the London Sunday Times, the London BBC, Sirius-XM radio and was the 1st place recipient of the International Blues Challenge Award – Solo division – given out by the Blues Foundation in Memphis TN.
Walker blends the styles of blues, ragtime, country, bluegrass, rock and old time jazz into his own unique style. Jorma Kaukonen of Hot Tuna and the Jefferson Airplane says “Flat out… you have to hear this great musician… I’m blown away” and has employed Walker to teach at his famous Fur Peace Ranch Guitar Camp for 6 years. In 2010 Walker won the NY Music Award for ‘Best Instrumental CD,’ sharing the honors with Mariah Carey, Rufus Wainwright and Judy Collins among many others.
Walker has recently released three instructional guitar DVD’s for the world famous company Homespun Tapes which have been getting rave reviews. His latest CD release – ‘What You See Is What You Get’ – has been hailed as a shining success in the genre of traditional blues recordings.
Carnegie Hall acknowledged his rare talents and hired him to augment and teach in their “American Roots” program aimed at honor level middle school students.
Toby’s passion for blues, rags, folk, and other traditional American music drove him to leave an apartment crammed full of recordings, books and instruments for the Mississippi Delta, Virginia and the Carolinas where he tracked down some of the more obscure – but immensely talented – music makers of an earlier era. He learned directly from Eugene Powell, James “Son” Thomas,Etta Baker, and R.L Burnside, among others.
“Flat out… you have to hear this great musician… I’m blown away”
– Jorma Kaukonen
Hot Tuna, Jefferson Airplane, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee
“As a blues guitar player, I am stunned and in awe of Toby Walker’s pickin’! Add to that his fine songs and singing and friendly presentation, and it’s obvious that Toby Walker is one of the most enjoyable artists in today’s Blues World.”
…Steady Rollin’ Bob Margolin
Guitarist for the late Muddy Waters
The talent, passion, and soul of a Toby Walker performance reflects these travels. Whether it is telling the humorous and heartwarming tales of other masters, talking about his inspirations, or astounding you with his mastery, his performances are a feast for the senses. The audience is moved in ways that delight them long after the encores. You can catch a taste of these stories on his Web site in “Learning From the Masters” section. But make no mistake about it – he is to be experienced live. Those fortunate enough to attend one of his shows will vouch for that.
The love Toby has for his craft pushes him to share his history and experience where he has performed his Blues In The Schools program, allowing others to share the sounds, sights, and emotions of his unique abilities. His teaching credits include, among others, Jorma Kaukonen’s Fur Peace Ranch in Ohio and a DVD release with the prestigious Homespun Tapes label called ‘Blues Finger-picking Freedom.’ In 2006, Carnegie Hall acknowledged his rare talents and hired him to augment and teach in their “American Roots” program aimed at honor level middle school students. This one-of-a-kind series demonstrates the history of blues music and traditions, while teaching the history of African Americans as they migrated from the south into the north.
His mastery of the blues was recognized in Memphis when he won the International Blues Challenge Award.
Interested in any of the CD’s and DVD from Little Toby Walker .. Check out the links below!!
