Willie Walker
Willie Walker
Haute 1109

Willie's first CD collects material he recorded in the late 80's with keyboardist Bruce Pedalty, in the 90's with Canoise as well as in the new millenium with a throng of his friends -including the Butanes' own Jim Greenwell and Curt Obeda. These 15 tracks are Willie's first released recordings since he cut for the Goldwax label in the 60's!

In The Basement
It’s always good when these people step back out of the past, especially when they look as fit as Willie Walker does on his liner pictures. As I’m presuming the Cray in the writer credits to the up-beat opener, ‘Bad Influence’, to be one Robert, it would seem only one of the fifteen songs here - ‘If Nothing Changes’ penned by the set’s keyboardist, Bruce Pedalty - is original. The guitar swamps Willie a little in places but at least he’s using real musicians. Things maintain bluesy leanings for the first few tracks: ‘Body And Fender Man’, ‘One Foot In The Blues’ - a one time cd title track for Johnny Adams - and Willie Dixon’s ‘Spoonful’, with Jim Greenwell’s sax well to the fore, but the mould is broken as ‘Willie Walker sings the Spinners’ on ‘I’ll Be Around’. Being supported by a small musical combo rather than Sigma’s MFSB, it’s down to the few participants to convince and they do make a good job. It’s back to the blues for ‘I’d Rather Drink Muddy Water’ but it’s only a brief return before Willie turns in a very moody ‘You Send Me’ adding in ‘For Sentimental Reasons’ to reflect Sam Cooke’s sometime treatment.

‘Feel Like Breaking Up’ is ‘Breaking Up Somebody’s Home’ and Willie and the guys do a particularly good job on this one, creating an individual musical backdrop with particular emphasis on Curt Obeda’s sympathetic guitar work. The sax of Jim Greenwell who, with Curt Obeda is a member of the Butanes Soul Revue - their ‘One Night’ cd received very favourable notice back in issue #10 - provides principal assistance on a worthy ‘Since I Fell For You’ and another cream track is ‘I Can’t Tell You Why’. (Pardon my ignorance but with a writing credit of Timothy Schmitt, Don Henley and Glen Frey, I'm presuming it to be an Eagles’ original.) An easy-going mid-pacer, Willie gets vocal support from Sheila Jeska, Sue Newton and Larry Suess. Bruce Pedalty’s above mentioned ‘If Nothing Changes’ is a six-minute-10 slowie, much given over to Pedalty’s keyboards and Bob Coates’ guitar, before a rather surprising choice of ‘Ain't No Mountain High Enough’ where Willie duets with Sue Newton. Not sure about that one but I have no qualms in commending Willie’s treatment of ‘Neither One Of Us’ and there’s no denying all attempts at variety via Billy Ocean’s ‘Caribbean Queen’, nor an effective ‘If You Don’t Know Me By Now’.

David Cole

Minneapolis Star Tribune
Like a great old corner bar that's overshadowed by trendier downtown hangouts, this Twin Cities R&B/blues veteran hasn't gotten much attention locally in quite a while. But as this CD attests, his appeal is ageless. A staple on the Goldwax label in the '60s and the original singer of Willie & the Bees, Walker could have called his new CD "I'm Still Here." The disc has a kind of emphatic survivor's feel. It features a wide range of material, from soul standards "You Send Me" and "I Can't Tell You Why" to sports-bar fare such as Billy Ocean's "Caribbean Queen" to -- best of all -- gritty blues tracks such as "Body & Fender Man" and "One Foot in the Blues." The musical backing is rather nondescript (that changes on stage, where the Butanes often back him). But Walker has a classic, soul-tenderized voice that rises above any occasion. Walker and the Butanes perform Thursday at Famous Dave's Uptown in Minneapolis.

Chris Riemenschneider