Willie Walker, "Willie Walker" (Haute)

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, Star Tribune