Jake Walker

Jake Walker - Confidence Man - 2008 - Left Turn Music

" Jake Walker is a superb blues musician, his latest cd Confidence Man at times sounds like vintage Freddie King and at times blistering Ronnie Earl -but always Jake Walker...he is one of the very finest guitarist/singers anywhere." - Danny Bryant

“A scary, scary blues guitar player”. - Lucky Peterson

Jake Walker is New York blues guitarist whose star is on the rise in the worldwide blues scene. He leads a number of bands in the U.S. and Europe and is making a name for himself as an artist to watch. Confidence Man is Walker’s first studio album and features mostly original tunes as well as performances by many well-known blues musicians like Mark Naftalin (Butterfield Blues Band), Mike Lattrell (Popa Chubby, Bill Berry, Richie Havens), Arthur Neilson (Shemekia Copeland), and Matt Mousseau (Big Ed Sullivan). Recorded live in the studio, the record shows Walkers’ many influences and ranges from Chicago blues to Stax/Volt sounds, Big Easy R&B, gospel, funk, and even surf music. Seemingly more guitarist than singer, Walker is nonetheless deeply soulful and grooving here, at times conjuring a Freddy King-type of vibe but always remaining true to himself. While an excellent guitar player, Walker keeps his overall sound pretty much in the pocket one would expect from a blues band. That will make traditionalists happy and grind a bit on fans that feel they have heard this sound before. No matter which camp one may fall into, Walker is worth a listen, if for nothing else that his stinging guitar style. His songwriting will hopefully develop a bit beyond what is here on his solo debut and, when that happens, Walker will be pretty much unstoppable. Highlights on the record include “Can’t Get No Grindin’” and “Somebody On Your Bond.” Review by & © Mike O'Cull © www.myspace.com/mikeocullmusic

Soon to visit the bluesinthenorthwest.com area, New York bluesman Jake Walker has released his debut album – produced by the legendary Elliot Mazer – a mix of gritty blues, funk and soul influences – dominated by his spiky guitar tone, with a top notch band including ex-Paul Butterfield Band keyboard player, Mark Naftalin; Arthur Neilson handling bass and rhythm guitar; and Mike Lattrell (piano and organ), with Matt Mousseau on drums. “Confidence Man” kicks off with the title cut, with Walker’s Albert King-infused licks firing on all cylinders, with his gravel-edged vocals to the fore; a leisurely romp through Muddy Waters “Can’t Get No Grindin’ ” features fine piano from Mike Lattrell; the instrumental “Heads Up” has a nice rhumba groove, with a New Orleans feel. The great Taj Mahal’s “Somebody On Your Bond” has a great swing treatment, with Walker’s guitar nice and chunky, with the whole band outstanding; “Luck Is Bad” dips into Albert King territory again, with the following “Time For Love” featuring Mark Naftalin’s piano – again taking us ‘Down South’ – definitely one of the album’s highlights. “Mondo Freddie” is another instrumental, this time a nod to the late, great Freddie King – with a little surf guitar thrown in for good measure, before a very fine shuffle; the funky blues of “Miniskirt” has a killer bassline from Arthur Neilson, before a closing reprise of “Confidence Man”. Jake Walker, as previously mentioned, hits our shores soon and I would suggest a vis it to one of his gigs should be marked on your calendar! © GRAHAME RHODES © http://www.myspace.com/58lespaul

An exceptionally good album from the little known bluesman, Jake Walker. Great soul/blues/R&B/funk music. The guy is a great guitarist and his experienced back-up band are tremendous. The album is HR by A.O.O.F.C. Detailed info on musicians and composers would be welcome. Has anybody any info on Jake's "Raw Honey: Live in New York City" EP ?

TRACKS

Confidence Man
Can't Get No Grindin'
Heads Up
Somebody On Your Bond
Luck Is Bad
Time For Love
Mondo Freddie
Miniskirt
Confidence Man (Reprise)

MUSICIANS

Jake Walker - guitar, vocals
Arthur Neilson - bass guitar, rhythm guitar
Mike Lattrell - piano, organ, backing vocals
Mark Naftalin - keyboards
Matt Mousseau, Don Castagno - drums

BIO

Jake Walker, “The Ambassador of New York Blues”, has earned an international reputation as “one of the very finest Blues guitar players and singers anywhere” (Danny Bryant, Rounder Records). He has entranced audiences around the world with a style of guitar playing and singing that is at once “deeply soulful and grooving” (Blues Blast), and extraordinarily original, setting himself apart from a sea of copycats and headbangers masquerading as Bluesmen. Jake Walker's many international tours as frontman have taken him to Holland, Belgium, England, France, and especially Italy, where he has headlined numerous festivals, and filled historic halls and squares with delighted fans. Jake's debut C.D., Confidence Man was produced and mixed by multi-platinum selling producer Elliot Mazer (Neil Young, Janis Joplin, The Band, Jerry Garcia, Santana, The Who), and features famed Blues musicians such as Mark Naftalin (Paul Butterfield, Mike Bloomfield, Duane Allman, Van Morrison), and Arthur Neilson (Shemekia Copeland, Cyndi Lauper). Confidence Man has received rave reviews, garnering comparisons with Freddie King, Otis Rush, and Albert King, among other Blues Gods, while always winning praise for Jake's own very personal, powerful, and nuanced approach to the idiom-- “Jake pays tributes to the masters, but he doesn't imitate them” (George Willet, 12-Bar Rag). Playing his first professional gig in Times Square at an early age, intense stage fright kept him out of the spotlight for years. Jake's career in the Blues took off years later, when he was hired by James Peterson, father of Alligator recording artist, Lucky Peterson, in the Tampa Bay area, after they met at a Blues Jam James was running. According to Jake, “I really learned that I could lick that whole stage-fright thing on these gigs. James was such a tough bandleader, and such a forceful presence on stage, that I was forced to assert myself, or else I would implode! I felt truly driven to do my own thing and prove myself.” When Lucky returned to Florida to visit his father, he promptly “stole him” (Lucky's words) for his own funky ensemble. Working with the two Petersons was a heady, transformative experience, and it was here that Jake's Blues guitar voice began to emerge. It was at this time that he began to front bands, and sing as well as play the Blues. He returned to NYC a year later a changed man. Newly confident he had what it took, with that old devil Stagefright in the rearview mirror, and with the certainty that “if [he could] make it there, [he could] make it anywhere”, Jake did just that. Within a year back in “The Big Apple” he was holding down steady gigs in one of the most competitive Blues scenes in the world. A year later he was embarking on his first European tours. Soon he'd be spending more time abroad than at home. The rest, as they say, is history! © Joyce de Witte, Royal Dutch Blues Society

MORE

Winner of Big City Rhythm and Blues Magazine's coveted “Artist of the Week Award”, June 2006 Jake Walker goes on tour. Jake “easily bears comparison to the intensity of blues greats like Otis Rush, Freddie King, and Peter Green...he has that same quality that makes you shiver...he strikes crowds with blues fever”. (Dordrecht News, the Netherlands, November 2006). Jake began his full-time career in the blues Tampa (Florida) working six nights a week in sweaty dive bars, clubs, and small festivals up and down Florida's Gulf Coast, Jake earned his skills in the hard knocks, old fashioned time-honoured blues tradition of paying dues through endless late night gigs, harsh treatment and little money. In 2005 Jake Walker came back to his hometown: New York Jake rose through the ranks with impressive speed, finding himself MC of not one, but two premier blues jams within months an honour previously reserved for long-established local icons like Big Ed, Popa Chubby, and (Sheryl Crowe guitarist) Todd Wolfe. In the last three years, Jake has held down long-running, highly successful residencies at key New York City clubs like A&M Roadhouse, The Cutting Room (with the world-famous Le Scandal Cabaret), Mannahatta, and Murray Street Grill. Jake Walker has performed or recorded with many legends and international touring artists, including Little Milton, Nick Gravenites (Electric Flag, Big Brother and The Holding Co.), (late Allman Brothers bassist) Allen Woody, NYC Blues Devils, and Lucky Peterson, who has called Jake “A scary, scary blues guitar player”. In 2006 he has headlined three critically acclaimed tours in Holland. His award winning EP Raw Honey: Live in New York City is a worldwide internet radio staple, and currently sold out. In the autumn Jake stepped in the studio with top U.S. blues musicians including Arthur Neilson (Shemekia Copeland guitar player), Mark Naftalin (keyboardist with the original Paul Butterfield Band, Mike Bloomfield, Otis Rush, and many others), and Don Castagno (drummer with Debbie Davies, Earl King, and Popa Chubby), recording his long-awaited debut CD called “Confidence Man” on Elliot Mazer’s new record label Left Turn Music. His last tour in the fall of 2008 also included dates in Holland, France and Belgium. In the month of April he played at Darlington R’n’B Club, Jake teamed-up with Leeds based 3-piece blues band Crosscut Saw. The gig started with Crosscut Saw playing three of their own numbers to ‘warm the audience up’ before they introduced Jake Walker to the stage. They played a number of covers to prove what an accomplished guitarist he really is. He’s not a bad vocalist either, with a great gravely voice that sounds like he’s been gargling Scotch whisky for years! It is certainly worthwhile to attend one of gigs. Jake plays in a sort of hybrid-style incorporating influences from Freddie King, Otis Rush, Albert King and Peter Green. His Gibson Les Paul has a beautiful warm tone, which Jakes wrings out every drop of emotion from. Check it out!!! By & © John Dewitte - Posted on October 6th, 2008 http://www.bobtjeblues.com/en/blog/jake-walker-and-special-guest-fat-harry-fossen-tour-belgium-and-holland