Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Joe Louis Walker: In The Morning
Joe Louis Walker: In The Morning
Memphis barbecue...
The blues ain't the meat and potatoes they used to be. Conforming to the old 12-bar or 9-bar recipe as definition has not happened in 20 years. The brand of blues that San Franciscan Joe Louis Walker serves up on In the Morning is fine Memphis barbecue, a tangy mix of everything from Stax/Volt, Atlantic, Muscle Shoals hot sauce soul to hot and humid Clarksdale, Mississippi mud pie. All of the elements are here. Walker's band, lead by former Saturday Night Live band leader G.E. Smith, is the sharp sauce, providing a sound base from which Walker add his vocal and guitar spice.
The opener, " You're Just About To Lose Your Clown" is Beale Street BBQ, soulful and funky, lead off with Walker's signature distorted style. "Joe's Jump" is a blues rave-up in the spirit of Stevie Ray Vaughan. "Where Jesus Leads" boasts Walker's rural gospel roots a la Al Green. There are many other influences and shades. Wilson Pickett, Clarence Carter, Otis Redding, they are all here in Walker's vocal tradition. Throughout, the piquant of the music is Walker's gutsy guitar, never so slick to annoy or bore and always revelatory and compelling...as it the entire disc.
Track Listing
You're Just About To Lose Your Clown; In The Morning; Joe's Jump; Leave That Girl Alone; Where Jesus Leads; Strange Lovin'; Do You Wanna Be With Me; If This Is Love; 2120 South Michigan; Strangers In Our House. (Total Time: 52:49).
Personnel
Joe Louis Walker
guitar, electricJoe Lewis Walker-Guitars And Vocals; G.E. Smith-Guitar; Andrea Re-Backup Vocals, Percussion; T-Bone Wolk-Bass; Steve Holley-Drums.
Album information
Title: In The Morning | Year Released: 2002 | Record Label: Telarc Records
About Joe Louis Walker
Tags
PREVIOUS / NEXT
Become a Sustaining Member
Since 1995, All About Jazz has championed jazz as an art form and supported the musicians who create it. Over three decades, it has grown into one of the world's leading jazz resources, serving hundreds of thousands of readers, musicians, presenters and industry professionals each month.
Help Build the Future of All About Jazz
Your support helps us continue building All About Jazz for the next generation—expanding our editorial coverage, preserving jazz history, developing new community features and creating better ways to discover the music and the people behind it.
Become a sustaining member for as little as $20 per year and you'll immediately enjoy an ad-free experience along with access to subscriber features and future articles for a full year.
Together, we're not simply sustaining All About Jazz—we're building its future. Thank you for being part of the journey.
