Juke Joint Soul reviews Seth Walker

JULY 2009

http://jukejointsoul.blogspot.com/2009/07/seth-walker-leap-of-faith.html

Seth Walker

Leap of Faith

Hyena Records

Run Time: 44:18

Seth Walker is one of the best new roots artists that the mainstream hasn't heard about yet. Based out of Austin, Texas for the last 10 years, Walker has been slowly moving up in recognition as more and more people have discovered his extreme talent to mix country singer-songwriter, blues, and classic R&B like many other great musicians that have come before him like Bonnie Raitt, Delbert McClinton, and even some draw comparisons to the great Ray Charles. Walker's stock in the blues community greatly rose with his eponymous release on Pacific Blues in 2006 that garnered him alot of international blues community attention. Now, he returns with more of his classic mixture of American roots with 2-time Grammy winning singer/songwriter/producer Gary Nicholson (Delbert McClinton, et. al) at the helm.

Walker kicks off the record with some swinging horns and some blues stomp on "Can't Come With You." The mixed down back up vocals and call-and-response horns make this one of the most infectious and catchy tunes on the album. Walker's raspy but mellow voice is warm and sweet like a glass of good whiskey on the rocks. "Rewind" is classic 50s R&B a la James Hunter, The Drifters or Van Morrison's early days. This is another great slow swaying dance song and would've been a great B-side to "Can't Come With You" back in the days of singles. "Leap of Faith" is sung with gospel assurance about the beginnings and trappings of new love. "I Got a Song" is a beautifully penned break-up ballad about taking away something from the love that's been lost. It's obvious that Walker writing in tandem with Nicholson is a winning and wonderful combination. "I Got a Song" is one of the better if not the best roots ballad I've heard in many a year.

Walker New Orleans upped the Percy Mayfield classic "Memory Pain" with some snappy horns and Kevin McKendree providing the underbelly on some great barrelhouse styled piano. Sadly, this is the lone track I can remember Walker's guitar being in the forefront. Demonstrating his love for the early electric blues guitar greats, he presents a fine get in-get out solo and fills throughout the tune. "In the Dark" inverts a little bit of a Mississippi Delta riff on top of a lumpy boogie by the bass man with some fine trade off work with Walker and other acclaimed guitarist Colin Linden. Linden is the second guitar throughout the album and is another star worth the price of admission for this fine record. "I Don't Dance" is a swinging boogie that rounds out the blues material on the disc. Walker reworks Nick Lowe's "Lately I've Let Things Slide" in Jimmy Buffet, laid back Florida Keys fashion. "Something Fast" co-written with Tom Hambridge and Nicholson is tride and true Jerry Lee Lewis boogie-woogie Sun Records rock. "Falling Out of Love With You" is a bittersweet ballad that is the final capstone to the album.

It's sad that artists like Walker get pigeonholed into a specific market of blues, roots, etc. and not recognized by the mainstream like they once were. Walker is the victim of being good in the wrong time period of American music where its more about your P.R. and not enough about your music. He's truly a thorobred wealth of talent that is getting missed by the bigger picture. Hopefully, with some more extensive touring and continuing to produce his fine brand of American roots like this record here, he'll manage to pick up on some bigger stages and recognition. If you are fan of Ray Charles, James Hunter, Bonnie Raitt, or Delbert McClinton; it won't be a leap of faith to toss Seth Walker in the mix with them.