On Saturday June 25th, at 3pm, Toby Walker, a seasoned acoustic blues player from Denville, NJ will perform. Toby is an accomplished and award winning blues player and historian. He spent many years traveling the deep back roads of the south seeking out the ‘real deal’ players….the front porch guys…and learned the roots blues first hand.
Toby will also host a one-hour workshop prior to the show at 1pm. To sign up for the workshop, email Toby (tobywmusic at gmail.com.)
Internationally and nationally acclaimed, Toby Walker has been hailed as an award winning, roots music fingerstyle guitar virtuoso and songwriter who has toured the US, the United Kingdom, and Europe. Blending the styles of blues, ragtime, country, bluegrass, old-time jazz and rock, Walker has developed his own style and as such received numerous awards, including being the 1st place recipient of the International Blues Challenge Award in Memphis and the NY Music Award for best instrumental CD. Walker has also been inducted into the NY Blues Hall Of Fame.
Walker is a nationally recognized guitar instructor, having taught at Jorma Kaukonen’s Fur Peace Ranch, Woody Mann’s Guitar Seminars, The Swanannoa Gathering, and the National Guitar Workshop. Walker also has eight instructional DVD’s on Happy Traum’s Homespun Music Instruction, and has produced hundreds of instructional videos on his own.
Toby’s passion for blues, rags, folk, and other traditional American music drove him to leave an apartment crammed full of recordings, books and instruments for the Mississippi Delta, Virginia and the Carolinas where he tracked down some of the more obscure – but immensely talented – music makers of an earlier era. He learned directly from Eugene Powell, James “Son” Thomas,Etta Baker, and R.L Burnside, among others.
“If he doesn’t get them with his phenomenal guitar playing or catchy songs, he gets them with his wonderful stories. True entertainers have an engaing spirit that puts a smile on your face. Arlo Guthrie has it. David Bromberg has it. And so does Toby. “
– John Platt – WFUV
“Flat out… you have to hear this great musician… I’m blown away“
Jorma Kaukonen of Hot Tuna and the Jefferson Airplane
“A fingerpicking guitar virtuoso”
– Happy Traum