Joe Louis Walker Blues Dance Concert in Nevada City

"Without a doubt one of the most exciting and innovative artists gracing contemporary blues, guitarist Joe Louis Walker has glowed like a shining blue beacon over the last decade." - Bill Dahl, AllMusic.com

By the time the San Francisco Bay Area had entered its blues renaissance in the mid 1980s, guitarist Joe Louis Walker had already been paying his dues for two decades. Merging the electric, urban sounds of West Coast and Chicago blues with the down-home acoustic traditions of the Delta, Walker never strayed far from what he calls "the real blues." In a career that spans more than 35 years, he's balanced tradition with innovation and made a significant mark on the evolution of the genre.

Born on Christmas Day in 1949 to parents whose migrant work took them from Arkansas to San Francisco, Walker first discovered the blues via their collection of 78 recordings, a treasure trove of artists like Amos Milburn, B.B. King and Howlin' Wolf. He picked up the guitar at age 14, and left home two years later to pursue his creative muse in San Francisco's fabled Haight-Ashbury district. Sharing a room with guitarist Mike Bloomfield, Walker worked his way into the Bay Area blues scene. Among the more prominent spots on his beat was the Matrix Club, where he met and played with the likes of Freddy King, John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, Lightnin' Hopkins, Magic Sam and other legends whose tours made stops in San Francisco.
n addition to his own recordings and performances, Walker has been involved in numerous side projects over the years. In 1989, he took part in the Celebration for Young America, an all-star blues tribute presented by the White House that featured Stevie Ray Vaughan, Albert Collins, Percy Sledge and several others. In 1991, he joined the Willie Dixon Dream Band for several memorable shows. His friendship with B.B. King led to his appearance on King's 1993 Grammy-winning Blues Summit recording. In addition, Walker led the tribute to B.B. at the Kennedy Center in 1995. That same year, Walker and his Bosstalkers scored the Handy Award for Blues Band of the Year, and he won the 1995 Bammy (Bay Area Music Award) for Blues Musician of the Year.