PHILLIP WALKER "GOING BACK HOME" Source: BluesCritic.com Date: 02/2007 Writer: Dylann DeAnna

Place another feather in the hat of Delta Groove Productions for helping Phillip Walker make one of his best, most consistent records of his career. Backed by ubiquitous session aces like Rusty Zinn, Jeff Thurmes, Richard Innes & Al Blake Walker rolls through a 13-song set of choice covers and three originals by Delta Groove owner Randy Chortkoff on "Going Back Home" (*** 1/2). After spending the 80s and 90s with one foot in Texas Blues and the other in the R & B market (I never cared for Walker singing an O.V. Wright tune) Walker has gone home to vintage 50s/60s Blues- the period when he learned his stylings from the likes of Lighnin' Hopkins, Long John Hunter & Roscoe Gordon (with the latter he experienced his first sessions). Songs associated with Hopkins ("Don't Think "Cuz You're Pretty"), Lowell Fulson ("Mama Bring Your Clothes Back Home"), Ray Charles ("Blackjack") & Percy Mayfield ("Lying Woman") represent the era but the label's production aesthetic would make even a Marvin Sease tune sound like T-Bone Walker. "Home" is Walker's first disc (not counting the 1992 live effort for House Of Blues) in nearly a decade.