PHILLIP WALKER "GOING BACK HOME" Source: Southland Blues Magazine Date: 05/2007 Writer: Jim Santella

To bluesman Phillip Walker, home means the South. From southern Louisiana, to southern Texas and on to southern California, he’s inherited the blues from each region and made it his own. He sings with the spirit of Ray Charles and he plays with the spirit of T-Bone Walker, while each selection becomes his own when it’s tossed around his way. His powerful voice, deep emotion and fiery guitar combine to make one heckuva good blues session. It fits the Delta Groove family perfectly.

Walker includes several guests from the Southland blues community for this session. Al Blake lends his soulful harp to “Don’t Think ‘Cause You’re Pretty” and “Sweet Home New Orleans” for a slow tour of the roots that have made it all possible. Pianist Rob Rio joins Walker for five tracks, giving the session a rhythmic bounce that lingers. He and saxophonist David Woodford give “Happy Man Blues” a pleasant roadhouse texture that takes us all back home. Drummer Richard Innes and bassist Jeff Turmes hold down a steady foundation for the program that translates into true-blue form.

Walker brings the roots of his blues legacy to us with a family atmosphere. At 70, he’s been there, done that, and knows how to say it convincingly. As a veteran blues singer and guitarist from the South, he creates vivid memories of the way things are supposed to be.