John Earl Walker
John Earl Walker, the founder, lead guitarist and lead vocalist of the band, took up the guitar at age thirteen. Shortly thereafter, John began forming his own bands to play at local gigs. He also started writing his own music and lyrics, a practice he continues to this day, writing the majority of the material performed by the current band. By age sixteen, John was playing professional gigs in clubs with older band mates. John cites Freddie and Albert King, T-Bone Walker and Magic Sam as his main influences as he developed his own unique style.
A special event for The Earl, was in December of 1975, when he was asked to film a pilot playing guitar with B. B. King for channel 9 KHJ in Los Angeles called “Backstage Pass
The John Earl Walker Band are veteran performers whose electric blues are very well received. Over the years, its members have made appearances on the same bill or played with jimi Hendrix, BB King, Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy, Bo Diddley, John Mayall and many more. The band has been together for many year; two of the members date back to their time as Capitol recording artists “Plum Nelly”.
Peter Harris played bass guitar with Walker in an early band Plastic People, then in “Plum Nelly” and in many of the Walker band lineups.
Bobby lnfante the drummer,first crossed paths with Walker in the mid ‘80’s when Bobby’s group “The Housepainters” and Walkers band the “Safecrackers” played numerous gigs together.
Bobby has played with Muddy Waters and Pinetop Perkins. He has been with the Walker band since I 990.
Joey Tremelo first played with Walker as part of the original seven piece guitar band called “Plastic People” in 1967, then again in 1978 through the present John Earl Walker Band.
There are a huge number of young guns on the blues and blues/rock scene these days, perhaps more now than ever. They are fast, brash and confident but inexperienced nonetheless. Paying ones dues is not a popular practice these days and quite frankly, a lot of the blues community is unwilling to embrace a lot of these artists who get a big label push without first developing and nurturing a local, then regional fan base and building their reputation and career from the ground up.
New York guitarist John Earl Walker has been playing professionally since 1965. His lengthy resume includes a stint with a major label as a founding member of the Capitol Recording band Plum Nelly from 1970 — 1976. Since the band’s breakup,Walker has continued to write, play and sing. as do so many great artists in this genre, in relative obscurity. He has paid his dues and then some. Walker has re-surfaced in 2002 with a vengeance on his latest recording “Little Miss Perfect” from his current John Earl Walker Band. The band, which includes a talented lineup of veterans Joey Tremelo on second guitar, Bobby lnfante on drums, Peter Harris on bass and Gene Cordew on keyboards, really pumps up the energy on this latest set of 12 John Earl Walker originals. The band sounds a bit like what might have happened several year ago if Dire Straits had determined to become more of a British type blues band.
They also remind me some of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, though the band has a more raw, edgier sound. Walker’s guitar work is aggressive and his tone nasty. This is definitely a recording that you will want to play at window shaking volume level. This is some very excellent rockin’ blues and another recording that all you ex-aholics will want to own. I particularly enjoyed “She Looks At Me”, the very hot title track,”Hurricane”, which may be my favourite on the set and “LastTime Out”, which also includes some great harp from special guest Johnny Byrne.
You may experience “Little Miss Perfect” on-line at www.johnearlwalkerband.com review by Tom Branson at www.bluesrockers.ws
:: Discography ::
- Little Miss Perfect -
- I'm Leaving You -
- Live at Chicago Blues -
- Live at Le Bar Bat -
2005 - People Are Talkin -
:: Contact ::
Website: http://www.johnearlwalkerband.com
Email: theearl@optonline.net