Blues In The North Land - Music

Singer Harmonica Player And Sax-Man Derrick Roy Michael Walker Was Born On Dec. 3 1953 In Fort Sill Lawton Oklahoma Where His Father Golden Glove Boxer Roy C Walker Was Stationed. In 1962 Derrick Moved To San Francisco With His Mother Who Worked In A Community Theater Where Big Also Acted In Several Children’s Productions. In San Francisco During This Time The New Music Of Jimi Hendrix Janis Joplin Jefferson Airplane Etc Influenced Him And His Music. He Was Also A Big Fan Of The Band Clover Who Had Great Influence On Derrick’s Decision To Become A Musician. Derrick Took Some Harmonica Lessons From Paul Butterfield Who Helped Teach Derrick To Sound Like Himself And Play Melodies “not Just Licks”. Bobby Forte - Villa Nova Dupré Who Played With BB King During The 60’s And 70’ S And Nole Juks Who Play With Jimmy Witherspoon Also Gave Him Saxophone Lessons. Derrick Played With The Eddie Ray Rhythm And Blues Band And By 1973 Derrick Began To Play Saxophone And Harmonica In The Luther Tucker Band. He Played With Them For 10 Years. The Same Year He Began To Attend The College Of Marin Majoring In Music And Martial Arts Judo And Karate . He Was Also Touring With Both Albert Collins And The Luther Tucker Band. They Recorded A Film At The North Dakota Club In Oakland. Between 1978 And 1980 Derrick Began Playing With The Eddie Ray Rhythm And Blues Band Backing Artists Such As Lowell Fulson Percy Mayfield Big Mama Thornton Sonny Roads Jimmy McCracklin And Sugar Pie DeSanto. Derrick Played With Michael Bloomfield And Was His Roommate For Two Years He Played On His Album “Cruising For A Bruising” 1981 Which Has Been Re-Released On CD As “Gospel Truth”. In 1981 Derrick Began Playing With A Band Called The Soul Rebels Who Were Working For Bill Graham As A Warm Up Band In Bill’s Nightclubs. They Fronted Acts Such As The Dead Kennedy’s The Ramones Greg Kihn The Beat And Many Others. The Bandleader Was Dean Devnear Bass And Drums Were Manned By The Stench Brothers Who Where A Big Part Of Pearl Harbor And The Explosions. The Soul Rebels Were Considered San Francisco’s Most Popular Band At The Time. Derrick Left The Bay Area In 1983 And Went To Europe Playing Saxophone In Holland Belgium And France For Three Years. In Holland He Met A Friend From The Bay Area Red Archibald Whom Derrick Knew Since 1976 When Elvin Bishop Introduced Him To Red. Red Who Passed Away December 25 2006 Stayed In Europe For Almost A Decade. In 1985 He Formed His Own Band Playing The Streets And Clubs In Holland Belgium France Germany And Spain Touring As Big Walker And ``The Black & White Blues Band. `` From 1987 To 1992 He Played The Blues Harp With The ``Grinders``in Norway Denmark Sweden Iceland And Germany. In 1988 Derrick Began To Teach Harmonica At The Swedish State Community College Studiefrämjändet. He Also Toured With The Grinders Featuring Professor Washboard In Norway Denmark Sweden Iceland And Germany. He Is The Composer Of “Stars In The Sky” And Performed In Two Songs In The International Film That Made Use Of His Music “Freud Leaves Home”. By 2000 Derrick Had Undertaken Several Tours Of Norway And Denmark And Regular Club Appearances In Sweden With His New Band The ``Blue Souls.`` He Appeared Often With Folk Blues Artist Eric Bibb And Played On Several Of Eric’s CDs And Recorded Gospel With Cyndee Peters On “Songs From The Heart”. He Played Harmonica And Acted In The Broadway Musical ``Big River.`` He Appeared With Blues Legend Jimmy Dawkins And Singer Zora Young At The Great British R’n’B Festival In Colne As Well As Touring Playing Festivals In Denmark And Sweden. Derrick Big Walker Plays Tenor And Alto Saxophone Plus The Ten Hole Diatonic And Chromatic Harmonica Sings And Wrights His Own Songs. So What Is Big Walker Doing These Days? Derrick Plays And Sings In The Sofia Choir Stockholm And Teaches At The Stockholm Music Conservatory Rytmus And Kulturama High School For Music And Dramatic Arts. As A Matter Of Fact Big Walker Has Been Teaching Classes In Blues Rock And Country Harmonica For Over Fourteen Years Now. He Is Also Touring With His Band Blue Souls - Jair-Rohm Parker Wells On Bass James Bradley Jr. On Drums And Olle Boson On Guitar - To Promote His Current CD “Still Dream Walking” Which Contains Lyrics That Are Thoughtful And Show Concerns Not Usually Associated With Blues Singers Juke Blues #42 . In Addition The Album Is Fun To Listen To As The Players Know How To Create The Mood And Feel Of Real Chicago Blues Especially Big Walker’s Harmonica Playing Is A Real Treat. Influences
Jimi Hendrix Willie Dixon Hollin Wolf James Cotton. Led Belly. Eddie Harris King Curtis. Blowfly. Little Feat The Allman Brothers. Bad Brains Living Color Gil Scott Herring Muddy Waters Little Walter Slim Harpo Earth Wind And Fire. read less