Hand Picked $2.25

About Hand Picked

Award-winning Acoustic fingerpicking blues guitarist. Without a doubt one of the very finest acoustic blues musicians alive today, this outstanding musician won the best performer in all categories at the prestigious International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN. From the opening bars of his high-energy Piedmont style, it is easy to see why: Toby is a true master of this American music idiom.

" Every time you think you've heard it all in the acoustic finger-style blues world, you sometimes get surprised. And this latest CD by Toby Walker, "HAND PICKED", is just that surprise.

And then some.

Toby really pushes the envelope on this latest effort. Lightening fast licks and soulful runs take the listener into uncharted territory. From the driving rhythms of the opening track "Big Meat Shakin' On The Bone" to it's moving finale "The Secret", these cuts are truly 'hand picked' from a bountiful garden.

And just in case you're not familiar with the versatility of Toby Walker, you'll get a fine showcase on this CD. From wonderful new original tunes ("Little Dixie", "Generosity Rag", and others) to covers that make you wonder why they weren't done this way originally ("Mind Your Own Business", "Hard Times Killing Floor" come to mind), this new effort will be on your disc player for a long time.
On some tracks you'll also get tasty licks by fiddle player Jay Ungar, stand up bass by Molly Mason and Tom Griffith, and Martha Trachtenberg's haunting harmonies.
All the right ingredients in just the right amounts help make this 'ear candy' in the finest sense of the phrase.
Lyrically and musically, the listener gets taken on a beautiful ride through an incredibly lush musical landscape.
"Hand Picked". Couldn't be said or played better."



"As a blues guitar player, I am stunned and in awe of Toby Walker's pickin'! Not only does he master diverse blues styles, but plays them with both flash and depth. That's the advanced class -- few players can do both. It's obvious that Toby Walker is one of the most enjoyable artists in today's Blues World."...Steady Rollin' Bob Margolin,

"A real killer with fantastic technique. He just knocks me out."...John Hammond

"An impressive, energetic and tasteful player with engaging vocals. I think Walker is quite talented in the field of Blues and Folk Music"...Bruce Iglauer, Alligator Records

"Man, you're hot, just terrific. Now I'm really going to have to work"....Roy Book Binder

"If you played that guitar any better you'd likely burn it up."...Bob Vorel, Editor, Blues Revue

Little Toby Walker is an instructor at Jorma Kaukonen's (Hot Tuna, Jefferson Airplane) Fur Peace Ranch. Walker has been chosen by Carnegie Hall to present American Roots Blues Music In The Schools.