Joshua Ray Walker + Tom Blackwell @ Cluny2 by Juan Fitzgerald (& pics)
A new Jumpin Hot Club season beginnings and we had Joshua Ray Walker over from Dallas Texas at his fourth attempt & luckily he was promoting a brand new record of country style covers by mainstream female artists. Joshua can certainly hit the high notes and his voice is absolutely stunning but he is much more than this. His songs are full on local stories from watching folks hanging at truck stops , to befriending the promotions girls hired by his mother to sell boats !!! That song “ Boat Girls “ for me was perhaps the highlight of his 1 1/2 hour set. Joshua’s songs also covered more obscure tales like “Flash Paper “(some are just flash paper just burned never to be read again) & “Cowboy” about Dallas men who have never seen cattle, wearing stetson hats & cowboy boots. His last most cutting tune featured a flash drive found after his dad passed, in a box detailing his feelings , & had the audience stone cold silent with not a dry eye in the house, For good measure he threw in a few cover songs from his new album including the Cranberries classic “Linger “ which was played as a dark brooding country tune & boy didn’t it suit Joshua’s style. What a class act he was. Actually the support Tom Blackwell laying down some soulful americana with a touch of blues was in fine form too. Simply a great start to September & a world class night of live music.
