Dan Walker

Dan Walker is quite simply one of the finest singer/songwriters on the Seacoast. He's got three records to his credit, with the latest, "Beautiful," being the best representation of where he's at, and where he's headed as an artist. The album's title basically says it all. Walker takes from his own life experiences and turns them into beautifully crafted, soulful tunes of the absolute highest quality.

He's got a voice that belongs smack-dab in the middle of popular radio's programming, but it feels so good on the local level picking up steam on stations such as WSCA-LP 106.1 FM. He's one of a select group of artists that I'm inclined to say "stay away masses, he's ours." But of course, that's selfish of me, and I wish only the best for Mr. Walker and all of his musical endeavors.

If you've seen him live in the solo-format, you know he can sing, and you know he's one badass mo-fo on the guitar. A furious picker and relentless strummer with a knack of turning the body of his acoustic guitar into a glorified hand-drum, Walker is the real deal. The music he outputs is good. It's fun. And it's impressive. He's got a strong stage presence that proclaims, "I'm confident in my abilities and by the end of this set you're going to know just who the heck I am. And you're going to remember me, for a long time." On "Beautiful," he's surrounded himself in a full band setting, as he's done in the past, and it's a different beast entirely. It's sharp, poignant, and is a foot-stompin', head-shakin' frenzy bundled up into the confines of a single compact disc. For Walker and his mates, it's a great time, which is further documented by the laughing you can hear in the background at the end of the last couple of tunes on the record. It's this organic, yet professional approach that makes Walker's music so good, and so accessible.

Luke Crawley (electric and upright bass), Roy Wallace (drums and percussion), and Charlie Strater (lead guitar and harmonica) are a dynamite backing band that are skilled in the art of keeping it tight and straight forward, but who also aren't afraid to let it all hang out and delve into a little jamming from time to time. Best example of said jamming being the fourth cut on the album "Going Home." "Beautiful," as a whole is a well-rounded piece of work that truly needs to be experienced. Don't be shy ... You'll be happy you spent the time with it.

For information, visit www.danwalkermusic.com.

— Reviewed by Christopher Hislop - Seacoast Newspapers - Spotlight Magazine

One of the best guitar pickers to perform at the Nowoodstock Festival in Ten Sleep, Wyoming" - Pat O'Brien -Festival Coordinator

The laugh that starts Dan Walker's latest CD, Airplane, is evocative of the homespun spirit found throughout the album. The sound is as natural and scenic as the pure Montana surroundings in which he recorded it. Airplane sets a mood of crisp country living, loving, and traveling. Musically conjured images will be of sunny skies, clear streams, and mountain air, but Walker's lyricism graciously extends well past these vistas. Songs like "So Blue" and "Stumble and Fall" most glaringly reveal Walker as a gifted crafter of catchy tunes.

Working a country-tinged combination of roots, folk, and blues, Dan and the band center their songs around his road-worthy lyrics, placing his classic voice among soulfully written, upbeat music. The arrangements are informed by everything from tried-and-true American pop, such as the Motown influence on the rollicking "Get Me Out Of This," to more diverse structures like the gliding soul-rock of "Blues By Midnight" and the Latin tilt of "Gonna Shine." No one instrument dominates, and the production is careful to blend bass, drums, guitar, and keys equally, creating a full, rich bedrock for Walker's memorable musings. The title track benefits the most from the musicians' collective efforts, as they create a haunting, dramatic closer that is like no other track on the album.

Airplane moves Dan Walker into a whole new phase, and finds him shifting from the stripped-down sound of his first album to a full-band emphasis. The tasteful nature of the recording along with Walker's obvious talent should make plenty of people get on board with this album!
-Bryan Rodgers
-Leeway's Home Grown Music Network - Bryan Rodgers

Dan Walker’s Airplane is one of the best non-traditional blues albums I have heard in a long time. Being in a band myself, I can attest to the fact that having every song on a CD with a strong groove is a difficult task, but Walker is able to accomplish this.

“Stumble and Fall” (Track #1) is a nice way to open the CD. It begins the wonderful groove of the project in a quick and fun manner. “Ocean Eyes” (Track #3) is a nice ballad, but not your normal ballad because it also has an underlying groove about it, too. “Ocean Eyes” is a nice change from the in-your-face blues-stylings by it being a good acoustic guitar ballad. “Blues by Midnight” (Track #6) is extremely laid-back with nice piano—not overdone, but tasteful. “Loves Me” (Track #8) has a great rhythm section buildup during the intro—drums, then bass, then electric guitar, allowing each rhythm instrument a chance to shine for a few measures.

If I had to sum up the album in three words, here they are: “I loved it!”
- Denise Squire

Most artists have stories of their journey; it comes with the territory. Dan Walker's just happens to be a bit more fun than most.

His introduction to music was likely intrauterine. His dad was a musician. By the time Walker was 6 he was enrolled in piano classes. He kept it up till 10, then took two years off for sports, his only music hiatus in his 30 years, says the native Indianan.


These days a Rochester resident, Walker is poised to release "Beautiful," his third, American-roots CD. It was recorded on the Seacoast, primarily by former Dan Walker Band members, to be performed live by the new lineup, put together over the two years since arriving.

The latest dang incredible lineup includes Walker, acoustic guitar and vocals, Charlie Strater lead guitar, PJ Donohue, drums and Keith Foley, bass player.

Walker first played out at 12, with the family band; three sisters, a brother and dad. There were weddings, parties, church functions — "And don't forget the talent shows," he says with a laugh.

One of his favorite memories is of a wedding, usually quieter affairs, where his 4-year-old brother "was kickin' a beat." He stuck with the family for a few years "till I started playing guitar and really when it wasn't cool anymore." At 14 he started his first band, worked as a duo with dad, and began writing.

Playing was something you just did, "a thing you liked to do on Friday night. ...; It was just a big party," he says. "I was kind of a wild child. I did everything for fun. ...; Then at about 22 I got serious about school and about everything else in life. I started getting the weekly gigs ...; It put me through college." Walker attended Ball State University, where he received a degree in natural resources.

Eventually he ended up in Wyoming, where he built the Dan Walker Band.

When he decided to record "Beautiful," he called on that earlier crew. They took over the Rochester home. With his wife and kids visiting family in Vermont, "we set up the whole house as a studio," Walker says. "We had the run of the house, the kitchen, and the woods. ...; The vibes were beautiful."

"I should emphasize we recorded the album in four days, because it's amazing what we could do together, partly because we've been together so long," he says. It's also because it's in stark contrast to "Airplane" his last CD, recorded in his Wyoming days. It took a year and a half to complete.

"So after that album I was ready to take a break," he says. But when he penned the title song in April 2008 after his daughter was born, things just started to fall in place for the latest CD. His original tunes flowed.

"Beautiful" features drummer Roy Wallace, who moved his studio from Michigan to Rochester for the session; bassist Luke Crawley and guitarist Strater, the new guy, along with Walker.

"If this were the last album I ever made, I'm fine with that. Absolutely," says Walker. "I'd be happy with that. It's the only one I can say that about."

By Jeanné McCartin
features@seacoastonline.com
May 02, 2009 - Portsmouth Herald