Walter Lewis Blues Trio
Shelton, Connecticut, United States | SELF
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Press
November 6, 2006
Walter Lewis triumphs in CT Blues Society’s 2006 Acoustic Blues Challenge
Acoustic Blues singer/guitarist Walter Lewis, resident of Shelton, won the Connecticut Blues Society’s Third CT Acoustic Blues Challenge at the Hungry Tiger Café in Manchester, Sunday night, October 29th. An audience of over eighty enthusiastic Blues music fans and Blues Society members witnessed five preliminary-winning finalists vie to be Connecticut’s representative acoustic blues act to participate in the Blues Foundation’s International Blues Challenge, February 1-3, 2007. The finalists included Lisa Rich, Ditty/ Mack, DC Jones, JD Bone, and Walter Lewis. A panel of four judges which included blues musicians, blues radio DJs, and a longtime blues fan awarded each participant a score of one to ten in the categories of blues Content, Talent, Originality, and Stage Presence, the same criteria used at The Blues Foundation's International Blues Challenge (IBC). A total of twelve contestants participated in the three night event, which occurred over the month of October. Walter Lewis , playing a custom National steel guitar, put on a foot pounding, Mississippi Delta-style, finger-picking blues show, playing songs from Son House, Charlie Patton, Willie Brown, Robert Johnson, and Bukka White. In addition to representing Connecticut at the IBC, Lewis won a $400.00 cash prize to offset travel costs to Memphis, as well as a “Porchboard Bass”, a foot-activated percussion instrument donated by Enroute Music of Janesville, WI.
Artists must be an official representative of a Blues Foundation-sanctioned blues society to compete in the International Blues Challenge, which enters its 24th year in 2007 as the nation’s biggest and most respected showcase for "undiscovered" blues talent. Slick Ballinger, Larry Garner, Tommy Castro, Susan Tedeschi, Michael Burks, Michelle Wilson, Albert Cummings and Sean Costello have all gained national recognition through the IBC. Last year, Salisbury resident Joel Blumert, acoustic guitarist and songwriter, won the event and represented Connecticut in the Memphis IBC finals.
Walter Lewis, playing since the age of thirteen, started out playing with rock bands working the East Coast. Later on, he became enthralled with historical, Mississippi Delta blues and its culture. Lewis commented on his win, “Thank you Connecticut Blues Society. This organization gives shape and inspiration to both blues performers and aficionados alike. Memphis, for me, will be a deeply spiritual experience, because of all the history which surrounds that town, I’ll be a kid in a candy store.”
Having an opportunity to showcase their music at the annual Acoustic Blues Challenge provides local blues musicians with the impetus they need to stay at the top of their game and fulfills the non-profit Connecticut Blues Society’s mission of promoting and preserving the blues as a unique art form in Connecticut. The Connecticut Blues Society also held a Blues Challenge for thirty electric bands over the Summer. Ryan Hartt & The Blue Hearts won this event, and will also travel to compete in Memphis in February.
- Connecticut Blues Society
Discography
Debut album "A Tip of the Hat" released in 2011. Demo at http://walterlewisbluestrio.com
Photos
Bio
Walter Lewis has been performing traditional Delta and Chicago style blues, as a solo performer, a duo entertainer with David Anastasia and in a band format with Anastasia and Scott Logan as the Walter Lewis Blues Trio.
The members of the Walter Lewis Blues Trio came together in the Spring of 2009. After one short rehearsal, they performed at Black Eyed Sally's in Hartford, CT. Realizing the chemistry was right, the trio has since been performing regularly with a steadily growing fan base.
The trio is unique, performing traditional Delta and Chicago style blues with a passionate delivery of standard and often obsure blues renditions. In addition to paying their respects to the masters, they have an expanding selection of original blues songs as well.
Walter started his musical sojourn at the age of thirteen. The British invasion astounded Walter and thereafter inspired his developing musical style. With a blues based influence, he pursued a career with rock n' roll, performing on the east coast for many years. Later, Walter became enthralled with historical blues while centering his attention on Mississippi Delta blues as well as the regional culture and lifestyle of early blues men and women.
He subsequently developed an individual style of blues delivery, receiving an award at the Apollo Theater Amateur Night in 1998 for his performance of Robert Johnson's "Ramblin' on my mind". In addition, Walter won the three stage 2006 Connecticut Blues Society Acoustic Blues Challenge. He was one of twelve contestants.
Walter soon shared his passion for blues with a former rock n' roll band mate, David Anastasia, and together they created both an electric and acoustic repertoire. In 2009 Scott Logan joined the duo to pursue the blues, a perfect addition to help create the trio.
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