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laid over a New Orleans type beat with ‘Waking UpThe Dead’. Joe gets real funky with some
envelope filter autowah sounding guitar on ‘Count Your Chickens’.

‘Blue Mirror’ is a good old style rock and roll tune and a good excuse for Joe to have a great guitar
workout. ‘Root Down’ features Joe playing some high register overblown harmonica and the
album closes with some lovely keys once again from Scott Milici on the cool jazz sounding ‘You
Got Me Whipped’.

Joe Louis Walker has been described as “a legendary boundary-pushing icon of modern blues”

and I get that. He might not be for the blues purist with his different guitar and vocal techniques
and varied styles but there is no denying his soulful voice rooted in the blues and the great
production on this album makes for a much wider commercial appeal.

Ged Wilson

Gwyn Ashton—Mojosoul—Fab Tone Records

Gwyn Ashton is well known on the British blues scene particular-
ly for his one man blues band shows. Gwyn was born in Wales UK
and raised in Australia and has amassed countless gigs across all
points in between—a real blues troubadour.

His latest album “Mojosoul” opens with ‘By Your Side’ a blues
roots tune with handclaps giving it a gospel feel. ‘Vanish Into Thin

Air’ has a great twelve string rhythm that has a nice 70’s vibe
about it, really liked this one. ‘Take Your Medication’ is almost
funk with some great driving lyrics.

The song ‘Yesterday’s Me (Cool, Cool Water)’ is stripped right down to resonator and vocals.
Co-written with Gary Allen, the lyrics evoke images and tell a good story not too dissimilar in
style to something you might hear from Dave Arcari no less! ‘The Ballad Of Gwyn Ashton’
manages to capture Gwyn’s whole life story in this acoustic blues rag. This song brought to mind

Arlo Guthrie’s ‘Alice’s Restaurant’. The album closes fittingly with ‘The Perfect Day To Sing The
Blues’ which has an almost 60’s Beatles psychedelic vibe with the swirling delay infused vocals.

Gywn has managed to put together a really reflective and thoughtful album. His songs are well
constructed not just your average twelve bars and with subtle use of backing vocals, percussion
and clear vocal diction brings this album full of stories to life.

Ged Wilson