“How can it have a title when it has so many personalities?”
I had the privilege to work on this amazing album by DB Walker and his band, a well known and loved figure in the Bay Area Blues Scene!
Photography by Kenny Schick – Kenny Schick is a Music Producer, engineer, singer songwriter & professional photographer, living in Nashville TN (from the Bay Area CA) (see more photos here)
It was some time in the early 2000’s when I met David ‘DB’ Walker. I was in the house band for a local Bay Area TV show called ‘Stand Up, It’s Thursday Night’, a comedy sketch/music TV show much like Saturday Night Live. We filmed in front of a live studio audience every Thursday night, first from KRON studios in San Jose, then from UPN studios in San Francisco the following season.
Upon losing our second guitar player in a fairly short amount of time, we were feeling a bit flustered when our drummer brought along a guitarist he knew named DB Walker. We’d really liked our previous guitarist, so we were not super keen on getting going with yet another new one. DB showed up with his waist long dread locks and a big old massive pedal board…we were intrigued by this character… We started playing and knew quickly we’d finally found the perfect member to round out the band—DB was technically skilled for sure, but more importantly, he was creative and fun with a great sense of adventure musically. Our whole schtick was to take cover songs and play them in unlikely styles, and DB was perfect at helping us down our path of tune-twisting.
DB was technically skilled for sure, but more importantly, he was creative and fun with a great sense of adventure musically
DB Walker, as we came to find out, was also a known figure in the Bay Area blues scene, and I’ve been fortunate enough to be a semi-frequent guest at his shows. Consisting of covers and his really great originals, his sets not only include traditional blues styles and songs, but often float off into all sorts of adventurous directions—it is always super fun to see where he’ll go, and we can find ourselves floating between long atmospheric/psychedelic forays that can lead into a Nine Inch Nails tune, then back to road house blues and other really great blues inspired DB Walker originals.
A few years back now, DB decided it was time to release a new album, and it was to be a whole bunch of his songs—16 as it turns out. The initial idea had been to set up at his home studio, record the basic tracks for all the songs over a couple of weekends, mix the puppy, and be done quickly. It was to be both a digital and vinyl release. DB is a pretty meticulous guy, so the initial plans of moving quickly soon gave way to his perfectionist nature—lots of experimenting with cool overdubs and musical ideas ensued.
DB sent along parts to me as he completed them, and I mixed songs over the next several months. As we got close to completion, new experimental songs came along. The album covers a wide range, starting with a more traditional blues vibe, then moving to spacey psychedelic Pink Floyd-like explorations.
DB is a pretty meticulous guy, so the initial plans of moving quickly soon gave way to his perfectionist nature—lots of experimenting with cool overdubs and musical ideas ensued.
I finished the mixes and DB had to figure out a few versions of the release due to timing issues that wouldn’t allow all the songs to fit on vinyl in their full versions. This task was finally completed, and the album went off to mastering….the masters came back, but then….radio silence. During the ’silent times,’ I’d relocated from California to Nashville, and just a few months ago, I got a call from DB Walker asking if I’d master the songs—so I mastered, thrilled to hear the amazing songs again, sent the masters back to DB, and waited for instructions in regards to changes or tweaks…I didn’t hear back, and soon I saw his release notice on social media—‘no changes’ was my answer!
The album is an amazing piece of art—DB Walker’s songs are great, his playing is stellar, and the musicians he plays with are always top notch.
Here are DB’s notes for the album and personnel:
“This Record Album Has No Title” Because its more like 3 records in one. It begins with some driving Blues, then edges more into Classic Rock/Blues, takes a stop in Americana then shifts into pounding Hendrix inspired psychedelia before it floats off into a Post Rock/Pink Floyd haze.
How can it have a title when it has so many personalities?
Recorded at Bella Sounds in San Jose
Additional tracking at Basment3Productions Studios
Mixed at Basement3Productions studios
All music written by The D.B. Walker Band (Walker, Falzone, Oliver, Kane) (c) 2017 A Wraparound Records Production released November 23, 2018
D.B. Walker: Vocals, Guitar
David Falzone: Bass
Lachlann Kane: Keyboards
Michael Oliver: Drums
Kenny Schick: Producer / Engineering / Mixing / Horns / Guitar / Vocals
Additional Musicians:
Mumbling Blues; Kenny Schick-Horns
Wear me down; Kenny Schick-Horns
Nothings Left; Hershel Yatovitz-Lead Guitar, Kenny Schick-Baritone Guitar, Sabiné Heusler Schick-Background Vocals
Drive; Kenny Schick, Background Vocals
A place to rest; Ryan Krage-Drums, Davon Whitehead-Keys
Coming Down; Sabiné Heusler Schick-Additional voice
