Wee Willie Walker and the Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra - Not in My Lifetime

08-10-2021

Willie Earl Walker (December 21/23, 1941 - November 19, 2019), also known as Wee Willie Walker, was an American soul and blues singer. He was born in Hernando, Mississippi, and grew up in Memphis, Tennessee, where he started singing with local gospel groups. From his mid-teens, he toured with the Redemption Harmonizers, who included Roosevelt Jamison. In 1960, while touring, Walker and a bandmate decided to stay in Minneapolis with a member of another gospel group, the Royal Jubileers, rather than returning to Memphis. In Minneapolis, he joined a local R&B vocal group, the Val-Dons (later Valdons), who became successful in and around Minneapolis-Saint Paul. He was credited as "Wee" Willie Walker in recognition of his height, variously reported as 5 feet 2 inches (1.57 m) or 5 feet 5 inches (1.65 m). In the early 1960s, he led his own group, Wee Willie Walker and the Exciters. Walker returned occasionally to Memphis, and made his first recordings there in 1965 for Goldwax Records, produced by Quinton Claunch. His first release, in 1967, was a cover of the Beatles' "Ticket to Ride", with the B-side "There Goes My Used To Be", written by Roosevelt Jamison. He made more recordings for Goldwax in 1968, including "You Name It, I Have It" and "A Lucky Loser", which were both licensed for release by Checker Records. His recordings were not commercially successful. Due to a misunderstanding he missed the opportunity to be promoted by influential radio DJ John Richbourg, and Goldwax refused to release him from his contract to allow him to work with Curtis Mayfield. Walker continued to work as a machinist, and later as a health care worker. He performed at weekends, singing with a voice described as "a mélange of Sam Cooke, Al Green and Otis Redding." He joined with Willie Murphy, another ex-member of the Valdons, and formed Willie & The Bees. In the 1970s he formed Salt, Pepper and Spice, a horn-based rock band. In about 2002 he retired from his health care job and linked with local R&B band, the Butanes. They recorded three albums together, "Right Where I Belong" (2004); "Memphisapolis" (2006); and "Long Time Thing" (2011). They also toured together in Europe and Japan. Later, Walker led another R&B band, Willie Walker and We "R", who had a regular residency at the Minnesota Music Café in St. Paul. He also made an album with local musician and songwriter Paul Metsa, "Live On Highway 55" (2013). In 2014, harmonica player and bandleader Rick Estrin saw Walker performing, and invited Walker to sing with him on tour. Estrin produced Walker's 2015 album "If Nothing Ever Changes", which in turn led to Walker's 2017 album, "After a While", recorded with guitarist Anthony Paule's Soul Orchestra. The album was nominated for album of the year, song of the year ("Hate Take a Holiday") and Soul Blues album, with Walker nominated as Soul Blues Male Artist at the 39th Blues Music Awards in 2018. Walker was also named most outstanding male blues singer at the annual Living Blues Awards in 2018. In recent years, Walker toured internationally, in Europe and South America. Walker died at his home in Saint Paul, Minnesota in 2019, aged 77, shortly after returning from a recording session. The great soul/blues singer, Wee Willie Walker, died in his sleep in November 2019, just three days after finishing his vocals for "Not In My Lifetime", his second recording with Anthony Paule's Soul Orchestra. He was 77 years old but, on the evidence of this disc, he was still right at the top of his game. The album opens with a short excerpt from a spoken interview with Willie in which he expresses his enthusiasm for the new album. Willie sounds in great health but says, with desperately sad prescience, "It was the most fun project I've ever had the opportunity of working on, because of all the different personalities and great people that are involved. I don't think it could ever happen again. Not for me. Not in my lifetime." Blessed with a powerful, fluid voice that was equally at home with soul, blues or gospel, Walker found his ideal backing group when he connected with the Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra who, amongst many other achievements have been the festival house band at the Porretta Soul Festival in Italy since 2015. Their technical excellence, wide range and sympathetic backing are all on display in "Not In My Lifetime". The majority of the tracks on the album are self-written by the band, particularly the co-producers Larry Batiste and Christine Vitale together with Poule, but there are also inspired covers of Dee Clark's 1964 hit, "Heartbreak", Jerry Ford's "Warm To Cool To Cold" (which Walker had himself previously recorded for Goldwax Records in 1968) and "Suffering With The Blues", which has been covered by Little Willie John, Irma Thomas, James Brown and Roomful of Blues, amongst many others. And the covers are indicative of the overall ambiance of the album, with a warm 1960's soul-blues vibe throughout. The album was recorded at the 25th Street Studio in Oakland, California with legendary producer, Jim Gaines, and engineer Gabriel Shepard, who capture a superb sound that never feels cluttered, despite the number of instruments and singers. Walker is backed by Paule on guitar and electric sitar, Tony Lufrano on Hammond organ, piano and wurlitzer, Endre Tarczy on bass, Kevin Hayes on drums, Derek James on trombone, Bill Ortiz on trumpet, Charles McNeal and Rob Sudduth on saxophone, and Baptiste, Sandy Griffith and Omega Rae on backing vocals. Guests include Jon Otis on percussion, Curt Ingram on French horn, and The Sons Of Soul Revivers (James Morgan, Dwayne Morgan and Walter Morgan) on backing vocals. Highlights abound, but the bouncing "I'm Just Like You" could make the dead get up and dance, while "Warm To Cool To Cold" is an object lesson in how to play a shuffle properly. Walker's vocals on "Let The Lady Dance" are heartbreaking. Special mention should also go to Batiste's horn arrangements and Tony Lufrano's charts. The interplay between the instruments on tracks like "Suffering With The Blues" and the instrumental "Almost Memphis" are a delight. "Not In My Lifetime" is a superb release and a fitting tribute to one of the most under-rated soul-blues singers of the last 40 years. Magnificent stuff. Anticipation surrounding the release of "Not In My Lifetime" has been bittersweet. The performances, the love, the songwriting, the arranging and producing, everything is right from the heart. Everything except for the sad reality that this is the final recording of Wee Willie Walker. A fact so hard to accept. The songs on "Not In My Lifetime" are relatable stories, little slices of life, Willie sets into motion with his mesmerizing voice. You will believe everything he sings because he believed everything he sang. Add to this the striking arrangements and skilled performances by The Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra, and your ears will thank you. With the exception of three thoughtfully selected covers, each song was written especially for Wee Willie Walker. Willie's alter ego takes over on "'Til You've Walked In My Shoes", track #14, and "Warm To Cool To Cold" track #9, is a remake of one of Willie's classic recordings on Goldwax Records. The album leads off with "A Word From Willie", which is truly a word from Willie. This poignant excerpt was taken from an in-studio interview with Tina Abbaszadeh, and without hesitation "Not In My Lifetime", became the title of the album. "Not In My Lifetime" by Wee Willie Walker and The Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra, is an album of authentic American songs deeply rooted in, and inspired by African American Blues and Soul music. Please listen with your heart.

01. A Word From Willie 0:20

02. Don't Let Me Get In Your Way 3:47(C. Vitale, L. Batiste, A. Paule)

03. Over And Over 4:20(C. Vitale, L. Batiste, A. Paule)

04. Real Good Lie 4:41(C. Vitale, L. Batiste, A. Paule)

05. What Is It We're Not Talking About ? 4:19(C. Vitale, L. Batiste, A. Paule, D. Martin)

06. Darling Mine 4:21(C. Vitale, K. Falkner - Purple V Music, BMI)

07. I'm Just Like You 3:29(C. Vitale, L. Batiste, A. Paule)

08. Make Your Own Good News 4:25(C. Vitale, L. Batiste, A. Paule, W. Walker, D. Martin)

09. Warm To Cool To Cold 3:56(G. Dobbins - Lyn-Lou Music, Shelby Singleton Music, BMI)

10. Let The Lady Dance 4:35(C. Vitale, L. Batiste, A. Paule)

11. Heartbreak 3:39(J. Thomas, C. Hoyles - Songs of Universal, BMI)

12. Suffering With The Blues 4:11(T. Conyers, L. Pemberton - Trio Music, Fort Knox Music Inc.)