Dan's Papers - April 4, 2008 - Getting Down to the Roots

Little Toby Walker is one of a trio of local artists, including Caroline Doctorow, Frank Carillo and the Bandoleros, who will bring a taste of Americana to the East End via the Hamptons Roots Music Festival at the Southampton Cultural Center on April 5.

Adept at blues, ragtime and country, the furthest east Walker has come during his travels is the Riverhead Blues Festival, where he'll be appearing again this summer. And he looks forward to introducing the Hamptons to his bluesy brand of roots music. "I've never been on a bill with [Doctorow or Carillo] before," he said. "It's going to be a great evening."

Walker is currently preparing a new album, bringing in producer Larry Campbell, who has toured with Bob Dylan and produced Levon Helm's Grammy-winning album Dirt Farmer. It will be recorded in Helm's Woodstock, N.Y. studio. Walker expects the album to be released this coming October. He says this latest project will mostly feature sparse arrangements, drawing from the influence of blues greats from the Mississippi Delta region, Virginia and the Carolinas, such as Jack Owen, Eugene Powell and Etta Baker.

He learned many of his guitar techniques from these musicians directly, making pilgrimages south to meet his heroes. He didn't always know where or how he would find them. Sometimes people would put him in touch with one of these blues masters; sometimes he'd travel to their general area, looking them up in the phone booth. All of them were friendly and hospitable, he said, eager to share their blues wisdom with him. "My travels to the deep south are a major part of what I am and the music that I play," he said. "Now I'm bringing it to other people."

As much as he loves to perform, teaching is a big part of Walker's career as well. You can often find him teaching a guitar class over a long weekend at Jorma Kaukonen's (Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna) Fur Peach Ranch in Ohio. He also teaches Long Island middle school students about blues history and music in a program called "Blues in the Schools." He was even invited to teach a special class called "American Roots" at Carnegie Hall for honors middle school students.

For more information, upcoming tour dates and samples of his music go to www.littletobywalker.com.

Doctorow, a resident of Bridgehampton, culls her influences from '60s folk music, such as Richard and Mimi Farina, Joan Baez and Judy Collins. She is about to release her sixth album, Hummingbird. For more information, go to www.carolinedoctorow.com.

Carillo, having performed and toured with a number of well-known artists such as John Hammond, Eric Clapton, Joan Jett and Tom Petty, is a talented and accomplished songwriter in his own right. His 2006 album, Bad Out There, reached number one on the Roots Music Report Roots Rock Airplay. He will perform with his group, the Bandoleros. To learn more about him, go to frankcarillo.com.

The Hamptons Roots Music Festival will be held at 7 p.m. on April 5 at the Southampton Cultural Center, 25 Pond Lane, Southampton. Tickets are $20. All proceeds from the evening will benefit the Sag Harbor Food Pantry. Call 631-871-2306 for additional information.