Review Text
For the past decade Tracy Walker has been at the forefront of Cincinnati's folk/rock, singer/songwriter scene. She first became known for her belting alto in the group Ain't Helen. The breakup of the band did anything but stop Tracy's momentum. In 1998 she released her first solo recording, NAKED to rave reviews. Now after time for both introspection and observation she has released her second disc, All This Time. This disc features 10 original Walker tunes and one from New York's Ed Helbig. Walker has enlisted some of the area's finest players to ice the cake and fill out the sound for these great songs. She partnered with Bob James' soundman David Kuhn to co-produce this collection. This full-bodied arrangement of tunes includes the work of Blessid Union of Souls' drummer Eddie Hedges, jazz trumpet force Mike Wade, guitarist George Simon, Charlie Schweitzer on percussion, Adam Sanregret on bass, keyboardist Ricky Nye, and on mandolin Ed Cunningham. This CD has something for everyone from the Latin flavor of Wait and See and Losin' You to the rock of Creepin' to the folk feel of Life and the bluesy/jazzy I've Been Lookin' Around. Tracy's song writing, whether personal or observational is broad-reaching in it's ability to move you, sometimes your heart sometimes your feet. These songs are multi-layered - they pull you in right away and the more you listen the more you hear, both musically and lyrically. Not one to wait for hand-outs, Walker followed the example set by renegade singer/songwriter/record label executive Ani DiFranco by starting her own label, Gallimaufree Records. 'I'll always be this hodgepodge, stylistically,' Walker says of her musical style. 'That is where Gallimaufree comes from. It means hodgepodge and that's exactly what I am.' Walker's musical style sits at the crossroads of Folk, Rock, Country, Jazz and Blues. Add to that Tracy's mixed ethnicity, bi-continental beginnings (she was born in England) and being raised in the free-thinking, creative town of Yellow Springs, Ohio, and this is what you get... a cornucopia, a hodgepodge... a Gallimaufry. Adhering to the philosophy that growth emerges from experimentation, she performs often in varied venues from clubs to bars to benefits and festivals. Said of her opening performance for the Indigo Girls at Pepsi Jammin On Main, '...those who care about music ... were taken by Tracy. It was a startling set. We got goose bumps backstage enjoying people who were enjoying it,' said Bob Elias, Event Producer. Tracy appeared this summer at Riverbend Entertainment Center with her band opening for the legendary Joe Cocker. Tracy has also opened for up-and-coming singer/songwriter Melissa Ferrick, Sally Taylor - daughter of veterans James Taylor and Carly Simon, pop-rockers Blessid Union of Souls, R&B legend 'Iceman' Jerry Butler, folk icon Tom Paxton, rockers on the rise Antigone Rising, OAR and old favorite Mitch Ryder. Critics and judges are rewarding what fans have known all along: Walker possesses a soaring alto demanding of attention. To wit: Walker beat stiff competition and was named 1997 Best Singer/Songwriter and 2000 Best Folk Artist by the Cincinnati Entertainment Awards sponsored by Cincinnati CityBeat, the city's leading weekly newspaper of arts and issues. She was also awarded two CAMMY's, the Cincinnati Enquirer Pop Music Awards, for Best Solo Act 1999 and Best Folk/Bluegrass Vocalist 2001. She was voted Best Local Musician in CityBeat's Best Of Cincinnati readers' poll and received another CEA nomination in 2002. Walker has contributed her talent and time to many fund raising efforts and has often been selected as a panelist at music seminars to share what she has learned about the business of music. Most recently she was a member of the judging panel for the National Association of Recording Arts & Sciences Demo Review Panel (NARAS - The folks who bring you the GRAMMYs). Tracy Walker has played extensively in the Great Cincinnati are and has appeared on
