If a tale is told well, it does not matter where it comes from, or what inspired it to be voiced, to be communicated from, whether from the lips of a drunken passer-by who intrigues you with softly spoken ramblings of treasure under the mysteriously drawn X on the side of a cave, or from the melodic tones of a declaration of intent which is passed down from father to son, from mother to daughter, in the hope that one day a wrong will be righted. An investigation will prove the tale to be so much more than just hearsay and rumour, what matters is the presentation, the subtly, the craftsmanship, and how the account and the encounter leaves you afterwards.

In the hands of the master storyteller, the tale should go beyond the edge of poetry, it should be versed in the romance, it should acknowledge the fear of facing down a foe or some such evil and growing wiser for the encounter, and it should leave you exploring your emotional boundaries, for better, or for worse.

There is no doubting the dominance of the tale when it is imparted from the mind of Wily Bo Walker, whether it is through his own interaction with the listener, or through various collaborations, his input into music history is one that is not just outstanding, but crucial, for it is in the selfless act of the troubadour that stories gain ground, develop widespread appeal, become legendary.

In Wily Bo Walker presents Tales Of The Mescal Canyon Troubadours, that sense of legendry presentation seeps into the mind and the soul, the players take their mark from the leader of this fortuitous gang and deliver a set of songs that are ready to shoot their way out of the imposed prison of the selected misinformed, and ride into town with tales and myths delivered from every angle, from every lip, for there is a tale in us all; it just takes a leader to bring it out, to wring every last wonderful emotion from it and leave the listener spent and overjoyed.

With artists such as E. D. Brayshaw, Danny Flam, Mike Ross, Troy Redfern, Stevie Watts, the incomparable Kerena K., Pete Farrugia all standing alongside the troubadour himself on tracks such as Walk In Chinese Footsteps, I Want To Know, the exceptional For The Children (When The Nightmares Call), Who’s Listening To You Tonight, and Time To Forget You, Tales Of The Mescal Canyon Troubadours is yet another reminder, if one was actually needed, of the fighting spirit, the never say dull or beige approach of Wily Bo Walker.

In this musical gunfight, the dissenters are taken out of the game and left to stew in their own dissatisfaction and watch as others revel in the freedom provided at the heart of Mescal Canyon. 

Ian D. Hall