AMG Review of Raga for Peter Walker

Ned Raggett
All Music Guide

Many of the legends of acoustic guitar in the 20th century have already passed on -- John Fahey, Robbie Basho, Ali Farka Toure. Due partially to his spare recording career, Peter Walker's own reputation has not always been as well known as those of said giants, but his own influence has been considerable. A Raga for Peter Walker -- a tribute album that, in a nice touch, not only consists of work composed by its contributors rather than simply offering up covers but also features some original work by its subject in question -- helps to demonstrate this while he is still here to receive acknowledgement of it. Walker's four originals, all new tracks, bookend the collection, each brief but demonstrating that Walker's vigor and skill remain undimmed, from the opening "Day at the Fair," which lives up to its title with sprightly, cascading brightness, to "Jaleo Para Angela," reflecting his newer interest in flamenco. The remaining six songs are each individual efforts from a variety of American and European performers, each saluting Walker's style while finding its own voice. Young Turk James Blackshaw begins with a live rendition of "Spiralling Skeleton Memorial," a captivating performance that gently hints at Walker's raga training but is much more formally arranged in a Western sense, while the brilliant Jack Rose bows with a live track of his own, "Cathedral et Chatres II." Greg Davis' "Truly We Dwell in Happiness" explores heavy echo and field recordings alongside the expected acoustic flow, while Steffen Basho-Junghans, typically enough, contributes the longest track with "Blue Mountain Raga" and Shawn David McMillen adds the more free-form "Black Drink." Perhaps one of the most surprising in context is Thurston Moore, if only because he is so often associated with electric rather than acoustic work. But his "Dirt Raga" is a striking fusion of styles, at once moodily captivating as so much of his other music is and infused just enough with Walker's own open-ended sense of exploration.