Arts & Entertainment
Toby Walker & Neil Harpe perform at Baldwin's Station
Toby Walker’s passion for blues, rags, folk, and other traditional American music drove him to leave an apartment crammed full of recordings, books and instruments for the Mississippi Delta, Virginia and the Carolinas where he tracked down some of the more obscure - but immensely talented - music makers of an earlier era. He learned directly from Eugene Powell, James "Son" Thomas, Etta Baker, and R.L Burnside, among others. The talent, passion, and soul of a Toby Walker performance reflects these travels. Whether it is telling the humorous and heartwarming tales of other masters, talking about his inspirations, or astounding you with his mastery, his performances are a feast for the senses. The audience is moved in ways that delight them long after the encores.
Artist Neil Harpe is best known for his marine art: Chesapeake skipjacks , stately lighthouses and watermen. Born and raised in Annapolis, Maryland, Harpe was always attracted to the marine environs for inspiration having been around boats and the Chesapeake Bay all his life. However, Harpe has never been content to pursue only marine images. Harpe's passion for the blues began at a young age. He learned to play the guitar when he was 12. Neil has performed for the Chesapeake Bay Blues Festival, Herndon Blues Festival, Smithsonian Associates, Hirshhorn Museum (in conjunction with Black History Month), Washington Folk Festival, Takoma Park Folk Festival, Northern Virginia Folk Festival, Quiet Waters Park and the D.C. Blues Festival.