|
Norm Walker doesn't call himself a storyteller but rather a "story-singer". Even so, the storytelling communities, locally and nationally, have embraced what he does as within the realm of what they call "storytelling". Some call him a "contemporary folk singer". Whatever you call him, at the very least he is an "entertainer" who uses music and stories as his main vehicles, often with tongue in cheek.
Norm receives much of his inspiration from folk tales, urban legends, true stories and even internet office jokes. He then tries to find the balance of poetic lyrics best suited to an appropriate melody and style based on the musical influences that have most touched him. Those musical influences cover a broad range of styles, particularly British, Irish and old-timey traditional American song and tune forms. As well, there are other apparent influences from western, cowboy, swing and old popular songs (from 78 records). As a result, he is a bit difficult to pigeon-hole in terms of describing his style of music. Generally, horizons are broadened as the subject matter of the songs he writes is sometimes ... unusual.
Norm’s approach to music is predominantly acoustic, and he has an uncanny ability to marry words with music to sing true stories, recount folk tales and spin yarns. His ability to weave stories with humour leaves audiences chuckling and humming punch lines long after the concert is over. His songs cover a variety of themes, including urban legends, electrical theory, the Saskatchewan Prairie, gardening, apostrophe abuse, politics, and community. Some of these songs are serious; others are not. The result is that "seldom is heard a discouraging word" and if you can't at least smile at some of these story-songs, there's probably something wrong with your face.
Norm Walker is no stranger to folk music. Not only has he had a long-time association with organizing folk music and storytelling concerts and festivals in Regina and area, but he has also been a performing singer, songwriter and musician, accompanying himself and others on guitar, mandolin and more recently the Strumstick (he calls it the anorectic dulcimer). He has been a featured guest on CBC Radio's Basic Black (with Arthur Black) and also Disc Drive (with Jurgen Goth) and performed from coast to coast but mostly in western Canada.
Over the years, Norm has been a member of various Regina-based Celtic music groups. He has performed solo and with other musician friends at numerous coffeehouses, benefits, political events, restaurants, nursing homes, concerts and events. If you’re ever in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan on a Friday night in September or October, you’ll likely find him and one of his music parters, Ken Dormer, strolling from table to table as the Ye Olde Wandering Minstrels at Hopkins’ Dining Palour for the medieval feast nights where anything can happen musically, from very old to the very new.
He released a music cd in 2002 called "T" Time - Time Tested Tales, Tall and True which is mostly a collection of original story-oriented songs, many of which are based on urban legends and folk tales. Penguin Eggs magazine describes him as a "songwriter somewhat in the tradition of a Canadian Tom Lehrer". Since that time he has written many songs (all unrecorded as of yet) expanding on the approaches he began with the "T" Time cd.
2010 saw the emergence of a new cd of mostly original material recorded in Calgary in June and July and produced by renowned Canadian bluesman Ken Hamm. Norm is also enlisting the assistance of his sister-out-law, Saskatoon traditional singer Paddy Tutty who will play a major part of many of the songs in this recording project. As well, a few Regina and Calgary area musicians are part of the plan. This recording has been a long time coming, there’s a lot of new material it and could easily result in more than one cd. We’ll see what the summer brings.
Norm, an electrician by trade, currently teaches in the Electrician Apprenticeship Training Program at the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology (SIAST) in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.
Norm Walker 2235 Robinson St. Regina, Sask. S4T 2R1
Phone: home (306) 522-1917 or cell (306) 631-8878
E-mail:
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
or Web: www.normwalker.com
|
Artist Information
Robbie Bankes and Will Lynch are a junior high celtic accordion and guitar duo. In their short year of playing together they have had the opportunity to perform at, among others: Kensington Market Collective, Cochrane Ecological Institutes Fauna Fest and AWA’s Climb for the Wilderness. Their influences include Lau, La Bottine Souriante, Fairport Convention, Dick Gaughan and Le Vent Du Nord. They are also regular buskers at the Calgary Farmers Market. They will be joined on fiddle by the amazing Danielle Lynch. 
