Billy Walton Band - Dark Hour (2020)

Billy Walton is an accomplished guitar master from the vibrant New Jersey Shore music scene. He earned his stripes in the rock & roll trenches, playing lead guitar for many years with Jersey icon, Southside Johnny. He has also shared the stage with music legends; Little Steven, Gary US Bonds and Steven Tyler, to name a few.

The Billy Walton Band grew out of this rich musical heritage, and found its groove when connected with bassist William Paris. With the addition of Tom Petraccaro on sax and Eric Safka on Hammond B3, the band has truly hit its stride. Their efforts met with immediate interest from the fertile British Blues scene, leading to multiple successful tours across Europe and eastern United States. They have a solid, dedicated fan base which is growing quickly. In addition to blues fans, the jamband scene has also embraced the band - hungry for their high energy live shows.

The group chose to record Dark Hour in Philadelphia, a city with a rich history of unforgettable music. The album was tracked at Cambridge Sound Studio with Grammy nominated engineer, Jim Salamone (Teddy Pendergrass). For these sessions, the band brought in Bruce Krywinski on trumpet, and drummer Francis Valentino (David Lee Roth Band), to round out the already rich pedigree of musicians. Winding his way through the narrow streets of Philly on the way to the studio, Billy found inspiration in the hard times he witnessed others experiencing. He was moved and wrote songs that reflected these challenges. He wields his guitar with relentless dexterity, leading his talented band on a musical journey that probes the heart of this darkness. The resulting music hits the sweet spot somewhere in the middle of Rock, Soul, Blues and Funk. This album is the culmination of an irresistibly powerful band lighting a fire within the Dark Hour.