Johnny Winter, Duke Robillard and More Guest on New Joe Louis Walker Album

The disc features special guests Johnny Winter, Duke Robillard, Tommy Castro, Kenny Neal, Tab Benoit and a host of other blues all-stars.

Recorded live during the most recent Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise earlier this year, Blues Conspiracy follows on the heels of Walker's Between a Rock and the Blues CD, which won the coveted "Album of the Year" at the Blues Music Awards in May. Joe also recently won the 2010 Living Blues magazine Critics' Poll as "Most Outstanding Musician (Guitar)."

The truly inspired performances captured on Blues Conspiracy: Live on the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise showcase a wide assortment of songs originating from his debut 1987 release, Cold Is the Night ("Ten More Shows to Play") and its critically-acclaimed follow-up, The Gift ("747"); to four tracks from his last two albums, Witness to the Blues ("Sugar Mama" and "It's a Shame") and Between a Rock and the Blues ("Eyes Like a Cat" and "Tell Me Why").

Among its many highlights, the CD boasts some truly magical pairings, as on "Ain't that Cold," where Walker and the great Johnny Winter trade some amazing energized guitar licks; the soul-drenched ballad, "You're Gonna Make Me Cry," with Walker, Curtis Salgado and Mike Finnigan's earth-shaking vocal testifying; the jumping "Eyes Like a Cat," with Tommy Castro, Tom Poole, Joanna Bogart and Keith Crossan taking that song to new heights; and the Windy City classic, "Born in Chicago," where Walker is joined by harmonica whiz Jason Ricci and guitarists Nick Moss and Paris Slim for a Southside showdown that just won't let up.

"I would like to thank all the great musicians involved in this project for giving their heart, soul and talent to this collaboration," says Walker. "This was not about money, ego and so called fame. It was about the music. For me, it was the completion of two of my earlier projects: the first was Live At Slims Vol. 1 & 2; and the second was Great Guitars. Many times I've been asked if, and when, I would reprise these projects. Well, here it is. I do believe this is a continuation of what I started. As you can see, these artists are a mixture of ages and styles. The one thread running through us all is the blues. For all the fans of live music, what you hear on this CD is what the audience heard at the performances. There are no enhancements or overdubs. In other words, what you hear is what it was and what it is. What a tribute to the quality of all the wonderful musicians involved."