An authentic expert in finger-picking, delta blues guitar will play two concerts across the island this weekend.

US Guitarist Toby Walker will appear at the Institute, in Laxey on Saturday, September 14, followed by a concert at the Erin Arts Centre the following night, on Sunday, September 15.

Toby is appearing on the island as part of his 12-date UK tour, and is being brought to the island by the local blues music promoter John Gregory, also known as Blue John, who will also be providing support for both nights.

Toby is famed as a top guitarist, and one of the finest exponents of the finger picking blues style of playing.

He descibes his sound as ’classic Americana’, and mixes his acoustic, blues-based sound with jazz, old country and rag-time.

He has been lauded by contemporaries, not least by Bob Dylan’s guitarist, Larry Campbell, who said that Toby is simply ’brilliant’.

This is Toby’s first British Isles tour for several years and he is looking forward to crossing the Atlantic.

’It’s been a few years since I’ve been back to the British Isles and boy oh boy, I’m sure looking forward to this upcoming tour,’ he said.

’I know I’ll be meeting some new faces, as well as seeing a lot of my old friends. So, come on down and we’ll all have some fun.’

Tickets for both island shows, which begin at 7.30pm, are £15 each, available online from etickets.im/bjm