Just turned a young 70 and 55 years on the road, Don has had an amazing career. Harmonica player, singer-songwriter and actor he has headlined with Tom Jones and Van Morrison, acted opposite Daniel Day-Lewis in the Oscar Nominated “In the Name of the Father” and been declared by Bono as “The greatest harmonica player in the World!”
In April 2022 he releases his album, “Legacy”, his first ever collection of harmonica instrumentals as recorded by Don over the last 40 years. After two years off the road he tours his new “Blues Man Tour” which features stories of his life on the road coupled with the legendary performance that has engaged, enchanted and charmed audiences over the years.
You can hear the gritty emotion in his playing, it isn’t phoned in, it is felt, experienced.
Sunday Independent
Born and bred in Dublin, Don Baker first learnt to play harmonica as a young lad in hospital recovering from a bout of TB. While convalescing, unable to go out like the other boys of his age, he immersed himself in The Blues and most especially The Blues Harmonica listening to the recordings Sonny Boy Williamson and Howlin’ Wolf.
Fifty years on and Don is still immersed, still listening, still performing to the songs of Blues legends and adding to the Blues canon with songs and compositions of his own as he developed his talent from musician to gifted songwriter in his own right. Indeed his songs have been recorded by scores of other artists including Sinead O’Connor, Charlie McCoy, Finbar Furey, Declan O’Rourke and Liam O’Maonlai. He has released fifteen albums and shared stages with Tom Jones, Sinead O’Connor and Van Morrison.
As an actor Don played opposite three-time Oscar Winner Daniel Day-Lewis in “In the Name of the Father” and in “Mia, Liebe meines Lebens” opposite Claudia Cardinale while on television he portrayed gangster Thomas Flynn in RTÉ’s “Fair City”.
But it is while performing on stage, back immersed in The Blues that Bono’s favourite harmonica player really comes to life. Don is first and foremost a true entertainer.
