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Walter Wolfman Washington has been
an icon on the New Orleans music scene for decades. His searing
guitar work and soulful vocals have defined the Crescent Citys
unique musical hybrid of R&B, funk and the blues since he
formed his first band in the 1970s.
Washington began his career during the fertile
heyday of the 1950s Rhythm and Blues period that spawned dozens
of Number 1 songs and made New Orleans the recording destination
of choice for hit makers like Ray Charles and Little Richard.
Born in 1943, Washington was on the road by his late teens spending
over two years backing the great vocalist Lee Dorsey who was touring
in support of his smash hits, Ride Your Pony and Working
in a Coalmine.
His tenure with Dorsey took him to all of the great
music halls in America including appearances at the famed Apollo
Theater in Harlem. Before he went out on his own with his Solar
System band, he also did stints with acclaimed New Orleans songstress
Irma Thomas as well as with the legendary jazzman David Lasties
Taste of New Orleans band.
During the 1970s, Washington began a 20-year association
with one of the most important vocalists to hail from Louisiana-
the late, great Johnny Adams. Dubbed the Tan Canary
for his peerless vocal stylings, Adams was a mentor of sorts to
Washington who developed his singing style while the two worked
together at back-of-town clubs including a long stint at the famed
Dorothys Medallion in the Mid City section of New Orleans.
When Washington formed his first band as a leader
he was often pigeonholed into the blues genre. But by taking his
cues from the likes of Dorsey, Thomas, Adams and the jazzman Lastie,
his sound reflects the full range of music from New Orleans. He
certainly can howl the blues, hence his nickname, but his musical
talents have always defined pure Crescent City soul. In later
years, with the second rise of funk, Washington fully embraced
that genre as well.
Seeing Walter Wolfman Washington perform
with his current outfit, the Roadmasters, is akin to taking a
history lesson on black music in America with the exception that
sitting down and taking notes is not an option. With his breadth
of experience and seemingly endless repertoire, each of his highly
danceable shows is one-of-a-kind. Like the greatest jazzmen, Washington
channels his everyday life into his music. Depending on the setting,
the band plays the blues, R&B, soul, funk, jazz and everything
in between with pure heart.
Washington, like Adams before him, is a great interpreter
of song. He inhabits each number whether its a soulful ballad
or a funk rave up. His gift of interpretation allows him to bring
his own spirit to the composition while always exposing the true
sentiments of the lyrics to the audience.
While Washington had to hone his vocal gifts learning
phrasing and presence, his guitar playing has been without compare
since the early days of his career. As a rhythm player he provides
just the right tension to support his band members when they take
their solos. But it is during his moments in the spotlight that
Washington really shines. When he plays lead guitar, jaws often
drop in the audience as he spins out highly nuanced solos that
build in intensity or spiral around a central theme. Of course,
thats before he even begins to play with his teeth!
Walter Wolfman Washington has earned
numerous accolades over his long career, but he is not one to
sit back on his laurels. He maintains a heavy schedule playing
with the Roadmasters as well as with his trio, the Chosen Few.
As if that were not enough, he also recently began a successful
collaboration with some local jazzmen including the trumpeter
James Andrews.
So the circle of New Orleans music comes full.
Equally adept in virtually any genre, Washington stands out in
a city full of great musicians for his unique style and uncommon
grace as a guitarist, bandleader and vocalist.
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