By Craig M. Cortello

    Take a guitar player from the rhythm and blues pinnacle of the 1950s, sprinkle in the styles of a smattering of influential blues guitarists, overlay funk rhythms, and a uniquely soulful vocal style, and the sum total is Walter “Wolfman” Washington – a staple musician of the New Orleans scene for more than a half of a century.
    Washington’s musical origins can actually be traced to church-based music. “I started off in the choir with my mom,” he recalled. “In my neighborhood, there were a couple of cats that wanted to start a vocal group. Since all of our parents were church-going people, we thought about having a spiritual group called The True Lovin’ Four Gospel Singers.”
    The next step was to determine who would be the best person to learn to play the guitar, and Washington volunteered. His uncle gave him his first, an acoustic Gibson guitar. Reflecting back on those humble beginnings, he seemed somewhat awed by his own body of work and career.
    “I didn’t think that I would get as far as I have. When I got an invitation to go on the road with Lee Dorsey – seeing all of these big lights and theaters made me feel good about it.”
    Washington was still in his teens when he began touring with Dorsey, best known for his 1960s hits “Working in a Coal Mine” and “Ya-Ya.” Music provided a doorway to the world, one that Washington was eager to explore. “I had never been out of New Orleans before,” he said of that experience. “To travel really excited me. It made me really want to play music.”
    In addition to Dorsey, he also performed during various periods with Irma Thomas, David Lastie, and Johnny Adams before setting out with his own band. While those R&B and jazz artists influenced his music, guitarists such as B.B. King, Snooks Eaglin, and Wayne Bennett were influencing his playing style.
    And from those influences came a sound that is distinctively his own. “It’s just a sound that I have that I developed, listening to cats and figuring out how I could be different,” he said. “And once I found a way of playing that is recognizable, I went for it.”
    His current collection of music mates is known as the Roadmasters, and Washington articulated the qualities that he feels are important in assembling a band, primarily the ability to communicate through the language of music.
    “I look for cats that understand the music, but also that understand how to have a conversation in the process,” he said. He further analogized, “A drummer is supposed to always know the question marks and the exclamation points. You’ve got to have a real imagination about what the song is representing and how it’s supposed to be played. If you have an imagination about the question mark and the periods and the exclamation points, you are able to improvise what you feel inside –what you understand is happening about the song.”
    Hurricane Katrina presented its share of challenges for Washington, as he remained in New Orleans for twelve days before evacuating to Ohio. He later reconnected with members of his band in Memphis before returning to New Orleans and resuming live performances.
    In addition to playing with his own band the Roadmasters, Washington plays frequently with a trio that consists of Joe Krown (Hammond B-3 organ) and Russell Batiste, Jr. (drums and background vocals). The trio released a live CD recorded at the Maple Leaf in 2008.
    Washington’s 2008 CD, Doin’ the Funky Thing, was recorded at New Orleans’ Word of Mouth Studio. It is a ten-song collection that represents his initial foray as his own producer and is a demonstration of his development as a complete artist. He expressed the joy that comes with that artistic freedom of calling your own shots.
    “It was wonderful making that CD,” he said affectionately. “I did it on my own. I didn’t have a company to project it. I had never done anything like that before. It was a thrill.”
    Perhaps a result of the desire to construct an enduring legacy as he turns reflective later in a career, Washington expressed a greater commitment to his original compositions moving forward.
    “I’m trying to establish some new songs,” said Washington. “At one time I was doing mostly top ten songs. Now I would like to write my own material.”
    Washington’s new CD expresses optimism with respect to the musical recovery of the Crescent City, primarily due to the commitment from and emergence of younger artists. 
    “Listening to some of the young musicians that have capitalized on what the older musicians have started, most of them have decided that they do want to come back to New Orleans. It’s open season for the young musicians to put their input into the music of New Orleans.”
    Young musicians in New Orleans generally have a healthy respect for those who have preceded them, a historical perspective that fosters a sense of community among the local musicians.
    “A lot of young cats come up to me and say thank you for keeping the music alive for us,” Washington said gratifyingly. “New Orleans is known for unique musicians that play music that’s different from all of the other places that have musicians. In New Orleans, musicians appreciate their elders. It’s a wonderful thing.” 
    For the sake of visitors to New Orleans who might be unfamiliar with his inimitable sound, he offered this modest preview. “I want them to know that the music is funky, and it’s for real.”
    Walter “Wolfman” Washington will be performing on the Congo Square Stage Sunday, April 25 at 11:20AM.