Tonight, the legendary guitarist and vocalist celebrates a milestone birthday with a slew of special guests at the Maple Leaf Bar.
I first saw “Wolfman” in the early 1980s at the Rose Tattoo, a smoky neighborhood joint with a held-over disco ball, which was located right across Napoleon Avenue from Tipitina’s. His band at the time was called the Solar System, and truth be told, I was more impressed with his drummer, the late Wilbert “Junkyard Dog” Arnold and his rapport with the bass player, Jack Cruz, than I was with Washington.
But over the years I saw the band which remained intact, though their name changed to the Roadmasters, hundreds of times until Arnold retired from performing in 2006. They were the late night act to catch at the Maple Leaf Bar after all the other bands shut down. For more details on this period, get my book!
I watched “Wolf” mature into a powerful, emotional performer. No set was ever the same. In fact, he never played the same song the same way twice. His vocals, which were never his strong suit in the early days, developed. His music, which was basically the blues, matured as well into a unique funky, soulful sound. You could say he was a late bloomer, especially considering his influences as a young man included Ernie K-Doe and Johnny Adams.
Now he is perhaps the most underrated performer in the city. While lesser artists garner far greater praise, Walter “Wolfman” Washington stands out not just for his longevity and connection to the R&B heyday of the 1950s, but for his versatile style.
These days he has two primary outlets. He plays with the horn-driven Roadmasters and with Joe Krown’s organ trio. Some one should book those bands on one bill. Then everyone will know the depth of his talent.
Lots of special guests are included tonight including Stanton Moore, Anders Osborne, and Ivan Neville. The Soul Project, a band led by one of Washington’s many protégés, opens.
