Walter Wolfman Washington - Feel So At Home (2023) Tipitinas Record Club - Rare Blues (FLAC 184MB)

This posthumously released recording, is a fitting end to a wonderful life and career. For the uninitiated, Walter’s musical career started in the 1950s in New Orleans, and probably hit its zenith during the late 80s-early 90s when Walter recorded several remarkable albums for Rounder Records, and appeared as a sideman for the label on many others (most notably for the Tan Canary, Johnny Adams). For this last album, Walter knew he was sick, and that he probably would not see its actually release. Still, he had a plan for what he wanted the recording to be – the next step in the evolution of his career had taken on his penultimate release, My Future Is My Past. On that recording, Walter’s guitar work shared equal billing with his vocals. For his last record, he wanted to even more center the album on his vocals, but also to adopt a style for the overall recording that resembled the jazz stylings on Johnny Hartman. In my opinion, he more than succeeded in doing this, and the album is simply beautiful...In the aftermath of Katrina, I lived a couple of houses down the street from one of New Orleans’ iconic neighborhood bars, Buffa’s. During those years, Walter drove a large, older model, pink Cadillac, distinctive in style, so you usually could find where he was hanging on any given night. I often saw him nursing a drink and playing the video poker machines at that bar. Despite his oversized stage presence, Walter was somewhat quiet off stage, so I respected his “alone” time in the bar. One night though, Walter spent more time sitting at the bar than he did at the machines, and we struck up a conversation. We spent a couple of hours trading anecdotes about common acquaintances and our lives in New Orleans. He even had me sit next to him at the video poker machines and taught me his “system” for winning – which did yield me a $50 profit for the night. While I really enjoyed that evening and hold the memory dear to me, I just assumed that it was another everyday occurrence for Walter. Fast forward to many years later, and I’ve already left NO and the US for Europe. I did take on a consulting gig for some US businessmen who are opening a NO Music Museum. As part of this project I made a few trips to NO, and on one such trip, I was given a piece of paper with a phone number penciled on it, with the request that I call it. When I did, I found out it was Walter’s wife, who requested that I accompany her on her next day visit to Walter’s hospital room. Shocked, I readily said yes and was even more surprised on meeting him (again) that he recalled our night at the bar, and asked if I could make sure that his bio was correct if he ever got into the NO Music Hall of Fame. And, you can bet that he will be one of the inaugural inductees, and that his bio will meet every single thing he requested that it include..........RIP, Walter. You are missed, my man, but the last gift you gave us does go a long way in soothing our souls.

Pmac

Thank you Pmac for a Brilliant forword with illuminating information.. i too have nearly everything he,s recorded album wise,this is the 16th i think ? studio album he recorded and i think you can say he went out with a bang and will go down in the history of that great city New Orleans.

AMM

                                                                                      Courtesy Of Pmac....Thank You!

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