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Walter "Wolfman"
Washington
Official
Website
Myspace
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.
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.
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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Joe
Krown
Official
Website
Joe Krown moved to New
Orleans in 1992 after honing
his keyboard skills in the
Northeast. Since that time,
he has built a strong
reputation as first-call
organist and pianist in the
Crescent City. He won the
2001 Big Easy Award in the
Blues category. He is an
endorsee for Hammond Suzuki
Keyboards. Krown and The Joe
Krown Organ Combo made their
television debut on
Louisiana Jukebox in
February 2000, which was
broadcast in metro New
Orleans, Baton Rouge,
Shreveport, Opelousas, LA;
Memphis, TN; Cleveland; OH
and Austin, TX. He was a
recent featured artist on
LouisianaRadio.com. Krown
was highlighted in a feature
article in the September
2000 issue of OffBEAT
Magazine. Krown's third
compact disc, Buckle Up, was
picked as the #4 CD of 2000
by The Times-Picayune's
music critic, in the article
Best of 2000 CDs. OffBEAT
Magazine also selected
Buckle Up as one of the Top
20 CDs of 2000. Krown was
also named "Best
Keyboardist, Editor's
Choice," by
NewOrleans.CitySearch.com.
Additionally, Krown has been
a featured artist on the New
Orleans Radio, Louisiana
Radio, and most recently on
InsideNewOrleans websites.
The Joe Krown Organ Combo
released its latest CD, Funk
Yard, in May 2002 at the
House of Blues in New
Orleans. Krown returns to
the piano for his upcoming
2003 CD release, New Orleans
Piano Rolls.
Krown has held the keyboard
chair with the Clarence "Gatemouth"
Brown Band since 1992, and
is featured on the
chart-topping The Man, Gate
Swings, American Music,
Texas Style and Back to
Bogalusa albums. Since
September 1996, he's held
the Traditional Piano Night
slot at the Maple Leaf Bar
in New Orleans, which was
once occupied by Professor
Longhair and James Booker.
Krown followed that strong
tradition with his debut
solo release Just the
Piano...Just the Blues
(1998). In 1998, he formed
the Joe Krown Organ Combo,
which makes regular
appearances in New Orleans
at such noted clubs as the
Maple Leaf, House of Blues,
and Storyville District.
Krown's second STR release,
Down & Dirty (1999),
explores classic organ combo
material reminiscent of
Booker T., Jimmy Smith,
Jimmy McGriff and others.
Krown's Buckle Up (2000)
follows his Down & Dirty
release as another outing
featuring his mighty Hammond
B-3 organ. He called on the
talents of the finest
musicians in New Orleans to
give life to this set of
seven originals and four
carefully selected standard
organ tunes. Original Meters
bassist George Porter, Jr.
and Dr. John drummer Herman
Ernest form a solid and
funky rhythm section for
organist Krown, saxophonist
Eric Traub and guitarists
John Fohl and Clarence "Gatemouth"
Brown to cut loose with
groovy melodies and strong
solos.
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Russell
Batiste
Official
Website
Myspace
His father, David Batiste, was
leader of a family band, David
Batiste and the Gladiators, credited
by many with being one of the most
pioneering funk bands. The Batiste
family is one of New Orleans' most
prolific musical families, with the
Batiste Brothers Band and David
Batiste and the Gladiators now
playing regularly. Batiste children
and grandchildren can be found
playing with scores of other bands
as well as leading their own
projects.
Russell began playing drums at age
four and began sitting in with the
family band at age seven. He was
playing saxophone in the school band
by fifth grade and can now hold his
own on keyboards, trumpet, bass and
guitar. He attended St. Augustine
High School and was a member of the
nationally known Marching One
Hundred Band, playing in the drum
section and writing cadences that
are still heard during Mardi Gras
parade season even today. He
attended Southern University of New
Orleans on a music scholarship,
studying under the renown Edward
"Kidd" Jordan. He left collage after
two years when he began traveling
with the Charmaine Neville Band. He
continues his love of marching bands
by acting as assistant director of
Redeemer-Seaton High School when his
schedule permits.
Russell left the Charmaine Neville
Band in 1989 to join with Art
Neville and George Porter Jr. of the
Meters and guitarist Brian Stoltz to
form the Funky Meters. Russell was
with George Porter and the Runnin'
Pardners for many years and has
played with a wide variety of
performers including Harry Connick,
Jr., Champion Jack Dupree, Robbie
Robertson, Maceo Parker as well as
local and regional bands too
numerous to mention. Along with Vida
Blue and his own band, Russell
Batiste and the Orchestra from da
Hood, he continues to play with the
popular PBS Porter Batiste and
Stoltz and the Funky Meters.
Russell Batiste and the Orchestra
from Da Hood is Russell's own
project. The core band is eight
members strong but at different
times the group may grow to include
as many as twelve or more. All the
music is written and arranged by
Russell, including all of the
intricate horn parts. The band plays
all types of music including
straight ahead and smooth jazz,
funk, reggae, rock and even a cajun
flavored waltz dedicated to his
grandfather who hails from Cajun
country.
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