Walter "Wolfman" Washington & the Roadmasters

Home of the Groove has a tune up by this exemplary outfit. Hearing them, you probably wouldn’t identify their thing with New Orleans at first. They don’t do the linear funk grooves, but have a more complex, cosmopolitan mix of funky soul and a dash of blues with tight arrangements, great horn charts, and good, sometimes jazzy changes. Here’s a brief overview of the group’s album output, most of which is still available, with my recommendations.

After Wolfman recorded his first LP, Leader Of The Pack, for Hep’Me in 1981, he started the Roadmasters. Rounder picked them up in the mid-1980’s; and they made three good records for the label (Wolf Tracks, Out Of The Dark, and Wolf At The Door). Then they did Sada for Pointblank, a few years before Blue Moon Risin’ first came out in Europe (it was reissued in 1999). In 1998, they did one more for Rounder’s Bullseye Blues & Jazz label, Funk Is In The House. They have been without a record deal since and currently have a live CD of a festival gig out (at least I think they put it out – could be a boot). Here are my suggestions:



Best of New Orleans Rhythm & Blues Volume Two: Walter “Wolfman “Washington (Mardi Gras) – This poorly titled CD is a reissue of Washington's first LP, which also had a vinyl re-issue entitled Rainin' In My Life. The only future Roadmaster on it is Wilbert Arnold, Wolfman’s longtime drummer. Sam Henry (of Sam & The Soul Machine) plays organ. It’s a decent album with a couple of fine instrumentals. The Roadmasters redid some of these tunes on later Rounder releases. The extinct Charly label out of the UK also had a CD version of this LP called Get On Up.



Out Of The Dark (Rounder, 1988) – Probably the best of the early Rounder releases and just a great CD. Jon Cleary plays piano throughout. Their funky rendition of “Steal Away” (still my favorite cut) steals the show.



Sada (Pointbank/Virgin, 1991) – It’s out of print; but you can pick it up cheap used. Another fine album that got them nowhere. Such is that bidniz called show.



Blue Moon Risin' (orig. 1995, reissued on Go Jazz, 1999) – A cut from this CD is featured on HOTG. As noted there, this is the alleged final recorded appearance by the JB Horns, as they sit in on almost all tracks. This is a pretty fine CD, but with more blues than the band usually does.



Funk Is In The House (Bullseye Blues & Jazz, 1998) – No doubt, this is their best CD to date, with several hard driving funk instrumental workouts, soulful ballads, and hip r&b in between. Well-recorded by producer Scott Billington, who has brought so much good attention to the work of classic New Orleans artists for Rounder, this is the next best thing to catching them live.



On the Prowl(Rounder, 2000) – A “best of” collection from the group’s first three CDs for the label that doesn’t quite get the actual best. All good, though, if you just want a sampler.

Louisiana Music Factory has some of these available, too. Nothing beats seeing this band live, though; and you can. They gig regularly in the Crescent City and hit the road from time to time. They usually play at Jazzfest; but the Wolfman will be the first to admit that, because they gig so much in those few weeks, his voice can be shot, if you catch him on the last weekend.