Not with his soul and body band, the Roadmasters, Walter Washington, called Wolfman Washington makes his new album My Future Is My Past, but solo accompanying himself with the guitar and where he considers accompaniment essential with selected studio musicians from the Jazz scene of his hometown New Orleans, as there are among others the drummer Stanton Moore, the pianist David Torkanowsky and the bassist James Singleton. The album was produced by saxophonist Ben Ellman, who decided it was high time for Wolfman Washington to finally present Washington with an intimate album dedicated to his voice. Consistently, there is a ballad as an introduction to the new album, "Lost Mind", presenting Wolfman Washington himself accompanied on the acoustic guitar with a velvet paw-like voice in the footsteps of a Nat King Cole. Moore, Torkanowsky and Singleton then join in "Even Now" to accompany Washington in a duet with Irma Thomas, yes with that Irma Thomas, now 74, who allowed Washington at the tender age of less than 20 and then again and again to accompany her as Sideman. As equal partners, the two deliver "Even Now" as one of the highlights of the album, their voices flattering each other, sometimes completely merging together after they just were underway in completely opposite dimensions. A true masterpiece of jazz singing.
James Singleton is responsible for jazz at its best with his bass positioned at the edge of the stage in the song "What A Difference A Day Makes". Mike Dillon is in action on vibraphone and as drummer. Once again solo is Wolfman Washington on "Safe Your Love for Me," a love song that deeply indulging in emotions causes tear flow in those of gentle minds. In addition to Washington's lithe vocals, "Do not Want To Be A Lone Ranger" features the play of a Hammond B3 under the hands of Jon Cleary, before in the ballad "Steal Away", a traditional Roadmaster title drums and bass Wolfman Washington and his guitar are supported by drums and bass on a pure excursion into the land of jazz.
That Wolfman Washington scores not only in low pitches, but delivers professional vocals up to the falsetto, he demonstrates emphatically in the classic "She's Everything To Me" in an almost insanely quick interaction with guitar-fired chords. More prominently instrumented, "I Cried My Last Tear" pays tribute to the style of jazz always traditionally maintained in New Orleans.
Genuine jazz is transported by "I Just Dropped By To Say Hello" befired on the piano by Steve De Troy, before the album My Future Is My Past runs to its end with the blues "Are You The Lady", a song written by Wolfman Washington loud and clearly calling Da Capo.
Walter Wolfman Washington, guitar, vocals
Stanton Moore, drums
James Singleton, bass
David Torkanowsky, paino
Mike Dillon, vibraphone, percussion, bass marimba
Ivan Neville, Fender Rhodes
Jon Cleary, organ, piano
Steven De Troy, piano
Irma Thomas, vocals on “Even Now”