Walter "Papoose" Nelson

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Walter "Papoose" Nelson (born July 26, 1932 in New Orleans , Louisiana , as Walter Charles Nelson Jr. , † February 28, 1962 in New York City , New York ) was an American rhythm and blues guitarist and Arranger who played with Professor Longhair for about a year from 1949 and was a member of Fats Domino's backing band until his death . The ambivalently assessed Nelson was a close friend and teacher of the Dr. John the famous musician Mac Rebennack .

biography

family

Building of the former Bar Picou in Tremé (2018)

"Papoose" Nelson was born in New Orleans in 1932. His father was the occasional musician Walter Nelson Sr. (1904–1984), known locally as "Black Walter" or "Guitar Black", who played as a guitarist with the R&B singer Smiley Lewis , among others ; his mother was Edna, geb. Clevin. "Papoose" Nelson had seven siblings. His four years younger brother was Lawrence Nelson (1936-1963), who had a national hit at the beginning of the 1960s under the name Prince La La as an R&B singer with the self-written song She Put The Hurt On Me . The family environment also included the R&B singer Jessie Hill , who was married to a sister of “Papoose” Nelson. Walter Nelson Jr. was nicknamed "Papoose" when he was a toddler. In American English, it stands for Indian baby.

Nelson grew up with the family in the 9th Ward , the ninth district of his hometown, which was considered a social hotspot at the time. There were close relationships especially with the Tremé district in the vicinity of the French Quarter . Either his mother or father organized the bar at Bar Picou , owned by clarinetist Alphonse Picou , which attracted many African-American and Creole R&B musicians.

According to the musician Mac Rebennack, who knew the Nelson family since the early 1950s, had "Papoose" a "miserable youth" ( miserable youth ). He and his brother Lawrence had "very, very hard lives" in a violent environment. "Papoose" was the family's scapegoat and as a child was "constantly killed by everyone".

In the 1950s there was an estrangement between Nelson and his family; a source says the family disowned him. Some companions attributed this to his increasing consumption of narcotics. At the end of the decade he married the New Orleans native Earline Hall (1937-2018), with whom he had four children. The marriage lasted until Nelson's death.

Narcotics addiction

Nelson had been addicted to narcotics since the late 1940s. While working for Professor Longhair from 1949 to 1950, the addiction intensified. Professor Longhair often played in "seedy establishments" during this time. It was in this environment that Nelson came into contact with heroin and quickly developed an addiction that lasted to the end of his life. According to Mac Rebennack, dope was Nelson's “only buddy” besides the music: he regularly tipped heroin in the mornings, “ smoked weed ( marijuana ), consumed four Bennies ( amphetamines , an amphetamine) and five reds ( secobarbital , a barbiturate ), and a few Drank beer. He just needed that to wake up. "

In the 1950s, Nelson was jailed many times for possession of narcotics. Fats Domino "whenever he could" paid the bail or the fine for him.

death

Place of death. Theresa Hotel in Harlem, New York

Nelson died on Ash Wednesday 1962 at the age of 29 at the Hotel Theresa in Harlem , where he stayed with the band of Fats Domino during a tour. The cause of death was a heroin overdose.

On March 10, 1962, the funeral service took place in the Tremé district and in the French Quarter. The funeral procession was led by Harold Dejan's Olympia Brass Band . A source claims other bands have refused to participate because of the Tremé neighborhood's bad reputation and fear of violence.

A year and a half after "Papoose", his younger brother Lawrence "Prince La La" also died of a heroin overdose. In his case, however, the circumstances of death - unlike "Papoose", whose narcotics dependence was widely known - viewed as mysterious.

Musical work

"Papoose" Nelson learned to play the guitar from his father. Unlike a number of other studio musicians of his time, he could read sheet music.

Professor Longhair

Since 1949 Nelson was a member of the band of the R&B musician Professor Longhair, who was already a big name in the French Quarter of New Orleans in the early post-war period . Professor Longhair preferred to play at the Caldonia Inn , which was on the same street as the Picou Bar . He had known "Papose's" father Walter Nelson Sr. since the early 1940s and claimed in an interview in 1978 that Nelson Sr. had "taught him a few bars" and "inspired" him musically. Out of gratitude, he then accepted his then 17-year-old “Papoose” into his band.

In Professor Longhair's band, Nelson played alongside saxophonist Robert Parker and drummer Al Miller. He took over the lead guitar on Professor Longhair's first recordings. These include all four recordings for the Texan star talent label from November 1949 (as "Professor Longhair and his Shuffling Hungarians") and nine pieces that were released in November or December 1949 with an expanded band for Atlantic Records (as "Professor Longhair And His New Orleans Boys ”) were recorded. In addition, the band also made numerous live appearances in New Orleans and the surrounding area.

Fats dominoes

Fats dominoes

After a year with Professor Longhair, Nelson became a member of Fats Domino's band in late 1950, which was led by Dave Bartholomew and at that time consisted of Buddy Hagans, Billy Diamond , Cornelius Coleman and Wendell Duconge. Professor Longhair later claimed that he placed Nelson at Fats Domino because he had no engagements at the time and was unable to pay him. Nelson stayed with Domino for more than a decade, but returned several times to Professor Longhair for individual assignments, including four studio recordings for Federal Records in December 1951.

In January 1951, Tired of Crying and What's The Matter Baby were the first recordings for Fats Domino, in which Nelson was involved. By June 1959 he played lead guitar on around 70 other recordings for Imperial Records , including world hits such as Blueberry Hill , I'm Walkin ' , Ain't That A Shame , All by Myself and Blue Monday . Nelson was absent from some of the other domino classics because repeated imprisonment prevented continuous work. Nelson also contributed to the arrangement of individual recordings such as I'm Walkin ' .

In addition to his work for Fats Domino, Nelson also played for Dave Bartholomew's own productions at times; he was also heard on early recordings of Clarence "Frogman" Henry .

After Nelson's death, Roy Montrell took over the lead guitar at Fats Domino. Montrell was also addicted to drugs and died of a heroin overdose in 1979 while on a concert tour in the Netherlands .

Papoose Nelson as a singer

In the fall of 1961, Nelson's only vocal recording was made. He sang the song Why Did We Have To Part for Federal Records , which was released as the B-side of the Chicken Twist , composed by Fats Dominos saxophonist Herb Hardesty and recorded with members of the Domino band. The single was released after Nelson's death in May 1962. Why Did We Have To Part was Nelson's last record.

Appreciation

Papoose Nelson's skills as a guitarist are rated differently.

Fats Domino thought Nelson was his best guitarist alongside Roy Montrell. Dave Bartholomew, Dominos Bandleader, described Papoose in retrospect as a "great musician". According to drummer Lionel Batiste , “Papoose” Nelson surpassed both his father and brother “La La”. Billy Diamond, Dominos bassist and tour manager, said Nelson's driving style was the backbone of the band. According to Mac Rebennack, "Papoose" Nelson was "way above any other guitar player". He reinvented playing the guitar. However, "Papoose" had its best time in the phase with Professor Longhair, before his narcotics addiction became commonplace.

The studio owner Cosimo Matassa first met Nelson through Fats Domino. He thought he was an average musician. Nelson only played the guitar parts on the Fats Domino records "because he was part of Domino's band". He did not contribute anything to the overall work that another musician could not have contributed. Alvin "Red" Tyler , Fats Dominos saxophonist, also did not have a high opinion of Nelson and preferred other guitarists like Edgar Blanchard or Ernest McLean .

Papoose Nelson and Mac Rebennack

“Papoose” Nelson influenced, among others, the white musician Mac Rebennack. He was Rebennack's first guitar teacher and, according to Rebennack, also his best. Nelson gave Rebennack, who was still a teenager at the time, his first assignments as a studio musician. In retrospect, Papoose Nelson is often described as Rebennack's tutor .

literature

  • Tom Aswell: Louisiana Rocks !: The True Genesis of Rock and Roll, Pelican Publishing, 2010, ISBN 9781455607839
  • John Broven: Rhythm and Blues in New Orleans , Pelican Publishing Company, Inc., 2016, ISBN 9781455619528
  • Gérard Herzhaft: Encyclopedia of the Blues , Hannibal, 1998, ISBN 9783854451327
  • Grace Lichtenstein, Laura Dankner: Musical Gumbo: The Music of New Orleans , WW Norton, 1993, ISBN 9780393034684
  • Per Oldaeus: Walter Nelson Sr. and Family , in: Lynn Abbott (Ed.): The Jazz Archivist, Volume 26 (2013), pp. 28 ff.

Web links

http://www.bmansbluesreport.com/2013/02/she-aint-got-no-hair-walter-papoose.html

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Jerry Brock: In Memory: Uncle Lionel Batiste , in: Kim Vaz-Deville (Ed.): Walking Raddy: The Baby Dolls of New Orleans , University Press of Mississippi, 2018, ISBN 9781496817433 , p. 179.
  2. ↑ Chart information on www.billboard.com (accessed June 15, 2020).
  3. ↑ The sources are inconsistent on this. In his documentation Walter Nelson Sr. and Family , in: Lynn Abbott (Ed.): The Jazz Archivist, Volume 26 (2013), Per Oldaeus cites both versions at various points (for the father p. 29, for the mother p. 34).
  4. ↑ a b John Broven: Rhythm and Blues in New Orleans , Pelican Publishing Company, Inc., 2016, ISBN 9781455619528 , p 93rd
  5. ↑ Obituary for Earline Hall Nelson (accessed June 12, 2020)
  6. ↑ a b c d e f She ain't got no hair - Walter Papoose Nelson, Professor Longhair : The story of Walter Papoose Nelson and Professor Longhair at www.bmansbluesreport.com (accessed June 9, 2020).
  7. ↑ Per Oldaeus: Walter Nelson Sr. and Family , in: Lynn Abbott (Ed.): The Jazz Archivist, Volume 26 (2013), p. 32.
  8. ↑ a b c d R.L. Reeves Jr .: Notes On Early Rock n Roll Guitarist Walter "Papoose" Nelson. www.scrumptiouschef.com, May 11, 2020, accessed June 14, 2020 .
  9. ↑ a b c Per Oldaeus: Walter Nelson Sr. and Family , in: Lynn Abbott (Ed.): The Jazz Archivist, Volume 26 (2013), p. 33.
  10. ^ Mick Burns, Keeping the Beat on the Street: The New Orleans Brass Band Renaissance , LSU Press, 2008, ISBN 9780807133330 , p. 67.
  11. ^ Prince La La at www.discogs.com (accessed June 9, 2020).
  12. ^ Obituary for Oliver Morgan in the Philadelphia Inquirer, August 4, 2007 (accessed June 9, 2020).
  13. ↑ a b Karen Ann Krieger: Learn From the Legends: Blues Keyboard, Great Licks and Interviews with the Stars , Alfred Music Publishing, 2000, ISBN 9780739009611 , p. 59.
  14. ↑ Per Oldaeus: Walter Nelson Sr. and Family , in: Lynn Abbott (Ed.): The Jazz Archivist, Volume 26 (2013), p. 28.
  15. ↑ Steve Sullivan: Encyclopedia of Great Popular Song Recordings , Volume 3, Rowman & Littlefield, 2017, ISBN 9781442254497 , p. 220.
  16. ↑ Per Oldaeus: Walter Nelson Sr. and Family , in: Lynn Abbott (Ed.): The Jazz Archivist, Volume 26 (2013), p. 31.
  17. ↑ Rick Coleman: Blue Monday. Fats Domino and the Lost Dawn of Rock 'n' Roll . 1st edition. Da Capo Press, Cambridge 2006, ISBN 978-0-306-81531-7 , New Orleans Ain't the Same, pp. 165 ff .
  18. ↑ https://www.discogs.com/Herb-Hardesty-The-Chicken-Twist-Why-Did-We-Have-To-Part/release/8725916 Information about The Chicken Twist / Why Did We Have To Part on the Website www.discogs.com (accessed June 16, 2020).
  19. ↑ Michael Hurtt: BackTalk: Fats Domino (interview). www.offbeat.com, June 1, 2004, accessed June 15, 2020 .
  20. ^ A b Paul Gambaccini: The Doctor Is In: A Talk With Dr. John , Rolling Stone Magazine, September 1973.
  21. ↑ a b Bunny Matthews: The Peculiar Reality of Dr. John. www.offbeat.com, February 1, 2000, accessed June 14, 2020 .
  22. ^ Gavin Edwards: Dr. John, of Voodoo Beads, Feathers and New Orleans Sound, Dies at 77.www.nytimes.com, June 6, 2019, accessed June 12, 2020 .
personal data
SURNAME Nelson, Walter Papoose
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Nelson, Walter Charles Jr.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American musician
DATE OF BIRTH July 26, 1932
PLACE OF BIRTH New Orleans , Louisiana , USA
DATE OF DEATH February 28, 1962
Place of death New York City , USA