RIP Bassist Walter Payton

[jeffcrom]

I just found out that the great New Orleans bassist Walter Payton died last week at the age of 68. I know that he had a stroke in January, and had not been in great health since.

Like many New Orleans musicians of his generation, Mr. Payton was equally at home with modern jazz, traditional jazz, and R & B. He played on the original recordings of Aaron Neville's "Tell It Like It Is" and Lee Dorsey's "Working In a Coal Mine." In recent years, Payton had alternated with Ben Jaffe as one of the bassists in the main Preservation Hall Jazz Band; he can be heard on their last two CDs, "New Orleans Preservation, Vol. 1" and "Preservation." He led his own bands, The Snap Bean Band and The Gumbo Filé Band, and was the father of trumpeter Nicholas Payton.

I was privileged to see Mr. Payton perform on several occasions, in New Orleans and elsewhere. His playing was always rock-solid, and his singing and stage presence were very entertaining. So long to another New Orleans great.

Edited November 7, 2010 by jeffcrom

[papsrus]

Kind words Jeff.

Thanks for posting this.