Winston Walls, the baddest of the bad.

When you think of the organ, generally you think of Church on Sunday, baseball games, or really old movies.These days when I think of the organ, I've got blinders on for man only...
Winston Walls.
"Dad," is truly one of the greatest musicians of my life, he is a force that even Darth Vader couldn't deal with. Winston makes an organ scream to life, and roar with the kind of excitement that makes you think that he's making serious love to this instrument.
I first met my "other Dad" in 1971 when I came to the Charleston area as a student at West Virginia State College. He was holding everybody's attention at the Athletic Club. My real Dad and I had come to Charleston after I got settled in at my dormitory. He and I were going to celebrate my going to college.
Arriving at the club there was a line of people who looked as though if they weren't admitted some terror would seriously arise. One guy even told the doorman "man you better let me in this place, I ain't BS'in." After we got in all we could see were women dressed to the nines sitting by the stage with their legs crossed and looking very wantonly at the man on stage.
Winston didn't waste a minute of their time either, he mowed them down with some incredible music and even more incredible musicianship. It was like being at the circus and watching the trapeze artist mesmerize everyone.
Well, I jumped up out my seat on his break and went right up to him and introduced myself, and told him that I played the saxophone and that I also am a singer, so he invited me up to sing. "Ode to Billy Joe" was the song and we took Billy Joe uptown baby. Winston and I have been "Dad and Son" friends ever since.
Over the years Winston has been a mainstay in my life. There have been a number of times when I was ready to quit playing music, as well as a number of reasons, but I can still hear Winston in my ears telling me "Cholly (as he calls me...) don't ever give this music up, you're too good at what you do ( I'm actually sitting here right now crying, at the thought of how much he has inspired me...I'm so lucky to know this man) ."
Here's a funny story and a testament to how much we value anything that Winston has to say:
When the Carpenter Ants were in the studio recording our 2nd CD "Picnic With The Lord," we decided that we wanted Winston to play on the CD, so we got him to town ( he lives in Florida during the Winter months). For more than a few years Michael Lipton and I argued and argued over a standpoint in one of the songs that we do called "Workin' On a Building." Mike argued that when we sang the song, that the "harmonies didn't sound right."I argued that it was right because it was dissonant, although, I never elaborated on why that dissonance was good. Fast forward back to the recording session...here we are in the familiar argument again only this time Winston is there, so we turn to him for advice, which at first he was reluctant to give. "I'm just here to play what you want." After some considerable badgering from Michael, Winston says "goddammit, if you want to play some Nigger music, this is how you play it," and proceeds to play it the very way that I've sung it for years. He says dissonance, goddammit, is how you play Black music. Only a person that brilliant would bother to show you your shortcomings, and really make you take notice.

"Dad," you are forever my musical hero, as well as one of my dearest friends, I thank you for all of your gifts to me as a musician, and as a man. Thank you for all that you've taught me.

Be sure to pick up a copy of Winston's great CD entitled "Boss Of the B-3." It's available at most music stores and online.