Walter Payton:

***07/14 - no year***

00:05 - August 23rd, 1942; Nobody in his immediate family played music
-Great grandfather Henry Payton played; Grew up in New Orleans

02:00 - Mardi Gras night was the first time he went to Benny's; Jazz Fest

03:00 - He started playing music in 4th grade; He'd see brass bands pass by
-His grandmother (who raised him) bought him a trumpet; Played in school band

04:30 - Talk about Ellis Marsalis; Ellis played saxophone then piano

05:50 - He played trumpet for 6 months, then the sousaphone (tuba)
-Went see American Jazz Quintet with Ellis Marsalis and James Moody then he wanted to play upright bass
-The Haven on Claiborne St.

09:00 - String bass; Learned to read music early; Easy transition from sousaphone to bass
10:40 - He'd play with anybody who'd call; Rock groups in bars

11:20 - In college, he started sitting in with bigger groups; He went to Xavier University
-Music major and now a music teacher; They talk about the amount of talent in New Orleans

13:00 - Larry talks about Baltimore talent

13:55 - Talks about Xavier; Singing in the chorus
-Played bass for an opera; Bob Rohe was his teacher - member of New Orleans Symphony

15:30 - Playing after college; Richard Payne played with American Jazz Quintet
-Playboys Club on Iberville; 1964-1966; He'd fill in for Richard on bass

18:30 - Al Hirt had a club (Now it's Ripley's Believe It Or Not); Pete Fountain club

19:00 - Started doing session work; Did a lot with Allen Toussaint; Lee Dorsey
-Robert Parker "Barefootin'"; Red Tyler, June Gardner, George Davis, Deacon Jones

21:15 - Old Cosmo Studio; That studio closed late 1960s
22:40 - Sessions with Irma Thomas, Al Johnson; People would call him if they needed a bass player

23:50 - Started teaching in 1966
-Was playing regularly with Guitar Ray and the Unforgettables (George Raymond Washington, Earl King's brother-in-law)
-R&B and blues; Stopped playing with him until about 1970

26:15 - Composing; Plays a little piano

27:00 - After college, he stopped doing lessons; Went back to college for graduate school
-Started gigging at the Blue Room with Leon Kelner around 1970-1971

28:40 - He was gigging at night, teaching, and going to school
29:20 - Started doing less rock; Played with the house band at The Black Knight (Night?) in Metarie; Continued playing with brass band
30:53 - New Orleans Ragtime Orchestra around 1972; First European tour in 1974; Joplin's "The Entertainer" was popular at the time
32:25 - The did the "Pretty Baby" soundtrack and were briefly in the movie; Another movie called "French Quarter"
33:35 - He was still on call for session work; Not as much as the 1960s; The ragtime group mostly toured
34:14 - Jazz Festival; He would play with 10 or 11 groups; Still plays occasionally with the New Orleans Ragtime Orchestra
35:45 - Preservation Hall; His house previously belonged to Jim Robinson; Played at the Dewdrop with Guitar Ray; Bobby Blue Bland
37:40 - Dewdrop; Musicians used to hangout, eat, and jam there; Johnny Adams; They'd jam until 7 am
38:40 - 1980s; Worked on a show called One More Time
39:15 - Funerals; Documentary by a group from Canada; Jacques Ledoux (?); 10 piece brass band
40:40 - Touring in Scotland

41:20 - Starting composing; He went to the Joffrey Ballet - The Rite of Spring by Stravinsky
-This inspired him to start composing; He composed music for a documentary about the school system

44:20 - Father's Day gig; He still likes the old R&B stuff