In 1987, I went on assignment from the Christian Science Monitor to the New Orleans Jazz Fest. The idea was not so much to cover the festival itself, but to try and find some local music in its natural setting. I wrote about that trip on this blog in 2011.
As noted in that entry, I was fortunate to hear about Walter Polite, living out in New Iberia. My photographer Donna Paul and I found our way to his house, where Walter lived with his family. He greeted us warmly and we sat happily on his front porch as he played and sang for us, including Hey Lucile, My Baby Don't Wear no Shoes, Don't You Mess With My Tutu and more.
I recently got a message from Keyona Hippolite, Walter's great-grandson, saying he'd seen the article and asking if I still had the audio, as his grandmother wanted to use it for a tribute to Walter they are holding.soon. So, I dug into the archives and found it.
Bear in mind that this is a 30-year old cassette recording. The audio starts out rough, but after a few minutes, it evens out. This is some beautiful, down-home, yet sophisticated music, from the hands and voice of a master.
LISTEN HERE
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