Tuts Washington Explained

Isidore "Tuts" Washington (January 24, 1907 – August 5, 1984)^{[1] [2]} was an American blues pianist from New Orleans, Louisiana, United States.^[3]

He taught himself to play the piano at age 10 and studied with the New Orleans jazz pianist Joseph Louis "Red" Cayou.^[4] In the 1920s and 1930s, he was a leading player for dance bands and Dixieland bands in New Orleans. His style blended elements of ragtime, jazz, blues, and boogie-woogie.^[1]

After World War II, Washington joined Smiley Lewis in a trio with drummer Herman Seals.^[4] They released several popular songs for Imperial, including "Tee-Nah-Nah", "The Bells Are Ringing", and "Dirty People". Washington moved to St. Louis to play with Tab Smith.^[1] He returned to New Orleans in the 1960s, performing in restaurants in the French Quarter, in clubs such as Tipitina's and at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. For years he had a regular engagement playing piano at a bar in the Pontchartrain Hotel. He avoided recording for most of his career,^[4] but he released the solo piano album New Orleans Piano Professor for Rounder in 1983.^[1] A live recording by Washington, Live at Tipitina's '78, was released by Night Train International Records in 1998.^[5]

Washington is featured, along with Professor Longhair and Allen Toussaint, in the 1982 documentary film, Piano Players Rarely Ever Play Together.

Washington died on August 5, 1984, after having a heart attack while performing at the World's Fair in New Orleans.^[1]

Discography

New Orleans Piano (with Lemon Nash, ukulele and vocal, incorrectly listed as Charles "Little Red" Lajoie, vocal and banjo)* - 504 Records – 504 CD 32

• "On the Sunny Side of the Street"
• "Muskrat Ramble"
• "Fast Blues #1"*
• "Blue Moon"
• "Basin Street Blues"
• "Some of These Days"*
• "Yancey Special #1"
• "After You've Gone"
• "Early One Morning"*
• "Cow Cow Blues"
• "Pinetop's Boogie"
• "Trouble Trouble"*
• "Tack Head Blues"
• "Yancey Special #2"
• "Indiana"*
• "St. Louis Blues"^[6]

Live At Tipitina's '78 - Night Train International – NTI CD 7101

• "Miss Lucy's Blues"
• "Honky Tonk"
• "Tuts Washington's Blues"
• "Intro & Stardust"
• "When the Saints Come Marching In"
• "Yancey Special"
• "Gravel Road Blues"
• "How High the Moon"
• "Corrine Corrina"
• "Flood Water Blues"
• "Tuts's Rag"
• "Blue Moon"
• "Someone to Watch Over Me"
• "Sweet Georgia Brown"
• "Pool Hall Blues"
• "Tuts's Tee Na Na"
• "Poydras Street"
• "Sweet Georgia Brown" - Reprise
• "After Hours"^[5]

Tuts Washington - New Orleans Piano Professor - Rounder Records – Rounder CD 11501

• "When the Saints Go Marching In"
• "Tin Roof Blues"
• "Arkansas Blues"
• "Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans"
• "Honky Tonk"
• "Wolverine Blues"
• "On the Sunny Side of the Street"
• "Jambalaya"
• "Misty"
• "Mr. Freddie Blues"
• "Stardust"
• "Frankie and Johnny"
• "Hattie Rogers Blues"
• "Georgia on My Mind"
• "Tee Nah Nah"
• "White Christmas"
• "Forty-Four Blues"
• "Blue Moon"
• "Yancey Special"
• "Tipitina"
• "Cherry Pink & Apple Blossom White"
• "Santa Fe Blues"
• "Papa Yellow Blues"^[7]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Ankeny . Jason . Tuts Washington . AllMusic. September 12, 2018.
2. Book: du Noyer . Paul . The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Music . August 22, 2003 . Flame Tree . 978-1904041702 . 181 .
3. Book: The Guinness Who's Who of Blues. Colin Larkin. Guinness Publishing. 1995. Second. 0-85112-673-1. 367–9.
4. Web site: Isidore Tuts Washington . Thebluestrail.com . November 19, 2011.
5. Web site: Live at Tipitina's '78 - Tuts Washington . March 12, 2021. AllMusic.
6. Book: Fancourt . McGrath . Bob . Blues Discography- 1943- 1970 . 2006 . Eyeball Productions . 0968644570 . en.
7. Book: Ford . McGrath . Bob . The Blues Discography, 1971-2000 : The Later Years : A Selective Discography . 2011 . Eyeball Productions . 0986641731 . en.