Munka Music - Walter Roland
Walter Roland was born at Ralph, Tuscaloosa County, Alabama on 20 December 1902 (according to his Social Security documents) or 4 December 1903 (according to his death certificate). His surviving daughters state that he was a son of bricklayer Grant Roland and of Della Leatherwood.
Walter Roland was one of the most technically proficient of all blues pianists, and in addition he displayed considerable feeling in his playing and singing. He was also an able guitarist, and recorded several titles backing his own vocals and those of others, playing guitar. His middle daughter, Della, recalls that he also played harp.
Walter Roland was said to have been based in the 1920's or 1930's around Pratt City, near Birmingham, Alabama, but supposedly (from the lyrics to HUNGRY MAN SCUFFLE) met Lucille 'Bessie Jackson' Bogan at 'Slick Rock' (perhaps Sylacauga, Alabama).
More likely, because of his 1933 association with Sonny Scott, and Scott's recording of HIGHWAY NO. 2 BLUES, Walter and Sonny had only recently arrived at Birmingham when they first recorded.
However, by the time he began recording, Walter had formed a liaison with his second wife, Jessie Pattijohn, or Pettijohn, by whom he had daughters Della Roland, born 9 January 1933, and Betty Frances Roland, born 4 April 1935.
Although his recording career began in 1933, it is evident that Walter was already an accomplished musician with a fully formed style.
Roland partnered Lucille Bogan when they recorded for the A R C labels between 1933 and 1935, in the course of which, he recorded in his own right. William Ronald Calaway of Orlando, Florida, apparently persuaded them to travel to New York City to record.
Walter's first disc, RED CROSS BLUES (Banner #32822) is credited as by ALABAMA SAM. A later Paramount issue (#9001) is credited MOSE JACKSON. RED CROSS BLUES has since become a blues standard, versions having been recorded by Sonny Scott, Sonny Boy Williamson (as WELFARE STORE BLUES), Champion Jack Dupree, Robert McCoy, Forest City Joe, and many others.
Although Walter was the first to record the blues standard RED CROSS BLUES, Walter Davis was the first to register a song called RED CROSS BLUES for copyright. Its subject-matter is the only connection with Roland's song and they stand as separate songs. Part 2 of Davis' song was later remade by Josh White as WELFARE BLUES. Davis also registered a RED CROSS BLUES, NO. 2, again unrelated to Roland's song.
Roland's song was registered for copyright (as having been composed jointly by himself and Calaway) early in 1934. Interestingly, RED CROSS BLUES is one of the relatively few recordings made by Roland for which he accompanies himself alone playing guitar, rather than piano.
In 1933, he was recorded at New York City for the American Record Company, and he had apparently traveled to the session with Lucille "Bessie Jackson" Bogan and guitarist Sonny Scott. Scott's recording of HIGHWAY NO. 2 BLUES may refer to Highway 2 which passes to the north of both Mantua and Ralph.
Some attempt was made by the American Record Company to pass Walter's guitar-accompanied work off as by another artist, ALABAMA SAM, and his duets with Scott were issued as by the JOLLY TWO or, with vocal asides by Lucille Bogan, as by the JOLLY JIVERS.
A duet with Lucille Bogan was credited BESSIE JACKSON AND WALTER SCOTT, perhaps simply a clerical confusion between Roland and Sonny Scott.
His best-selling recording was EARLY THIS MORNING, a reworking of an earlier Paramount recording by Charlie Spand, SOON THIS MORNING, but Walter was successful enough to continue recording until 1935.
Bob Campbell was also present at the 1934 sessions, and both Walter and Bob recorded versions of DICE'S BLUES, which was revived postwar by Big Chief Ellis and others. The two-guitar accompaniment for Lucille Bogan's I HATE THAT TRAIN CALLED THE M & O is by Bob Campbell and Josh White.
At his later sessions, Walter was teamed with guitarist Josh White in an apparent attempt to repeat the success of Leroy Carr and Scrapper Blackwell, but the arrangement may have failed after Josh was incapacitated in the late 1930's, and Walter failed to make further recordings.
At some later time, possibly as late as 1950, Walter became a farmer. In later years he was known by the nicknames "Old Soul" and (because of his unexpurgated lyrics to the song of that title) "Shave 'Em Dry".
Roland was reputedly playing guitar as a street singer in the 1960's. As well as Birmingham, he worked around Dolomite and the Interurban Heights, around Brighton and elsewhere.
In about the late 1960's, Walter was trying to be a peacemaker in a domestic argument between a neighboring husband and wife and one of the disputing parties fired a shotgun, with the result that Walter was blinded by buckshot. His children learned of the incident only after about two weeks, when he was still in hospital, possibly at Hueytown. Roland left his guitar behind when he was hospitalized, and it was never retrieved.
By 1968, Walter had retired from music because of his blindness, and was cared for by his daughters at Fairfield, near Miles College. In 1968, he applied for an old age pension. He lived at 5130 Avenue G, Fairfield, Alabama 35064 in his last years and had been widowed by the time he died there of bronchogenic carcinoma on 12 October 1972.
CATALOG - Including alternate title references, collaborator information and copyright registration details
45 PISTOL BLUES
Words & Music by Walter Roland
PAU 2-313-102 (1998)
BACK DOOR BLUES
Words & Music by Walter Roland
PAU 2-313-102 (1998)
BAD DREAM BLUES
Words & Music by Walter Roland
PAU 2-313-102 (1998)
BIG MAMA
Words & Music by Walter Roland
PAU 2-313-102 (1998)
BOUT THE BREAK OF DAY - see EARLY THIS MORNING ('BOUT BREAK OF DAY)
C. W. A. BLUES
Words & Music by Walter Roland
PAU 2-313-102 (1998)
CLUB MEETING BLUES
Words & Music by Walter Roland
PAU 2-313-102 (1998)
COLD BLOODED MURDER
Words & Music by Walter Roland
PAU 2-313-102 (1998)
COLLECTOR MAN BLUES
Words & Music by Roberts [alias Walter Roland,]
PAU 2-313-102 (1998)
COME ON DOWN
Words & Music by Walter Roland
PAU 2-313-102 (1998)
DICE'S BLUES
Words & Music by Walter Roland
PAU 2-313-102 (1998)
DICES DICES - see DICE'S BLUES
EARLY IN THE MORNING - see EARLY THIS MORNING ('BOUT BREAK OF DAY)
EARLY IN THE MORNING NO. 2
Words & Music by Walter Roland
PAU 2-313-102 (1998)
EARLY THIS MORNIN' - see EARLY THIS MORNING ('BOUT BREAK OF DAY)
EARLY THIS MORNING
Words & Music by Sonny Scott & Walter Roland
PAU 2-313-102 (1998)
EARLY THIS MORNING ('BOUT BREAK OF DAY)
Words & Music by Sonny Scott and Walter Roland
PAU 2-313-102 (1998)
EARLY THIS MORNING 'BOUT BREAK OF DAY -
see EARLY THIS MORNING ('BOUT BREAK OF DAY)
EARLY THIS MORNING #2 - see EARLY IN THE MORNING NO. 2
EARLY THIS MORNING (JUST ABOUT THE BREAK OF DAY) -
see EARLY THIS MORNING ('BOUT BREAK OF DAY)
EVERY MORNING BLUES
Words & Music by Walter Roland
PAU 2-313-102 (1998)
FRISCO BLUES
Words & Music by Sonny Scott
PAU 2-313-102 (1998)
GUITAR STOMP (Instrumental)
Music by Walter Roland & Sonny Scott
PAU 2-313-102 (1998)
HOUSE LADY BLUES
Words & Music by Walter Roland
PAU 2-313-102 (1998)
HUNGRY MAN'S SCUFFLE
Music by Walter Roland
PAU 2-313-102 (1998)
I NEED A HUNDRED DOLLARS - see RED CROSS BLUES No. 2
I'M GONNA SHAVE YOU DRY
Words & Music by Walter Roland
PAU 2-313-102 (1998)
I'M ON MY WAY - see YOU GONNA NEED ME
JOOKIT JOOKIT (Instrumental with spoken commentary)
Music by Walter Roland
PAU 2-313-102 (1998)
LAST YEAR BLUES
Words & Music by Walter Roland
PAU 2-313-102 (1998)
KEEP ON SAILING - see SAIL ON LITTLE GIRL NO. 2
MAN, MAN, MAN
Words & Music by Walter Roland
PAU 2-313-102 (1998)
MONEY TAKER WOMAN
Words & Music by Walter Roland
PAU 2-313-102 (1998)
NEW EARLY IN THE MORNING - see EARLY THIS MORNING ('BOUT BREAK OF DAY)
NEW RED CROSS BLUES - see RED CROSS BLUES No. 2
NO GOOD BIDDIE
Words & Music by Sonny Scott
PAU 2-313-102 (1998)
O. B. D. BLUES
Words & Music by Walter Roland
PAU 2-313-102 (1998)
OVERALL BLUES
Words & Music by Sonny Scott
PAU 2-313-102 (1998)
PENNILESS BLUES
Words & Music by Walter Roland
PAU 2-313-102 (1998)
PIANO STOMP (Instrumental with spoken commentary by Sonny Scott)
Music by Walter Roland
PAU 2-313-102 (1998)
RAILROAD STOMP (Instrumental)
Music by Walter Roland & Sonny Scott
PAU 2-313-102 (1998)
RED CROSS BLUES
Words & Melody by W[illiam] R[onald] Calaway and W[alter] Roland
EU 81492 (1869 of 1934)
RED CROSS BLUES No. 2
Words & Music by Walter Roland
PAU 2-313-102 (1998)
RED CROSS ST' - see RED CROSS BLUES No. 2
RED CROSS STORE - see RED CROSS BLUES No. 2
THE RED CROSS STORE - see RED CROSS BLUES No. 2
RED CROSS STORE BLUES - see RED CROSS BLUES No. 2
S. O. L. BLUES
Words & Music by Walter Roland
PAU 2-313-102 (1998)
SAIL ON LITTLE GIRL NO. 2
Words & Music by Walter Roland
PAU 2-313-102 (1998)
SAIL ON; LITTLE GIRL; SAIL ON - see SAIL ON LITTLE GIRL NO. 2
SCHOOL-BOY BLUES [16996-3]
Words & Music by Walter Roland
PAU 2-313-102 (1998)
SCHOOL-BOY BLUES [17009-1]
Words & Melody by Walter Roland
EU 103364 (number 9542 of 1935)
SCREW WORM
Words & Melody by Walter Roland
EU 103365 (number 9549 of 1935)
SLAVIN' BLUES
Words & Music by Walter Roland
PAU 2-313-102 (1998)
T MODEL BLUES
Words & Music by Walter Roland
PAU 2-313-102 (1998)
TALKIN' LOW BLUES
Words & Music by Walter Roland
PAU 2-313-102 (1998)
WEE BABY BLUES -see EARLY THIS MORNING ('BOUT BREAK OF DAY) and SCHOOL-BOY BLUES
WELFARE BLUES - see RED CROSS BLUES No. 2
WELFARE STORE BLUES - see RED CROSS BLUES No. 2
WHATCHA GONNA DO
Words & Music by Jolly Jivers
PAU 2-313-102 (1998)
WINDING MIND - see SCHOOL-BOY BLUES
WORN OUT MAN BLUES
Words & Music by Walter Roland
PAU 2-313-102 (1998)
YOU CALL YOURSELF A CADILLAC - see T MODEL BLUES
YOU GONNA NEED ME
Words & Music by Walter Roland
PAU 2-313-102 (1998)
YOU GONNA WANT ME
Words & Music by Walter Roland
PAU 2-313-102 (1998)
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