Magic man

Longtime Worcester drummer Reggie Walley is back

by Brian Goslow

On a recent Friday night in Main South, you could see Reggie Walley through the window of Gilrein's. He was setting up his drum set while returning smiles of acknowledgment from longtime fans who gathered in front of the blues club to tap on the window, getting Walley's attention. For the Worcester entertainer's return to the stage, which was inspired after a February tribute dinner at Holy Cross, has been the rekindling of a long love affair for his fans as well as the 84-year-old swingin' jazz and blues musician. Unlike many performers of his generation, he's not just holding on with handlers doing all the work behind the scenes; it's one of the area's greatest musical comebacks -- Reggie Walley, back in full effect.

Last month at Gilrein's, his band, billed as Reggie Walley's Bluesicians, featuring Bunny Price, were joined by guitarist Troy Gonyea, whose trio had just captured top prize at the Harper's Ferry Blues Battle of the Bands, beating many of Boston's leading acts. The tone of the evening reflected the way it was at long-closed Worcester clubs Walley had owned (the Hottentot, the Kitty Kat) -- just friends and soon-to-be-friends getting together to play a little music, cooking something up for the souls of the audience.

It was a thrill to hear the group gently practicing "I Left My Heart in San Francisco." Walley softly singing the words to the accompaniment of pianist Jim Heffernan. It was like being in a sound museum, catching and hearing a glimpse of an earlier era and rediscovering its magic, with Walley's flawless and beautiful voice good enough to make you cry. Although you'll find a growing number of bands attempting to re-create the old-time feel -- all true labors of love -- they're missing one thing that Walley's got. He actually danced with Cab Calloway and played New York with Helen Compton. He was there, so every time he performs, he revisits the original vibe.

"When I was a kid, I'd go to the Plymouth Theater [now the Palladium] and see all the bands. I played over in Europe in the Army with my own 12-man band," Walley remembers.

The Bluesicians came about thanks to Chet Williamson, who decided Walley belonged back on stage after a decade-long sabbatical. Williamson, who also sings and plays harmonica, serves as the group's orchestrator, a virtual big-band leader. And Walley's steady drumming hasn't diminished. "I just went right back into that -- I just didn't want to do any more dancing," chuckled the ever-so-versatile Walley, who got his start in the entertainment industry as a tap dancer at the Lake Park Ballroom.

Before kicking into Charlie Parker's "Now Is the Time," Williamson announced that there's a 60-year difference between the guitarist and the drummer, leaving it to the audience to decide. "I just turned 22 today," chuckled Walley, who continued his role as the ultimate entertainer during "Summertime," turning his head to sing to a man passing on the street. "I love playing, I love singing, I love to entertain," Walley related to the audience.

Count Basie's "Jive at Five" featured some stride piano work by Heffernan; and after a two-and-one-half minute harmonica solo, Williamson introduced Hoagy Carmichael's "Georgia." Walley joined in, transporting the audience back in time when radio waves united the country from a single dance hall. "I have to go back and find the words," Walley admitted. "Chet has all this music, and I have piles of all these old records. I put them on, and it all comes back to me."

Before breaking into Duke Ellington's "Don't Get Around Much Any More," the band announced the group only mics their vocals, prompting one audience member to yell out, "It's raw, baby!" After Billie Holiday's "All of Me" was introduced, Walley piped in, "Ain't much of me left," then proceeded to disprove the statement when the band kicked in at full energy, filling the room with a sound anchored in the bass playing of Elwood "Bunny" Price Jr., whose father, Barney, had accompanied Walley in so many of his musical adventures. And there seemed to be more to come.

When Williamson introduced "Reggie's Kitty Kat," a biographical song he wrote for Walley's tribute bash, the drummer acknowledged all the events recounted were true, adding, with a warm gleam in his eye, "I've done all that, but I haven't got a wife yet," he said, glancing at a couple of ladies passing by the window. Reggie's certainly back -- and love is definitely in the air.

Reggie Walley's Bluesicians featuring Bunny Price will appear at 10 p.m. on August 29 at Gilrein's. Call 791-2583. The band will also appear at 3 p.m. on August 30 at the Castle. Call 892-9090. var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www."); document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));