Rick Welter The Wandering Man

Rick Welter

    Rick Welter is a wandering man. Throughout his life, he has made multiple moves, criss-crossing the country, always in search of a new musical home. Wherever he has landed, though, he has found himself amongst Blues musicians who’ve inspired him and new friends to play with. Recently, his travels have brought him to Portland, a city with a Blues community rarely found elsewhere today. A place where he can find work and have talented artists around him who’ll challenge him; raising his own potential as a Blues musician.

    The career of Rick Welter spans more than 30 years. Working alongside and sharing the stage with some of the biggest names in the Blues business, including a stint with Charlie Musselwhite and recently as a member of up-coming star John Nemeth’s band. But, music was something that came later in Rick’s life. It’s something that he regrets not having been exposed to at an earlier age.

    Raised in Albany, New York, Rick spent his first 21 years of life without much musical inspiration. He partially blames this on the local radio of the day, which he describes simply as “lame.” Later, having heard stories from other artists who recalled listening to famed stations that played classic Blues and other early Roots music made him envious of their early exposures. There just wasn’t such an opportunity in Albany. Those others were able to hear great music at a young age, while he was stuck in a city with only the standard Pop tunes of the day.

    He began playing guitar when he was 18, but it wasn’t anything he thought too seriously about. It wouldn’t be for another eight years that he’d take it up as a profession. But, music did change Rick Welter’s life when he was 21.

    What happened? He attended a major Blues concert, something quite unheard of in Albany. The bill was a Blues lover’s dream: Muddy Waters, Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup, James Cotton and Luther Allison. For a first time exposure to the genre, it is easy to understand how this gathering could affect anybody. It opened a lot of doors within Rick’s mind.

    It was about a year later that Rick first felt the urge to leave New York. He had the overwhelming sense that he was trapped in this city where he’d spent his young life so far. The lure of the outside world was calling to him and that Blues show he’d seen did more than it’s part in his decision for his next home: Chicago.

    As soon as he arrived in The Windy City, Rick began to seek out the musicians who had inspired him. Remembering that band behind Muddy Waters with its sensational guitarists Pee Wee Madison and Sammy Lawhorn still burned in his mind. Especially Lawhorn, one of the finest guitarists ever to have worked with Muddy. He had truly touched Rick with his playing, so Rick made his way to the clubs around Chicago, where he would spend hours listening to and chatting with musicians. He would dote his attention on musicians like Homesick James, Otis Rush, James Cotton and Matt “Guitar” Murphy. And, being around such talent gave Rick the notion to begin pursuing his own hand at the guitar.

    The stay in Chicago didn’t last long, though, before the desire to move on came upon him again. Teaming up with Geno Skaggs, a bass player who had previously worked with John Lee Hooker and Earl Hooker, the pair made the move to the West Coast. Landing in the Bay Area in 1974, they found quite a rich Blues scene, both in San Francisco and Oakland. They formed a band and worked together for awhile, but Rick at the time was also trying to raise a family. So eventually, he left performing behind, only dabbling in the clubs from time-to-time.

    After a couple of years hiatus, the urge to perform again was growing too strong. The Blues in the area was really booming. Rick found himself sharing stage time with the likes of Elvin Bishop, Boz Scaggs, Troyce Key, Sonny Rhodes, Lowell Fulson and John Lee Hooker. He was beginning to make a name for himself as a player to reckon with as well.

    His big break came in 1979. It was then that he was asked to join the band of harmonica master, Charlie Musselwhite. Working with Charlie for the next four years, they toured extensively throughout The United States and Canada. It wasn’t unusual to be on the road for 12–to-16-weeks at a time, but it was a good time, and Rick had the opportunity to grow musically, and more importantly to him, to meet a lot of good people and musicians.

    Toward the end of his tenure with Musselwhite, Rick appeared on one album. It was a live recording taped in San Diego in 1982 which Rick describes as, “very much live and very, very raw” titled, “Curtain Call Cocktails.” Backing up Musselwhite on the recording was the popular Bay Area band, The Dynatones. A jumping Soul-based group geared for dancing, they were also becoming known for backing up the harp ace. In 1983, Rick decided to leave Musselwhite and join The Dynatones full-time. Though his stay with the band lasted for only one year, he still found himself touring nationally very heavily.

    Also during that period, Rick worked with boogie pianist Mitch Woods whenever the energetic performer was home in the Bay Area. Woods usually used pick-up bands on the road, but Rick was part of his hometown unit that appeared on Woods’ 1984 debut recording, “Steady Date.”

    Ten years had passed since Rick Welter had first arrived in San Francisco. And, once again, that quest to move on was rearing its head again. This time he landed in Salt Lake City, Utah, and like the Bay Area, it would prove beneficial to Rick’s career.

    The original plan for his relocation to Salt Lake City was that he’d only stay for maybe two years or so. However, fortune paved its way to Rick’s door when he was approached by radio station KRCL FM 91 with the idea of broadcasting a live Blues show from the Dead Goat Saloon. The show was called, “The Blue Devil’s Revue,” and Rick’s band, The Tempo Timers, would play host every Monday night. Each week a special guest would come to the club and sit in with the band. Once or twice a month it would be a performer from out of town. There wasn’t much of a budget, so the visiting artists were mostly culled from the West Coast: San Francisco, Los Angeles and Portland. And, for Rick, it was just like being back home in California.

    He was still able to see his old friends, at least once a month. Over the 10 year period that this show aired, numerous guests performed on the broadcast. There were Californians like Smokey Wilson, Luther Tucker, Terry Hanck, Debbie Davies, Junior Watson, Coco Montoya, and of course, Charlie Musselwhite. Some of the artists from Portland who found their way to the Monday night show were Robbie Laws, Linda Hornbuckle, Paul deLay, Lloyd Jones and Jim Mesi. The incredible shows were unlimited and the Dead Goat Saloon released an album showcasing some of the highlights of the broadcasts. Unfortunately, the club had changed hands when the CD came out and there wasn’t much interest in pursuing it any further than a small pressing of a couple thousand copies. The CD received high marks in the press, but the copies quickly disappeared and it is no longer available.

    Because of the exposure they were receiving from the Monday night broadcasts, The Tempo Timers were becoming an in-demand band. Strangely enough, the work they generated was not for the most part happening in Salt Lake City. Rather, it came from ski resorts looking for entertainment to keep the tourists happy when not on the slopes. The Tempo Timers also made some short five-day tours here-and-there, playing in Colorado, Arizona and California. There was also a CD released in 1994 titled, “Makin’ It.”

Rick Welter

    Another 10 years had passed by since Rick moved to Salt Lake City, so being a creature of habit, Rick decided it was time to move on again. This time, he took a step into his past, heading back home to Albany, New York. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t made visits from time-to-time, there was still family located there, and obligations would bring him back every so often, but when it came to music, the city was still pretty much dead.

    Performing in the region didn’t take place so much in the capitol city, but nearby cities Syracuse and Rochester did have some form of Blues scene. There were also Blues festivals in the area in nearby cities such as Troy and Kingston. But, despite forming another band, Rick Welter and The Broadsiders, and recording a solo album in 2001, “In The Open,” the immediate music scene was lacking and there just wasn’t a lot of players that Rick felt would expand his talents. So, after only three years back in Albany, Rick was looking for a reason to leave.

    Then out of the blue came a phone call from Boise, Idaho. Harmonica player and vocalist, John Nemeth was looking for a guitarist, and a friend gave him Rick’s phone number in New York. Nemeth had heard of Rick Welter from his time in Salt Lake City, but the knowledge of one another was not mutual. Rick was rather skeptical being called by a Blues musician in Boise of all places. He told Nemeth to send him some material and upon receiving a copy of Nemeth’s work, Rick was floored from first listen. Nemeth was a talented harmonica player and an extraordinary vocalist. It was inspiring enough to convince Rick to make the move to Idaho. It also didn’t hurt that Rick’s daughter was going to school at the University of Oregon, either, so he felt the move would also bring him closer to her as well.

    His stint with John Nemeth was short-lived, lasting only nine months. During that period, they toured extensively throughout the Northwest, including a set at the Winthrop Blues Festival in Washington and also two trips to the Midwest. John Nemeth’s star was on the rise and he decided to move to the Bay Area. Rick came along and would’ve loved to have remained in San Francisco, a city he had adored when he first lived there, but the Bay Area Blues scene was dwindling. Speaking with guitarists, Steve Freund and Rusty Zinn, two of California’s premier musicians, Rick was told that they were having a hard time finding work and they were feeling quite downtrodden. When he’d lived there before, Rick couldn’t throw a rock down the street without hitting a club. There was at least five on Grant Street alone. Now most were gone, with just a handful like Lou’s Pier, Biscuits & Blues and The Ivy Room still hanging on. Plus the cost of living was devastating; he just couldn’t afford to stay, so he began looking elsewhere.

    He had heard over the years that Portland was a happening place for the Blues; he’d never truly had the opportunity to experience the city much during his touring days. With Musselwhite they would play in Portland from time-to-time, but for the most part, it was quick one day trips in and out of town, here just long enough to play at a club then move on. So, he began making calls to friends he’d made over the years and to others within Portland’s music community. He was burning up the phone lines heavily for three months checking the layout of the scene before making the decision to finally move to The Rose City. He definitely was not moving in totally blind.

    Once in Portland, Rick began scoping out the musicians first-hand. He was already planning to form a new band, but he wanted to find players that would challenge his skills. He spoke with artists like Marco Savo, Josh Fulero and Jim Mesi, who helped to connect him with the right people. He came up with two musicians who have made an impact on the Portland Blues community immensely throughout the years: drummer, Don Schulz and bassist, Jim Solberg. The three just seem to click together and it is obvious they enjoy working with one another.

    Getting into the venues in Portland has not been an easy road, though. Most seem to be booked four to five months in advance. But, the places where they do work consistently ask for them to come back. And, time is now catching up with the Rick Welter Band where they have started to make it into the club rotations.

    Fans are definitely taking note of Rick Welter, too. His goals are to bring a different approach with what he plays and the way that he plays than what other musicians do. It is quite gratifying to have people come up to him at his gigs and state that they notice this difference. It is what he has strived for throughout his career and he feels that by doing this, it will enable him to contribute to the Portland music scene in a positive way.

    Looking back over his career, Rick Welter has shared the stage with an exceptional amount of musicians, including some of the most famous names of the genre. When asked to name some that stand out above others, he is quick to recall several, but also claims there have just been too many to recount them all. Having Big Walter Horton play with the Musselwhite Band at the Chicago Blues Festival is one such moment. Then there was the time while playing with saxophonist Eddie Shaw’s band that B.B. King joined them onstage. There are also the numerous times he worked with guitarist Mel Brown and harp master William Clarke. Clarke was a powerhouse, who would stomp on the stage so hard while he played that Rick felt the plywood would fall apart under his feet. Along with Clarke, Rick compares Paul deLay as one of the best harmonica players he has ever worked with. When it comes to chops, Rick says deLay’s definitely one of the finest to be found anywhere. Other highlights include playing with Smokey Wilson, Matt Murphy and Junior Watson. But, there have been literally too many fun times to point out the best.

    For the present, though, Rick is focused on putting some material onto CD that he can use to promote himself and to sell at his gigs. He is piecing together tracks that he had previously recorded prior to 1998, including numbers from those older, discontinued albums. There’s also a lot of live material that he intends to include. Rick says that it’s all good stuff. He hopes to have this CD ready soon, but he also intends to head into the studio sometime this coming fall to start work on new material, with help from his new friends in Portland.

    Overall, Rick feels that Portland lives up to its reputation as a happening Blues city. “It’s home to some really fine players,” he notes. But, is it enough to keep him from experiencing that wanderlust again?

    “Right now, it’s Portland,” Rick states. “But you never know. When it comes to wandering, I’ve pretty much been that way most of my life. It’s just something that comes up every once in a while. But, yeah, I’d like to see Portland work. I’d like to settle down. I’m not getting any younger, so I’d like to plant my feet for a little while.”

    Will Rick Welter get the urge again? Who knows? But for the time being, Blues fans in Portland will be able to enjoy the Rick Welter Band. Once you’ve experienced Rick, you’ll be coming back again and doing so often. And, if we’re lucky, maybe we’ll be able to convince him to abandon his wandering ways.

    The Rick Welter Band is available for gigs throughout Portland and the region. If you would like to have Rick perform for you, call him at 503-252-5144 or e-mail him at: fonics2000@yahoo.com.

– Greg Johnson

© 2005 Cascade Blues Association