Harold Battiste (28 October birthday)

[john poole]

Harold Battiste - born 28 October, 1931 (New Orleans)

Arranger, producer, musician - Dr John's and Sonny Bono's mentor.

Three short clips, with interview excerpts, are available here (there's a great photo with Mac Rebennack in Clip Two) -

http://www.safarifilms.com/harold.html

Art Neville - 'Cha Dooky-Doo' (1958, supervised by HB)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHhYTDlEG7w[/youtube]

Further samples of Harold Battiste's work may be heard here -

http://www.afofoundation.org/hb

Subscribers to Rock's Back Pages can also read an article that CG wrote for Cream magazine in 1971.

[NormanD]

Subscribers to Rock's Back Pages can also read an article that CG wrote for Cream magazine in 1971.

Charlie later posted the three-part articles, from Alan B's scan, here:
http://www.charliegillett.com/phpBB2/vi ... t=battiste

I remember hearing, a couple of years back, that Harold Battiste was quite ill, though have heard nothing since. Anyone know how he is?

[Charlie]

I remember hearing, a couple of years back, that Harold Battiste was quite ill, though have heard nothing since. Anyone know how he is?

I followed up at the time and left a message saying hello, but have not tried again. Must do so and will report back

Charlie

[Charlie]

will report back

Just spoke to him. He said he had been feeling badly but is better today. He still remembered the name of the magazine that printed our interview, Cream. It was great to be able to speak to him on his birthday, so thanks for this reminder.

Harold said he had been out in LA recently and told them he was going back to New Orleans. What do you want to do that for? they asked him. Because they know how to give a funeral, he pointed out.

But here he is, 79 years old. Not many make it that far in the music business, I noted. He agreed, asking if I had seen John Broven's book. Indeed I have, I told him, it's like my bible, to have and to hold and to marvel at. Yes, he said, if he had realised what the music business would be like, he would never have gone into it in the first place.

A good man, Harold.

[garth cartwright]

Great post, Charlie! Your Harold feature was one of the original inspirations behind More Miles - to get to the US and find those that created this fantastic music but never got the credit deserved, yes! Send him my humble regards the next time you speak to him. Also: reminds me I need to buy Broven's book - over £30 so I guess I could call it my Xmas present to myself.