William Walters, better known as Willie, was the heart of Kolkata’s music fraternity. After a music career spanning decades, playing at some of the poshest hotels in India, he formed the Willie Walter’s Quarter in 2021 at Trincas and weekend afternoons at the Park Street heritage eatery took on a winning new note. Keen to work with people from all age groups, he guided musicians across generations. Even till his last days, he inspired youngsters and encouraged them to explore the nuances of jazz.
Willie’s demise on May 1 — coincidentally a few hours after International Jazz Day — has shut a life school for these young musicians, who regularly played with him and gained knowledge at every gig.
Arya Mukherjee, Aneeshaa Seth, Subharaj Ghosh, Rachel Shah, and Diya Bhattacharya shared with My Kolkata what they learned from the great man who ruled the Kolkata music scene for five decades.
Sense of humour and humility
Arya Mukherjee, the drummer in his quartet at Trincas, not only developed dynamic playing, understood the balance between bass and drums, but also learned how to approach life from Willie. “He was a person with no ego. He used to say that people loved him because he could blend in without showing any ego. He was my go-to person if I was struggling in life in general. Willie was a charmer. He was 69, but never acted his age. It was the coolest thing about him,” he said.
Arya Mukherjee with Willie Walters Courtesy Arya Mukherjee
Willie’s sense of humour kept things light for his colleagues amid the weekly grind at the restaurant. “Every Saturday, I would enter Trincas, shake hands with him, and tell him how frustrated I was to see him. He would not waste a second to tell me he felt the same way. We would laugh over it as we had the best mutual admiration for each other. Willie knew how to take a joke. There was never a seniority card, which made him so approachable,” Mukherjee said, adding that Willie was an easy-to-work-with person who would grasp an idea quickly.
‘Different from others’
Aneeshaa Seth, the vocalist in the quartet, felt Willie was simple yet magical. “He taught me how to be humble. His musical journey has been phenomenal, and he held his pride in simplicity. It was and always will be inspiring,” she said, adding how Willie's smile brightened her day.
She reflected on his willingness to solve conflicts. “He was always open to discussing opinions and matters of conflicts and was an absolute sport in handling them. He walked with time but liked to maintain his pace. He was different from others. He was kind, considerate, and respectful,” Seth added.
L-R: Aneeshaa Seth, Arya Mukherjee, Willie Walters and Subharaj Ghosh Courtesy Subharaj Ghosh
Guitar player Subharaj Ghosh wished he knew Willie for a little longer. He drew inspiration from the fact that the senior musician played the bass guitar to the fullest till his last breath. “The man had more than 40 years of experience. We have had healthy conversations about life and music,” said Ghosh, who played a few gigs with Willie in his quartet.
A true mentor
Ghosh highlighted how Willie was a free spirit. He would play with anybody as he loved music. “Your age, experience, style of music, and background did not matter to him. He would play with you anyway. He had a huge repertoire of songs that he knew. All you had to do was call out a tune. Transposing tunes to a different key was a piece of cake for him.”
Rachel Shah with Willie Walters and (left) keyboardist Debayan Banerjee outside Trincas, Park Street during one of the Christmas-season gigs Courtesy Rachel Shah
Vocalist Rachel Shah, 25, has sung those transposed tunes with Willie on the Western nights at Trincas. She credits him for suggesting a catalogue of songs that coloured her set. “I know and perform a huge variety of songs now because of his suggestions,” she said.
Willie shared his life experiences with Shah that shaped her perspectives towards music. “Uncle Willie taught me to enjoy music for myself and not just the audience. If we didn't get the response we hoped after a song, he would tell me not to bother. Our shows began with a laugh, sometimes even breaking out in laughter in the middle of a tune,” Shah recalled.
Vocalist Diya Bhattacharya seconded Shah. She cited how Willie had deep conversations with youngsters. He turned them into better musicians. “Willie was willing to listen to new music and was more updated than me with the latest songs. I liked how he rearranged some songs and made them sound so different. I never had to rehearse with the band, yet things would fall into place,” said Bhattacharya, who sang in the pop sessions with him at Trincas.
Diya Bhattacharya singing in the quartet at Trincas; and (right) the regular members of Willie Walter’s Quartet Courtesy Diya Bhattacharya and Willie Walter’s Quartet
She feels Willie stood out for his versatility across genres. And that he would always take care of the vocalists. “There are four to five regular vocalists in Trincas, yet it was surprising how he remembered most of the keys of my songs. He would always make sure the vocalist was comfortable. He would remind me to take a break when the band would play instrumentals. He was a good bandleader,” she added.
Willie moved on to a better world but left behind his music with these young minds of the city who will carry on the legacy.
