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Walter Beasley

 
Artist: Walter Beasley
Home > Library > Entertainment & Arts > Pop Artists

Similar Artists:

David Patterson, Streetwize, Paul Taylor, Michael Brown

Influenced By:

Grover Washington, Jr.

Performed Songs By:

Andrew Sherman, Thor Baldursson
See Walter Beasley Lyrics
  • Active: '80s, '90s, 2000s
  • Genres: Jazz
  • Instrument: Vocals, Sax (Tenor), Sax (Soprano)
  • Representative Albums: "Greatest Hits," "For Your Pleasure," "For Her"
  • Representative Songs: "People Make the World Go Roun," "From This Moment On," "Everything I Miss at Home"

Biography

An R&B-ish player whose music sometimes crosses over into jazz, Walter Beasley's sound is a perfect paradigm for defining "contemporary" or "smooth" jazz, and he a talented musician. After briefly playing trumpet, Beasley switched to saxophone when he was nine and was soon inspired by Grover Washington, Jr. He attended Berklee College and, after graduating at age 22, became one of the school's teachers. In 1987, Beasley released his first self-titled album and since then has recorded two sets for Mercury and several for Shanachie (culminating with Rendezvous in 2002), in addition to often accompanying R&B singers. In 2005, he released his debut for Heads-Up, For Her. In 2006, Shanchie released Live, a concert club set from 1998. The studio album Ready for Love followed in 2007. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
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Wikipedia: Walter Beasley
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Walter Beasley

Background information
Birth name Walter Beasley
Born May 24, 1961 (1961-05-24) (age 48)
Origin Flag of the United States El Centro, California
Genre(s) Smooth Jazz
Occupation(s) Saxophone
Instrument(s) Saxophone
Label(s) Shanachie Records
Warner Bros. Records
Mercury Records
Headsup/Affable Records
Website official site

Walter Beasley is a saxophonist, a professor of music at the Berklee College of Music, and founder of Affable Publishing and Affable Records.

Contents

Biography

Beasley grew up in el Centro, California.[1] By the age of 13 he was singing in Spanish in a band called Los Elegantes, and he played in various bands and performed at clubs throughout middle and high school.[2]

Beasley graduated from Berklee in 1984[3] and a year later took a short-term teaching position at the same school, which became a permanent career[1]. He is now professor at the school.[4]

In 1987 he released his first, self-titled, album[3] and since 1998 has been one of the top ten best-selling African-American saxophonists in the world[4]. Having grown up as a fan of R&B and funk and trained in classical and jazz saxophone,[5] his own style falls between contemporary R&B and contemporary jazz[6], a blend which has been called "smooth jazz"[3].

He is not only an alto and soprano saxophonist and a singer[7], but also a composer and producer[5]. He is the founder and CEO of Affable Publishing, and the owner of Affable Records.[3]

Discography

Album Year Label
Walter Beasley 1987[3] Polydor
Just Kickin' It 1989 Mercury
Intimacy 1992 Mercury
Private Time 1995[5] Mercury
Walter Beasley Live and More 1996 Affable Records
Tonight We Love 1997 Shanachie
For Your Pleasure 1998 Shanachie
Won't You Let Me Love You 2000 Shanachie
Rendezvous 2002 Shanachie
Go With The Flow 2003 N-Coded Music
For Her 2005[2] Heads Up
Ready For Love 2007[3] Heads Up
Sax Meditations 2008 Affable Records
Free Your Mind 2009[8] Heads Up

[9]

DVDs

Educational

  • Sound Production for the Saxophone (Affable Publishing, 2003)
  • Hip-Hop Improvisation (Affable Publishing, 2003)
  • Circular Breathing with Walter Beasley
  • 14 Steps to Maximizing Your Performance (for Saxophonists)
  • Walter Beasley's Performance Workshop

Live

  • Live at Scullers (Affable Records, 2003)

[10]

Awards and Accolades

  • 2001 Boston Music Awards, Outstanding Jazz Artist
  • 2001 Berklee College of Music Trustee Award for advancing the mission and values of the college
  • 2001 South Middlesex Men's Club Leadership Award for community service and support of youth development in music.
  • 2001 SESAC National Performing Activity Award for the song "Comin' at Cha"
  • 2002 SESAC National Performing Activity Award for the song "Rendezvous"
  • 2003 Boston Music Awards, Jazz Album of the Year (Go With the Flow)

[11]

External links

References

  1. ^ a b Beasley, Walter (2007-12-20). "Walter Beasley's Official Site: Professional Profile". http://www.walterbeasley.com/index.php?page=bio. Retrieved 2009-02-23. 
  2. ^ a b Lebovitz, Susan Chaityn (2006-01-22). "Beasley on the sax". The Boston Globe. http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2006/01/22/a_long_bumpy_road_for_a_high_school_dropout/. Retrieved 2009-02-23. 
  3. ^ a b c d e f Cox, Kevin (2007-03-15). "Boston-based saxophonist helps keep jazz alive". The Boston-Bay State Banner 42 (31). http://www2.baystatebanner.com/issues/2007/03/15/arts/arts03150741.htm. Retrieved 2009-02-23. 
  4. ^ a b "Faculty Biography: Walter Beasley". Berklee. http://www.berklee.edu/faculty/detail/walter-beasley. Retrieved 2009-02-23. 
  5. ^ a b c Rowland, Hobart; Bob Burtman (1996-05-23). "Saxy Stuff". Houston Press. http://www.houstonpress.com/1996-05-23/music/saxy-stuff/. Retrieved 2009-02-23. 
  6. ^ Buckley, Michael (2009-02-05). "Music Box: Big Head Todd brings heartfelt rock to D.C.". HometownAnnapolis.com. http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2009/02_05-01/ENT. Retrieved 2009-02-23. 
  7. ^ Lowenthal, Kevin (2005-08-12). "Onstage, his smoothness turns funky and soulful". The Boston Globe. http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2005/08/12/onstage_his_smoothness_turns_funky_and_soulful/. Retrieved 2009-02-23. 
  8. ^ Joyce, Mike (2009-02-06). "WALTER BEASLEY "Free Your Mind" Heads Up". The Washington Post: pp. WE07. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/05/AR2009020500944.html. Retrieved 2009-02-23. 
  9. ^ http://www.facebook.com/friends/?ref=tn#/discography/?id=27140633435
  10. ^ http://walterbeasley.com/index.php?page=bio&display=40
  11. ^ http://walterbeasley.com/index.php?page=bio&display=39

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

 
 
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