Summary
Walter Beasley is an American saxophonist, a professor of music at the Berklee College of Music, and founder of Affable Publishing and Affable Records.
Walter Beasley | |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Walter Beasley |
| Born | May 24, 1961 |
| Origin | El Centro, California, United States |
| Genres | Smooth Jazz, R&B |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, professor, recording artist, performer, composer |
| Instrument(s) | Soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, voice |
| Labels | Shanachie Records Warner Bros. Records Mercury Records Headsup/Affable Records |
| Website | walterbeasley |
Biography edit
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 a 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 edit
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Midnight Love | 2003 | Shanachie |
| The Classic R&B Collection | 2004 | Shanachie |
| For Her | 2005[2] | Heads Up |
| Greatest Hits! | 2005 | Shanachie |
| Live | 2006 | Shanachie |
| Ready for Love | 2007[3] | Heads Up |
| Sax Meditations | 2008 | Affable |
| Free Your Mind | 2009[8] | Heads Up |
| Backatcha | 2010 | Shanachie[9] |
| Walter Beasley Live – In the Groove | 2010 | Affable |
| Live in the Club | 2013 | Walter Beasley |
| Sax Meditations II | 2014 | Affable |
| I'm Back | 2015 | Affable |
| Blackstreams | 2017 | Walter Beasley |
| Going Home | 2019 | Affable |
| Meet Me At My Place | 2022 | Affable |
| Lil' Darlin' (single) | 2023 | Affable |
| Déjà Vu (single) | 2023 | Affable |
| Do You Wanna Dance (Walter's version) ft. Rebecca Jade (single) | 2023 | Affable |
| Nice and Easy (Walter's version) ft Najee (single) | 2023 | Affable |
DVDs edit
Educational edit
- 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
- Walter Beasley presents Vocal Performance
- Improv Using Pentatonics
- Performance Insight
- Playing Blues
- Resolution Warm-Up
- Using Vibrato
- Improvisations and Delivery Clinic
Live edit
- Live at Scullers (Affable Records, 2003)[10]
- Live in the Club (Walter Beasley, 2013)
Books edit
- Performance Insight for Musicians
- Nice and Easy Cookbook
APPs edit
- Walter Beasley Smooth Jazz Alarm App
- Walter Beasley in Concert Transcriptions
- Music Lessons by Walter Beasley
- Hip hop Improvisation
- Walter Beasley Transcriptions
- Circular Breathing
- Sound Production for Saxophone
- Sax Meditations
Awards and accolades edit
- 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]
- 2013 Forever Ink Achievement Award
References edit
- ^ a b Beasley, Walter (December 20, 2007). "Walter Beasley's Official Site: Professional Profile". Retrieved February 23, 2009.
- ^ a b Lebovitz, Susan Chaityn (January 22, 2006). "Beasley on the sax". The Boston Globe. Retrieved February 23, 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f Cox, Kevin (March 15, 2007). "Boston-based saxophonist helps keep jazz alive". The Boston-Bay State Banner. Vol. 42, no. 31. Archived from the original on June 20, 2007. Retrieved February 23, 2009.
- ^ a b "Faculty Biography: Walter Beasley". Berklee. Retrieved February 23, 2009.
- ^ a b c Rowland, Hobart; Bob Burtman (May 23, 1996). "Saxy Stuff". Houston Press. Retrieved February 23, 2009.
- ^ Buckley, Michael (February 5, 2009). "Music Box: Big Head Todd brings heartfelt rock to D.C." HometownAnnapolis.com. Retrieved February 23, 2009.
- ^ Lowenthal, Kevin (August 12, 2005). "Onstage, his smoothness turns funky and soulful". The Boston Globe. Retrieved February 23, 2009.
- ^ Joyce, Mike (February 6, 2009). "WALTER BEASLEY "Free Your Mind" Heads Up". The Washington Post. pp. WE07. Retrieved February 23, 2009.
- ^ Backatcha! – Walter Beasley | AllMusic
- ^ "Walter Beasley's Official Site | Selected Discography and Equipment". Walterbeasley.com. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
- ^ "Walter Beasley's Official Site | Fact Sheet". Walterbeasley.com. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
External links edit
- Official site
- Faculty biography