Walter Beasley

American saxophonist and music professor

Walter Beasley

Background information
Birth name| Walter Beasley
Born|  (1961-05-24) May 24, 1961 (age 63)
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.com

Musical artist

Walter Beasley (born May 24, 1961) is an American saxophonist, a professor of music at the Berklee College of Music, and founder of Affable Publishing and Affable Records.

## 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/Polygram
Just Kickin' It | 1989  | Mercury/Polydor
Intimacy | 1992  | Polygram
Private Time | 1995[5] | Mercury/Polydor
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  | Affable Records
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] | Affable Records
Sax Meditations | 2008  | Affable Records
Free Your Mind | 2009[8] | Heads Up
Backatcha | 2010  | Shanachie[9]
Walter Beasley Live – In the Groove | 2010  | Affable Records
Live in the Club | 2013  | Walter Beasley
Sax Meditations II | 2014  | Affable Records
I'm Back | 2015  | Affable Records
Blackstreams | 2017  | Walter Beasley
Going Home | 2019  | Affable Records
Meet Me At My Place | 2022  | Affable Records
Lil' Darlin' (single) | 2023  | Affable Records
Déjà Vu (single) | 2023  | Affable Records
Do You Wanna Dance (Walter's version) ft. Rebecca Jade (single) | 2023  | Affable Records
Nice and Easy (Walter's version) ft Najee (single) | 2023  | Affable Records
Lovely Day (Live at the Birchmere) ft. Chad Selph (single) | 2024  | Affable Records
Silver Lining (Live at the Birchmere) ft. Chad Selph (single) | 2024  | Affable Records
Aqui (Live) ft. Kevin Prince (single) | 2024  | Affable Records
Nice & Easy (live) ft. Robert Johnson (single) | 2024  | Affable Records
Live and Blessed | 2024  | Affable Records
Funk Foot (Smooth Jazz Radio Edit) (single) | 2024  | Affable Records
Baby That's Backatcha (Re-release) | 2024  | Affable Records

## 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]

* Walter Beasley Live at Scullers (Affable Records, 2003)[10]
* Live in the Club (Walter Beasley, 2013)

## Books

[edit]

* Performance Insight for Musicians
* Nice and Easy Cookbook
* Performance Insight (for Musicians) Vol. II
* Quotes For Grown Folks

## 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
* 2019 Boston Music Award for Outstanding Jazz Artist
* 2023 Soul Tracks Reader's Choice Award, Instrumentalist for the Year

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Beasley, Walter (December 20, 2007). "Walter Beasley's Official Site: Professional Profile". Retrieved February 23, 2009.
2. ^ a b Lebovitz, Susan Chaityn (January 22, 2006). "Beasley on the sax". The Boston Globe. Retrieved February 23, 2009.
3. ^ 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.
4. ^ a b "Faculty Biography: Walter Beasley". Berklee. Retrieved February 23, 2009.
5. ^ a b c Rowland, Hobart; Bob Burtman (May 23, 1996). "Saxy Stuff". Houston Press. Retrieved February 23, 2009.
6. ^ Buckley, Michael (February 5, 2009). "Music Box: Big Head Todd brings heartfelt rock to D.C." HometownAnnapolis.com. Retrieved February 23, 2009.
7. ^ Lowenthal, Kevin (August 12, 2005). "Onstage, his smoothness turns funky and soulful". The Boston Globe. Retrieved February 23, 2009.
8. ^ Joyce, Mike (February 6, 2009). "WALTER BEASLEY "Free Your Mind" Heads Up". The Washington Post. pp. WE07. Retrieved February 23, 2009.
9. ^ Backatcha! – Walter Beasley | AllMusic
10. ^ "Walter Beasley's Official Site | Selected Discography and Equipment". Walterbeasley.com. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
11. ^ "Walter Beasley's Official Site | Fact Sheet". Walterbeasley.com. Retrieved May 2, 2012.

## External links

[edit]

* Official site
* Faculty biography

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF

National|

* Germany
* United States
* France
* BnF data

Artists|

* MusicBrainz