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]

### Albums

[edit]

Year  | Album  | Peak chart positions  | Label

|
|
|

Jazz
[8] | US
Con.
Jazz
[9] | US
R&B
/HH
[10] | US
Ind
[11]
1988  | Walter Beasley | —  | 25  | 72  | —  | Mercury/
Polydor/
PolyGram/
UMG
1989  | Just Kickin' It | —  | —  | —  | —
1993  | Intimacy | —  | —  | 56  | —
1995  | Private Time | —  | —  | —  | —
1996  | Live and More | —  | —  | —  | —  | Affable
1997  | Tonight We Love | 13  | 10  | —  | —  | Shanachie
1998  | For Your Pleasure | 6  | 6  | —  | —
2000  | Won't You Let Me Love You | 4  | 3  | —  | 34
2002  | Rendezvous | 6  | 3  | —  | 19
2003  | Midnight Love | 8  | 4  | —  | 38
Go with the Flow | 7  | 4  | —  | 23  | Affable
2004  | The Classics R & B Collection | 14  | 10  | —  | —  | Shanachie
2005  | Greatest Hits! | 34  | 23  | —  | —
For Her | 10  | 5  | 88  | —  | Heads Up
2006  | Live | —  | —  | —  | —  | Shanachie
2007  | Ready for Love | 5  | 2  | —  | 34  | Affable
2008  | Sax Meditations | —  | —  | —  | —
2009  | Free Your Mind | 15  | 5  | —  | —  | Heads Up
2010  | Backatcha! | 13  | 9  | —  | —  | Shanachie
Live – In the Groove | —  | —  | —  | —  | Affable
2013  | Live in the Club | —  | —  | —  | —
2014  | Sax Meditations ll | —  | —  | —  | —
2015  | I'm Back | —  | —  | —  | —
2017  | Blackstreams (EP)  | 18  | 6  | —  | —
2018  | The Best of Walter Beasley | —  | 11  | —  | —
2019  | Going Home | 15  | 7  | —  | —
2021  | Meet Me at My Place | —  | —  | —  | —
2023  | Do You Want to Dance? | —  | —  | —  | —
2024  | Live and Blessed | —  | —  | —  | —
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart.

### Singles

[edit]

Year  | Title  | Peak chart positions  | Album

|
|
|

Hot R&B/
Hip-Hop
Songs
[12] | Smooth Jazz
Airplay
[13]
1987  | "I'm So Happy"  | 49  | —  | Walter Beasley
1988  | "On the Edge"  | 79  | —
1989  | "Don't Say Goodbye"  | 95  | —  | Just Kickin' It
1990  | "Just Kickin' It"  | 67  | —
1993  | "If You Ever Loved Someone and Lost"  | 63  | —  | Intimacy
2005  | "Coolness"  | —  | 2  | For Her
2007  | "Ready for Love"  | —  | 1  | Ready for Love
"Why Not You"  | —  | 13
2009  | "Steady as She Goes"  | —  | 1  |  Free Your Mind
2010  | "Oh Yeah"  | —  | 3
2011  | "Expressway"  | —  | 19  | Backatcha!
"The Call"  | —  | 20
2013  | "Groove in You" (live)  | —  | 14  | Live in the Club
2014  | "Silver Lining"  | —  | 21  | Sax Meditations ll
2015  | "I'm Back"  | —  | 1  | I'm Back
2016  | "Hard Work"
(Walter Beasley featuring Michael O'Hara) | —  | 17
2017  | "Don't Say a Word"  | —  | 8  | Blackstreams
"Now What"  | —  | 18
2018  | "Come on Over"  | —  | 15
"Funky Boy"
(Byron Miller featuring Walter Beasley) | —  | 24  | Byron Miller – Psychobass 2 – The Gift
"Skip to My Lew"  | —  | 4  | I'm Back
2019  | "The B-Spot"
(Byron Miller featuring Walter Beasley) | —  | 2  | Byron Miller – Psychobass 2 – The Gift
"It's Alright"  | —  | 3  | Going Home
2020  | "Aqui"  | —  | 24
"Real Love"
(Bryon Miller featuring Stevie Wonder and Walter Beasley) | —  | 22  | Byron Miller – Psychobass 3 – Real Love
2021  | "The Beasley Strut"  | —  | 16  | Meet Me at My Place
2023  | "Nice and Easy"
(Walter Beasley featuring Najee) | —  | 2  | Do You Want to Dance?
2024  | "Funk Foot"
(Walter Beasley featuring Phil Davis) | —  | 3
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart.

## 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)[14]
* 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)[15]
* 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. ^ Lebovitz, Susan Chaityn (January 22, 2006). "Beasley on the sax". The Boston Globe. Retrieved February 23, 2009.
3. ^ a b c d 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 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. ^ "Walter Beasley: Jazz Albums". Billboard.
9. ^ "Walter Beasley: Contemporary Jazz Albums". Billboard.
10. ^ "Walter Beasley: Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums". Billboard.
11. ^ "Walter Beasley: Independent Albums". Billboard.
12. ^ "Walter Beasley: Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard.
13. ^ "Walter Beasley: Smooth Jazz Airplay". Billboard.
14. ^ "Walter Beasley's Official Site | Selected Discography and Equipment". Walterbeasley.com. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
15. ^ "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