Walter Beasley
{{Short description|American saxophonist and music professor}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2014}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Walter Beasley
| image = WalterBeasley.jpg
| caption =
| image_size =
| background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
| birth_name = Walter Beasley
| alias =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1961|5|24|mf=y}}
| death_date =
| origin = El Centro, California, United States
| instrument = Soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, voice
| genre = Smooth Jazz, R&B
| occupation = Musician, professor, recording artist, performer, composer
| years_active =
| label = Shanachie Records
Warner Bros. Records
Mercury Records
Headsup/Affable Records
| associated_acts =
| website = {{url|walterbeasley.com/}}
| current_members =
| past_members =
}}
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
Beasley grew up in El Centro, California.{{cite web
| last = Beasley
| first = Walter
| authorlink =
| title = Walter Beasley's Official Site: Professional Profile
| publisher =
| date = December 20, 2007
| url = http://www.walterbeasley.com/index.php?page=bio
| doi =
| access-date = 2009-02-23}} 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.{{cite news
| last = Lebovitz
| first = Susan Chaityn
| title = Beasley on the sax
| work = The Boston Globe
| pages =
| language =
| publisher =
| date = January 22, 2006
| url = http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2006/01/22/a_long_bumpy_road_for_a_high_school_dropout/
| access-date = 2009-02-23 }}
Beasley graduated from Berklee in 1984,{{cite news
| last = Cox
| first = Kevin
| title = Boston-based saxophonist helps keep jazz alive
| work = The Boston-Bay State Banner
| pages =
| language =
| publisher =
| volume = 42
| issue = 31
| date = March 15, 2007
| url = http://www2.baystatebanner.com/issues/2007/03/15/arts/arts03150741.htm
| archive-url = https://archive.today/20070620182734/http://www2.baystatebanner.com/issues/2007/03/15/arts/arts03150741.htm
| url-status=dead
| archive-date = June 20, 2007
| access-date = 2009-02-23 }} and a year later took a short-term teaching position at the same school, which became a permanent career. He is now a professor at the school.{{cite web
| last =
| first =
| authorlink =
| title = Faculty Biography: Walter Beasley
| work = Berklee
| publisher =
| url = http://www.berklee.edu/faculty/detail/walter-beasley
| doi =
| access-date = 2009-02-23}}
In 1987, he released his first, self-titled, album, and since 1998 has been one of the top ten best-selling African American saxophonists in the world. Having grown up as a fan of R&B and funk and trained in classical and jazz saxophone,{{cite news
| last = Rowland
| first = Hobart
|author2=Bob Burtman
| title = Saxy Stuff
| work = Houston Press
| pages =
| language =
| publisher =
| date = May 23, 1996
| url = http://www.houstonpress.com/1996-05-23/music/saxy-stuff/
| access-date = 2009-02-23 }} his own style falls between contemporary R&B and contemporary jazz,{{cite news
| last = Buckley
| first = Michael
| title = Music Box: Big Head Todd brings heartfelt rock to D.C.
| work = HometownAnnapolis.com
| pages =
| language =
| publisher =
| date = February 5, 2009
| url = http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2009/02_05-01/ENT
| access-date = 2009-02-23}} a blend which has been called "smooth jazz".
He is not only an alto and soprano saxophonist and a singer,{{cite news
| last = Lowenthal
| first = Kevin
| title = Onstage, his smoothness turns funky and soulful
| work = The Boston Globe
| pages =
| language =
| publisher =
| date = August 12, 2005
| url = http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2005/08/12/onstage_his_smoothness_turns_funky_and_soulful/
| access-date = 2009-02-23 }} but also a composer and producer. He is the founder and CEO of Affable Publishing, and the owner of Affable Records.
Discography
=Albums=
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |
rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| Album ! colspan="4"| Peak chart positions ! rowspan="2"| Label |
---|
style="font-size:smaller;"
! style="width:50px;"|US ! style="width:50px;"|US ! style="width:50px;"|US ! style="width:50px;"|US |
1988
| align="left"| Walter Beasley | — | 25 | 72 | — |
1989
| align="left"| Just Kickin' It | — | — | — | — |
1993
| align="left"| Intimacy | — | — | 56 | — |
1995
| align="left"| Private Time | — | — | — | — |
1996
| align="left"| Live and More | — | — | — | — | Affable |
1997
| align="left"| Tonight We Love | 13 | 10 | — | — | rowspan="5"| Shanachie |
1998
| align="left"| For Your Pleasure | 6 | 6 | — | — |
2000
| align="left"| Won't You Let Me Love You | 4 | 3 | — | 34 |
2002
| align="left"| Rendezvous | 6 | 3 | — | 19 |
rowspan="2"| 2003
| align="left"| Midnight Love | 8 | 4 | — | 38 |
align="left"| Go with the Flow
| 7 | 4 | — | 23 | Affable |
2004
| align="left"| The Classics R & B Collection | 14 | 10 | — | — | rowspan="2"| Shanachie |
rowspan="2"| 2005
| align="left"| Greatest Hits! | 34 | 23 | — | — |
align="left"| For Her
| 10 | 5 | 88 | — | Heads Up |
2006
| align="left"| Live | — | — | — | — | Shanachie |
2007
| align="left"| Ready for Love | 5 | 2 | — | 34 | rowspan="2"| Affable |
2008
| align="left"| Sax Meditations | — | — | — | — |
2009
| align="left"| Free Your Mind | 15 | 5 | — | — | Heads Up |
rowspan="2"| 2010
| align="left"| Backatcha! | 13 | 9 | — | — | Shanachie |
align="left"| Live – In the Groove
| — | — | — | — | rowspan="10"| Affable |
2013
| align="left"| Live in the Club | — | — | — | — |
2014
| align="left"| Sax Meditations ll | — | — | — | — |
2015
| align="left"| I'm Back | — | — | — | — |
2017
| align="left"| Blackstreams (EP) | 18 | 6 | — | — |
2018
| align="left"| The Best of Walter Beasley | — | 11 | — | — |
2019
| align="left"| Going Home | 15 | 7 | — | — |
2021
| align="left"| Meet Me at My Place | — | — | — | — |
2023
| align="left"| Do You Want to Dance? | — | — | — | — |
2024
| align="left"| Live and Blessed | — | — | — | — |
colspan="7" style="font-size:90%" |"—" denotes a recording that did not chart. |
=Singles=
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"; |
rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| Title ! colspan="2"| Peak chart positions ! rowspan="2"| Album |
---|
style="font-size:smaller;"
! style="width:50px;"| Hot R&B/ ! style="width:50px;"| Smooth Jazz |
1987
| align="left"| "I'm So Happy" | 49 | {{n/a}} | rowspan="2"| Walter Beasley |
1988
| align="left"| "On the Edge" | 79 | {{n/a}} |
1989
| align="left"| "Don't Say Goodbye" | 95 | {{n/a}} | rowspan="2"| Just Kickin' It |
1990
| align="left"| "Just Kickin' It" | 67 | {{n/a}} |
1993
| align="left"| "If You Ever Loved Someone and Lost" | 63 | {{n/a}} | rowspan="1"| Intimacy |
2005
| align="left"| "Coolness" | — | 2 | For Her |
rowspan="2"| 2007
| align="left"| "Ready for Love" | — | 1 | rowspan="2"| Ready for Love |
align="left"| "Why Not You"
| — | 13 |
2009
| align="left"| "Steady as She Goes" | — | 1 | rowspan="2"| Free Your Mind |
2010
| align="left"| "Oh Yeah" | — | 3 |
rowspan="2"| 2011
| align="left"| "Expressway" | — | 19 | rowspan="2"| Backatcha! |
align="left"| "The Call"
| — | 20 |
2013
| align="left"| "Groove in You" (live) | — | 14 | Live in the Club |
2014
| align="left"| "Silver Lining" | — | 21 | Sax Meditations ll |
2015
| align="left"| "I'm Back" | — | 1 | rowspan="2"| I'm Back |
2016
| align="left"| "Hard Work" | — | 17 |
rowspan="2"| 2017
| align="left"| "Don't Say a Word" | — | 8 | rowspan="3"| Blackstreams |
align="left"| "Now What"
| — | 18 |
rowspan="3"| 2018
| align="left"| "Come on Over" | — | 15 |
align="left"| "Funky Boy" {{small|(Byron Miller featuring Walter Beasley)}} | — | 24 | Byron Miller – Psychobass 2 – The Gift |
align="left"| "Skip to My Lew"
| — | 4 | I'm Back |
rowspan="2"| 2019
| align="left"| "The B-Spot" | — | 2 | Byron Miller – Psychobass 2 – The Gift |
align="left"| "It's Alright"
| — | 3 | rowspan="2"| Going Home |
rowspan="2"| 2020
| align="left"| "Aqui" | — | 24 |
align="left"| "Real Love" {{small|(Bryon Miller featuring Stevie Wonder and Walter Beasley)}} | — | 22 | Byron Miller – Psychobass 3 – Real Love |
2021
| align="left"| "The Beasley Strut" | — | 16 | Meet Me at My Place |
2023
| align="left"| "Nice and Easy" | — | 2 | rowspan="2"| Do You Want to Dance? |
2024
| align="left"| "Funk Foot" | — | 3 |
colspan="5" style="font-size:90%" |"—" denotes a recording that did not chart. |
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
- Walter Beasley presents Vocal Performance
- Improv Using Pentatonics
- Performance Insight
- Playing Blues
- Resolution Warm-Up
- Using Vibrato
- Improvisations and Delivery Clinic
=Live=
- Walter Beasley Live at Scullers (Affable Records, 2003){{cite web|url=http://walterbeasley.com/index.php?page=bio&display=40 |title=Walter Beasley's Official Site | Selected Discography and Equipment |publisher=Walterbeasley.com |access-date=2012-05-02}}
- Live in the Club (Walter Beasley, 2013)
Books
- Performance Insight for Musicians
- Nice and Easy Cookbook
- Performance Insight (for Musicians) Vol. II
- Quotes For Grown Folks
APPs
- 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
- 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){{cite web|url=http://walterbeasley.com/index.php?page=bio&display=39 |title=Walter Beasley's Official Site | Fact Sheet |publisher=Walterbeasley.com |access-date=2012-05-02}}
- 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
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://walterbeasley.com Official site]
- [http://www.berklee.edu/faculty/detail/walter-beasley Faculty biography]
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Beasley, Walter}}
Category:Berklee College of Music faculty
Category:Smooth jazz saxophonists
Category:American male saxophonists
Category:21st-century American saxophonists