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
Jazz

{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/walter-beasley/chart-history/jls/|title=Walter Beasley: Jazz Albums|magazine=Billboard}}

! style="width:50px;"|US
Con.
Jazz

{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/walter-beasley/chart-history/jcr/|title=Walter Beasley: Contemporary Jazz Albums|magazine=Billboard}}

! style="width:50px;"|US
R&B
/HH

{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/walter-beasley/chart-history/blp/|title=Walter Beasley: Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums|magazine=Billboard}}

! style="width:50px;"|US
Ind

{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/walter-beasley/chart-history/ind/|title=Walter Beasley: Independent Albums|magazine=Billboard}}

1988

| align="left"| Walter Beasley

| —

| 25

| 72

| —

| rowspan="4"| Mercury/
Polydor/
PolyGram/
UMG

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/
Hip-Hop
Songs

{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/walter-beasley/chart-history/bsi/|title=Walter Beasley: Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs|magazine=Billboard}}

! style="width:50px;"| Smooth Jazz
Airplay

{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/walter-beasley/chart-history/jsi/|title=Walter Beasley: Smooth Jazz Airplay|magazine=Billboard}}

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"
{{small|(Walter Beasley featuring Michael O'Hara)}}

| —

| 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"
{{small|(Byron Miller featuring Walter Beasley)}}

| —

| 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"
{{small|(Walter Beasley featuring Najee)}}

| —

| 2

| rowspan="2"| Do You Want to Dance?

2024

| align="left"| "Funk Foot"
{{small|(Walter Beasley featuring Phil Davis)}}

| —

| 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}}