Introduction
Walter Beasley 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. 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.
Beasley graduated from Berklee in 1984, and a year later took a short-term teaching position at the same school, which became a permanent career. He is now professor at the school.
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, his own style falls between contemporary R&B and contemporary jazz, a blend which has been called "smooth jazz".
He is not only an alto and soprano saxophonist and a singer, but also a composer and producer. He is the founder and CEO of Affable Publishing, and the owner of Affable Records.
Discography
| Album | Year | Label |
|---|---|---|
| Walter Beasley | 1987 | Polydor |
| Just Kickin' It | 1989 | Mercury |
| Intimacy | 1992 | Mercury |
| Private Time | 1995 | 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 | Heads Up |
| Greatest Hits! | 2005 | Shanachie |
| Live | 2006 | Shanachie |
| Ready for Love | 2007 | Heads Up |
| Sax Meditations | 2008 | Affable |
| Free Your Mind | 2009 | Heads Up |
| Backatcha | 2010 | Shanachie |
| Walter Beasley Live – In the Groove | 2010 | Affable |
| Live in the Club | 2013 | Walter Beasley |
| TBA | 2015 | Affable |
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
- Live at Scullers (Affable Records, 2003)
- Live in the Club (Walter Beasley, 2013)
- "Walter Beasley's Official Site | Selected Discography and Equipment". Walterbeasley.com. Retrieved 2012-05-02.
Books
- Performance Insight for Musicians
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)
- 2013 Forever Ink Achievement Award
- "Walter Beasley's Official Site | Fact Sheet". Walterbeasley.com. Retrieved 2012-05-02.