Cedar Walton
Cedar Anthony Walton, Junior (born January 17, 1934 in Dallas , Texas , † August 19, 2013 in New York City ) was an American jazz pianist .
Life
Walton grew up in Dallas, Texas. After attending the University of Denver, he went to New York in 1955. After completing his military service in Germany, where he played with Leo Wright , Don Ellis and Eddie Harris , he became a member of Kenny Dorham's band . In the late 1950s he played with JJ Johnson , the Art Farmer / Benny Golson Jazztet and Gigi Gryce . In 1959 he was involved in the recording of John Coltrane's album Giant Steps .
In the early 1960s he came to Art Blakeys Jazz Messengers for three years as a pianist and arranger , where he played with Wayne Shorter and Freddie Hubbard , as on the album Mosaic 1961. He left the "Messengers" in 1964 after the album Free for All to work at Abbey Lincoln and Lee Morgan . In the late 1960s he played in the house rhythm section of Prestige Records , where he not only participated in releases by Sonny Criss , Pat Martino , Eric Kloss and Charles McPherson , but also made his own recordings.
In the mid-1970s, he not only led the radio group Mobius , but also his band "Eastern Rebellion", in which Clifford Jordan , George Coleman and Bob Berg , Sam Jones and Billy Higgins performed, among others .
His best known piece is Bolivia , while his oldest composition Fantasy in D was recorded by Art Blakey in 1963 under the title "Ugetsu".
In 2010 he received a NEA Jazz Masters Fellowship . His album The Bouncer , which was released in England on July 19, 2011, was recorded in Rudy van Gelder's renowned Englewood Cliffs recording studio in New Jersey. He named the last piece afterwards Martha's Prize , Martha is the name of his wife. It shows his kind of humor. Six of the eight compositions on the album are by Walton himself. The musician was married and had lived in New York City for decades. Walton died in his Brooklyn home in August 2013.
Discographic notes
- Cedar! (OJC, 1967) with Kenny Dorham, Junior Cook , Leroy Vinnegar , Billy Higgins
- Cedar Walton Plays Cedar Walton (OJC, 1967)
- First Set / Second Set / Third Set ( Steeplechase , 1977) with Bob Berg, Sam Jones, Billy Higgins
- The Trio, Volume 1 ( Red Records , 1985) with David Williams , Billy Higgins
- Manhattan Afternoon (Red, 1992) with David Williams, Billy Higgins
- The Composer (Astor Place, 1996) with Roy Hargrove , Vincent Herring , Ralph Moore , Christian McBride , Victor Lewis
- Roots (Astor Place, 1997) with Terence Blanchard , Joshua Redman , Gary Smulyan , Ron Carter , Lewis Nash
- Underground Memoirs ( High Note Records , 2005), solo album
- One Flight Down (High Note, 2006) with David Williams b, Joe Farnsworth dr, Vincent Herring tensax
- The Bouncer (High Note, 2011) with David Williams b, Willie Jones III. dr, Vincent Herring sax, fl and guest appearances by Steve Turre tr and Ray Mantilla perc.
credentials
- Jamey Aebersold : Cedar Walton. Nine Jazz Originals (= A New Approach to Jazz Improvisation. Vol. 35). Introduction by Phil Bailey. Jamey Aebersold, New Albany IN 1985.
Web links
- Literature by and about Cedar Walton in the catalog of the German National Library
- Cedar Walton in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- All About Jazz Biography of Cedar Walton
- Interview with Cedar Walton (All About Jazz)
- Obituary in the Ottawa Citizen
- Cedar Walton at Discogs (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Venerable Texan jazz-pianist offers a soulful set , Reviewed by Martin Longley on July 22, 2011 on BBC Review
- ↑ Cedar Walton - One Flight Down, HighNote - HCD 7157
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Walton, Cedar |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Walton, Cedar Anthony Junior (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American jazz pianist |
| DATE OF BIRTH | January 17, 1934 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Dallas , Texas |
| DATE OF DEATH | 19th of August 2013 |
| Place of death | New York City |