Cedar Walton

Infobox musical artist |
Name = Cedar Walton
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Background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
Birth_name = Cedar Anthony Walton, Junior
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Born = birth date and age|1934|1|17
Died =
Origin = Dallas, Texas
Instrument = piano
Genre = Hard bop and Jazz-Funk
Occupation = pianist
Years_active = 1950's - present
Label = Various
Associated_acts = Jazz Messengers
URL =
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Cedar Anthony Walton, Junior (born January 17, 1934) is an American hard bop jazz pianist.

Walton grew up in Dallas, Texas. After attending the University of Denver, Walton moved to New York in 1955. After a two year stint in the army in which he performed in a jazz ensemble, he joined Kenny Dorham's band. By the late 1950s Walton was playing with J. J. Johnson, the Art Farmer/Benny Golson Jazztet, and Gigi Gryce, and by 1959 he recorded on John Coltrane's seminal album "Giant Steps". [ [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:0ifyxqy5ldde~T1 allmusic ((( Cedar Walton > Biography ))) ] ]

In the early 1960s, he joined Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers as a pianist-arranger for 3 years, where he played with Wayne Shorter and Freddie Hubbard. He left the Messengers in 1964 and by the late 1960s was part of the house rhythm section at Prestige Records, where in addition to releasing his own recordings, he recorded with Sonny Criss, Pat Martino, Eric Kloss, and Charles McPherson.

During the mid-1970s, Walton led the funk group Mobius. He has also recorded with Abbey Lincoln, Lee Morgan, and led the band Eastern Rebellion. He continues to lead his own groups and freelance.

"Bolivia" is perhaps Walton's best known composition, while one of his oldest is "Fantasy in D", recorded under the title "Ugetsu" by Art Blakey in 1963. [Bailey, Phil (1985) "Volume 35 - Cedar Walton", Jamey Aebersold, 1985.]

Discography

*1967: "Cedar!" (Prestige Records)
*1969: "Plays Cedar Walton", 1967-69, (Prestige Records)
*1972: "Breakthrough" (Muse)
*1974: "Firm Roots" (Muse)
*1975: "Mobius" (MCA Records)
*1975: "Eastern Rebellion, Vol. 1" (Timeless Records)
*1978: "Animation" (Columbia)
*1980: "Soundscapes" (CBS Records)
*1982: "Among Friends" (Evidence)
*1985: "The Trio, Vol. 1" (Red)
*1985: "The Trio, Vol. 2" (Red)
*1985: "The Trio, Vol. 3" (Red)
*1985: "Cedar's Blues" (Red)
*1986: "Up Front" (Timeless Records)
*1987: "This Is For You, John " (Timeless Records)
*1992: "Live at Maybeck" (Concord Jazz)
*1994: "The Maestro" (Muse Records)
*2001: "Promise Land" (Highnote Records)
*2002: "Latin Tinge" (Highnote Records)
*2006: "One Flight Down " (Highnote Records)

References

External links

* [http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/musician.php?id=11151 All About Jazz bio page for Cedar Walton]
* [http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=19948 interview with Cedar Walton by Russ Musto (All About Jazz)]
* [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:5tkbu3l5an1k All Music.com entry]
* [http://hardbop.tripod.com/walton.html Cedar Walton: The Hard Bop Homepage]
* [http://www.internationaljazzproductions.com/cwalton.html Listing at International Jazz Productions]