Walter Booker

Walter Booker ( born December 17, 1933, Prairie View, Texas, † 24 November 2006 in New York ) was an American jazz bassist. His playing was marked by vocal-like bays, glissandos and tremolo techniques.

Life and work

Walter Booker moved with his family in the mid 1940s to Washington, DC. In college, he played in a band clarinet and alto saxophone. In 1959 he started with the bass when he was in the U.S. Army where he served in the same unit as Elvis Presley. After his discharge from the army he played during the early 1960s with Andrew White in Washington and the JFK Quintet.

In 1964, Booker moved to New York City, where he worked in Donald Byrd's band. After that he played with Ray Bryant, Betty Carter, Chick Corea, Stan Getz, Art Farmer, Milt Jackson, Thelonious Monk, Harold Vick and Sonny Rollins before he became a member of the Cannonball Adderley Quintet in 1969; a compound which should take up to Adderley's death in 1975.

In the time after that he toured with the trio of Shirley Horn by the United States, on the side of Billy Hart. During this time, Booker built the Boogie Woogie Studio in New York, a mecca for musicians worldwide. From 1975 to 1981 he was accompanist for Sarah Vaughan. In the 1980s he played with Nat Adderley, Nick Brignola, Arnett Cobb, Richie Cole, John Hicks, Billy Higgins, Clifford Jordan, Pharoah Sanders and Phil Woods.

Booker was married to the pianist Bertha Hope and a member of her trio, which also starred Jimmy Cobb. In addition to his own quintet, he founded the formation Elmollenium with Bertha Hope, which was dedicated to the care of the work of Elmo Hope, Bertha's former husband.

Booker died at the age of 72 years in Manhattan, New York City.

Disco Graphical Notes

  • Cannonball Adderley: Country Preacher ( Capitol, 1969), Inside Straight ( Fantasy, 1973), Phenix ( Fantasy, 1975)
  • Nat Adderley: We Remember Cannon ( In & Out, 1989) On The Move ( Theresa, 1983), Blue Autumn ( Evidence, 1982), Mercy, Mercy, Mercy ( Evidence, 1997)
  • Kenny Barron, John Hicks Quartet: Rhythm -A- Ning ( Candid, 1990)
  • Donald Byrd: Blackjack ( Blue Note, 1967)
  • Roy Hargrove: Family ( Verve, 1995)
  • John Hicks: Inc 1 (IW, 1994)
  • Clifford Jordan: Repetition ( Soul Note, 1984)
  • Lee Morgan: The Procrastinator ( Blue Note, 1969)
  • Archie Shepp: The Way Ahead ( Impulse, 1968)
  • Wayner Shorter: Super Nova ( Blue Note, 1969)
November 24 Andrew White (missionary) Richie Cole (musician) John Hicks (jazz pianist) Capitol Records Fantasy Records Candid Records Blue Note Records DIW Records Black Saint/Soul Note Impulse! Records Richard Cook (journalist) Brian Morton (Scottish writer) Integrated Authority File
811660
de