Walter Norris

Walter Norris (* December 27 1931 in Little Rock, Arkansas, † October 28, 2011 in Berlin) was an American jazz pianist.

Life and work

Norris had been the age of four classical piano lessons. During high school, he played in local groups. Prior to his military service, he worked in the quartet of Mose Allison. He then worked in Houston and Las Vegas before moving to Los Angeles in 1954. There he worked in the groups of Stan Getz, Dexter Gordon, Johnny Griffin, Teddy Edwards, Zoot Sims, Howard McGhee, Buddy DeFranco, Herb Geller, Charlie Ventura, Frank Rosolino / Charlie Mariano and Shorty Rogers / Bill Holman. Furthermore, he was involved in an early plate recording of Ornette Coleman and Don Cherry.

In 1960 he moved to New York City where he worked as a pianist and break in 1961 with Billy Bean and Hal Gaylor grossed a trio album. Since 1963 he was the pianist and then to 1970, the musical director of the New York Playboy Club. He then worked with different musicians and was a member of the Thad Jones - Mel Lewis Orchestra. In 1976, he worked in Scandinavia as a soloist and with Red Mitchell, with Dexter Gordon and Zoot Sims. He then became a member of the Charles Mingus band before 1977 to Berlin as a member of the SFB Big band moved. At the local University of the Arts, he worked 1984-1994 as a visiting professor. Above all, there were solo performances as Live At Maybeck Recital Hall or recordings in small ensembles, the confident of the skills of the pianist especially: Norris took duos with Aladar Aladar, George Mraz, Joe Henderson and Mike Richmond on. While the technically brilliant and stylistically independent pianist was a sought-after accompanist more famous colleagues, but was never recognized by the general public.

Norris in 2005 was his autobiography, In Search of Musical Aesthetics and a textbook Essentials for Pianist Improvisers done. Chuck Dodson filmed the documentary "The Life and Work of Walter Norris " (2004). He died in the night of 28 to 29 October 2011 in Berlin.

Disco Graphical Notes

• The Trio (1961 )
• Drifting ( Enja, 1978) with George Mraz and Aladar Aladar
• Synchronicity ( Enja, 1978) with Aladar Aladar
• Stepping on Cracks ( Progressive, 1978) with George Mraz and Ronnie Bedford
• Winter Rose ( Enja, 1908) with Aladar Aladar
• Lush Life ( Concord Jazz ) with Neil Swainson and Harold Jones
• Sunburst ( Concord, 1991) with Joe Henderson, Larry Grenadier, Mike Heyman
• Love Every Moment ( Concord, 1992) with putter Smith and Larance Marable
• Hues of Blues ( Concord, 1995)
• From Another Star ( Sunburst, 1998) with Mike Richmond
• Elements in Motion ( Sunburst, 2009) with putter Smith