Walter Beasley

Walter Beasley
Background information
Birth name	Walter Beasley
Born	(1961-05-24) May 24, 1961 (age 63)
Origin	El Centro, California, United States
Genres	Smooth Jazz, R&B
Occupation(s)	Musician, professor, recording artist, performer, composer
Instrument(s)	Soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, voice
Labels	Shanachie Records Warner Bros. Records Mercury Records Headsup/Affable Records
Website	walterbeasley.com

Walter Beasley (born May 24, 1961) is an American saxophonist, a professor of music at the Berklee College of Music, and founder of Affable Publishing and Affable Records.

Beasley grew up in El Centro, California.^[1] 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.^[2]

Beasley graduated from Berklee in 1984,^[3] and a year later took a short-term teaching position at the same school, which became a permanent career.^[1] He is now a professor at the school.^[4]

In 1987, he released his first, self-titled, album,^[3] and since 1998 has been one of the top ten best-selling African American saxophonists in the world.^[4] Having grown up as a fan of R&B and funk and trained in classical and jazz saxophone,^[5] his own style falls between contemporary R&B and contemporary jazz,^[6] a blend which has been called "smooth jazz".^[3]

He is not only an alto and soprano saxophonist and a singer,^[7] but also a composer and producer.^[5] He is the founder and CEO of Affable Publishing, and the owner of Affable Records.^[3]

• 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

• Walter Beasley Live at Scullers (Affable Records, 2003)^[12]
• Live in the Club (Walter Beasley, 2013)

• Performance Insight for Musicians
• Nice and Easy Cookbook
• Performance Insight (for Musicians) Vol. II
• Quotes For Grown Folks

• 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

• 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)^[13]
• 2013 Forever Ink Achievement Award
• 2019 Boston Music Award for Outstanding Jazz Artist
• 2023 Soul Tracks Reader's Choice Award, Instrumentalist for the Year

• Official site
• Faculty biography