Walter Beasley

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American saxophonist and music professor

title: "Walter Beasley" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1961-births", "living-people", "berklee-college-of-music-faculty", "smooth-jazz-saxophonists", "american-male-saxophonists", "21st-century-american-saxophonists", "21st-century-american-male-musicians", "american-male-jazz-musicians"] description: "American saxophonist and music professor" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Beasley" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary American saxophonist and music professor ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox musical artist"]

Field	Value
name	Walter Beasley
image	WalterBeasley.jpg
background	non_vocal_instrumentalist
birth_name	Walter Beasley
birth_date
origin	El Centro, California, United States
instrument	Soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, voice
genre	Smooth Jazz, R&B
occupation	Musician, professor, recording artist, performer, composer
label	Shanachie Records
Warner Bros. Records
Mercury Records
Headsup/Affable Records
website
::

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.

Biography

Beasley grew up in El Centro, California.{{cite web | last = Beasley | first = Walter | authorlink = | title = Walter Beasley's Official Site: Professional Profile | publisher = | date = December 20, 2007 | url = http://www.walterbeasley.com/index.php?page=bio | doi = | access-date = 2009-02-23}} 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.{{cite news | last = Lebovitz | first = Susan Chaityn | title = Beasley on the sax | work = The Boston Globe | pages = | language = | publisher = | date = January 22, 2006 | url = http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2006/01/22/a_long_bumpy_road_for_a_high_school_dropout/ | access-date = 2009-02-23 }}

Beasley graduated from Berklee in 1984,{{cite news | last = Cox | first = Kevin | title = Boston-based saxophonist helps keep jazz alive | work = The Boston-Bay State Banner | pages = | language = | publisher = | volume = 42 | issue = 31 | date = March 15, 2007 | url = http://www2.baystatebanner.com/issues/2007/03/15/arts/arts03150741.htm | archive-url = https://archive.today/20070620182734/http://www2.baystatebanner.com/issues/2007/03/15/arts/arts03150741.htm | url-status=dead | archive-date = June 20, 2007 | access-date = 2009-02-23 }} and a year later took a short-term teaching position at the same school, which became a permanent career. He is now a professor at the school.{{cite web | last = | first = | authorlink = | title = Faculty Biography: Walter Beasley | work = Berklee | publisher = | url = http://www.berklee.edu/faculty/detail/walter-beasley | doi = | access-date = 2009-02-23}}

In 1987, he released his first, self-titled, album, and since 1998 has been one of the top ten best-selling African American saxophonists in the world. Having grown up as a fan of R&B and funk and trained in classical and jazz saxophone,{{cite news | last = Rowland | first = Hobart |author2=Bob Burtman | title = Saxy Stuff | work = Houston Press | pages = | language = | publisher = | date = May 23, 1996 | url = http://www.houstonpress.com/1996-05-23/music/saxy-stuff/ | access-date = 2009-02-23 }} his own style falls between contemporary R&B and contemporary jazz,{{cite news | last = Buckley | first = Michael | title = Music Box: Big Head Todd brings heartfelt rock to D.C. | work = HometownAnnapolis.com | pages = | language = | publisher = | date = February 5, 2009 | url = http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2009/02_05-01/ENT | access-date = 2009-02-23}} a blend which has been called "smooth jazz".

He is not only an alto and soprano saxophonist and a singer,{{cite news | last = Lowenthal | first = Kevin | title = Onstage, his smoothness turns funky and soulful | work = The Boston Globe | pages = | language = | publisher = | date = August 12, 2005 | url = http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2005/08/12/onstage_his_smoothness_turns_funky_and_soulful/ | access-date = 2009-02-23 }} but also a composer and producer. He is the founder and CEO of Affable Publishing, and the owner of Affable Records.

Discography

Albums

::data[format=table] | Year | Album | Peak chart positions | Label | US Jazz | US Con. Jazz | US R&B /HH | US Ind | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | 1988 | Walter Beasley | — | 25 | 72 | — | Mercury/ Polydor/ PolyGram/ UMG | | | 1989 | Just Kickin' It | — | — | — | — | | | | 1993 | Intimacy | — | — | 56 | — | | | | 1995 | Private Time | — | — | — | — | | | | 1996 | Live and More | — | — | — | — | Affable | | | 1997 | Tonight We Love | 13 | 10 | — | — | Shanachie | | | 1998 | For Your Pleasure | 6 | 6 | — | — | | | | 2000 | Won't You Let Me Love You | 4 | 3 | — | 34 | | | | 2002 | Rendezvous | 6 | 3 | — | 19 | | | | 2003 | Midnight Love | 8 | 4 | — | 38 | | | | Go with the Flow | 7 | 4 | — | 23 | Affable | | | | 2004 | The Classics R & B Collection | 14 | 10 | — | — | Shanachie | | | 2005 | Greatest Hits! | 34 | 23 | — | — | | | | For Her | 10 | 5 | 88 | — | Heads Up | | | | 2006 | Live | — | — | — | — | Shanachie | | | 2007 | Ready for Love | 5 | 2 | — | 34 | Affable | | | 2008 | Sax Meditations | — | — | — | — | | | | 2009 | Free Your Mind | 15 | 5 | — | — | Heads Up | | | 2010 | Backatcha! | 13 | 9 | — | — | Shanachie | | | Live – In the Groove | — | — | — | — | Affable | | | | 2013 | Live in the Club | — | — | — | — | | | | 2014 | Sax Meditations ll | — | — | — | — | | | | 2015 | I'm Back | — | — | — | — | | | | 2017 | Blackstreams (EP) | 18 | 6 | — | — | | | | 2018 | The Best of Walter Beasley | — | 11 | — | — | | | | 2019 | Going Home | 15 | 7 | — | — | | | | 2021 | Meet Me at My Place | — | — | — | — | | | | 2023 | Do You Want to Dance? | — | — | — | — | | | | 2024 | Live and Blessed | — | — | — | — | | | | "—" denotes a recording that did not chart. | | | | | | | | ::

Singles

::data[format=table] | Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Album | Hot R&B/ Hip-Hop Songs | Smooth Jazz Airplay | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | 1987 | "I'm So Happy" | 49 | | Walter Beasley | | | 1988 | "On the Edge" | 79 | | | | | 1989 | "Don't Say Goodbye" | 95 | | Just Kickin' It | | | 1990 | "Just Kickin' It" | 67 | | | | | 1993 | "If You Ever Loved Someone and Lost" | 63 | | Intimacy | | | 2005 | "Coolness" | — | 2 | For Her | | | 2007 | "Ready for Love" | — | 1 | Ready for Love | | | "Why Not You" | — | 13 | | | | | 2009 | "Steady as She Goes" | — | 1 | * Free Your Mind* | | | 2010 | "Oh Yeah" | — | 3 | | | | 2011 | "Expressway" | — | 19 | Backatcha! | | | "The Call" | — | 20 | | | | | 2013 | "Groove in You" (live) | — | 14 | Live in the Club | | | 2014 | "Silver Lining" | — | 21 | Sax Meditations ll | | | 2015 | "I'm Back" | — | 1 | I'm Back | | | 2016 | "Hard Work" (Walter Beasley featuring Michael O'Hara) | — | 17 | | | | 2017 | "Don't Say a Word" | — | 8 | Blackstreams | | | "Now What" | — | 18 | | | | | 2018 | "Come on Over" | — | 15 | | | | "Funky Boy" (Byron Miller featuring Walter Beasley) | — | 24 | Byron Miller – Psychobass 2 – The Gift | | | | "Skip to My Lew" | — | 4 | I'm Back | | | | 2019 | "The B-Spot" (Byron Miller featuring Walter Beasley) | — | 2 | Byron Miller – Psychobass 2 – The Gift | | | "It's Alright" | — | 3 | Going Home | | | | 2020 | "Aqui" | — | 24 | | | | "Real Love" (Bryon Miller featuring Stevie Wonder and Walter Beasley) | — | 22 | Byron Miller – Psychobass 3 – Real Love | | | | 2021 | "The Beasley Strut" | — | 16 | Meet Me at My Place | | | 2023 | "Nice and Easy" (Walter Beasley featuring Najee) | — | 2 | Do You Want to Dance? | | | 2024 | "Funk Foot" (Walter Beasley featuring Phil Davis) | — | 3 | | | | 2025 | "Lazy Afternoon (Kenny's Groove)" | — | 7 | TBD | | | "—" denotes a recording that did not chart. | | | | | | ::

DVDs

Educational

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

Live

*Walter Beasley Live at Scullers (*Affable Records, 2003)
Live in the Club (Walter Beasley, 2013)

Books

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

APPs

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

Awards and accolades

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

References

"Walter Beasley: Jazz Albums".
"Walter Beasley: Contemporary Jazz Albums".
"Walter Beasley: Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums".
"Walter Beasley: Independent Albums".
"Walter Beasley: Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs".
"Walter Beasley: Smooth Jazz Airplay".
"Walter Beasley's Official Site | Selected Discography and Equipment". Walterbeasley.com.
"Walter Beasley's Official Site | Fact Sheet". Walterbeasley.com.

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