Good morning.
Today we’re listening to Cedar Walton, an American jazz pianist from Dallas, Texas. His mother taught him piano young; as a young adult he played gigs in New Orleans, Denver, and finally New York.1 After the army and a band or two, he joined Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, and later formed a long-term collaboration with drummer Billy Higgins.2 We’re first playing one of Walton’s solo piano records, Blues for Myself, which was recorded in Milan in 1986 and showcases his range – “from brawn to beauty” as Marc Myers put it. We’re also playing The Trio 3, recorded around the same time, which features Higgins and bassist David Williams playing original pieces by Walton (“Ugetsu”), Antônio Carlos Jobim, Stevie Wonder, and Charlie Parker.
Blues for Myself - Cedar Walton (40m, no vocals)
Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube Music / Amazon Music / Tidal
The Trio 3 - Cedar Walton (60m, no vocals)
Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube Music / Amazon Music / Tidal
Have a great Thursday.
Ethan Iverson – whose interview with Walton is worth reading in full