Artist description Soaring, lyrical trumpet melodies on top of luxurious rhythm grooves blended with harmonies borrowed from classical and jazz traditions.

Music Style smooth jazz fusion

Musical Influences Louis Armstrong, Beethoven, The Beatles, Led Zepplin, Miles Davis, Freddie Hubbard, John Coltrane, Mahler, Stravinsky, Bartok, Maynard Ferguson, Mangione, Sousa, Zappa

Similar Artists Chris Botti, Rick Braun, Maynard Ferguson, Chuck Mangione, Phil Driscoll, David Sanborn, Bob James, Pat Metheny

Artist History Walter White grew up in a musical family near Detroit, Michigan and was inspired by recordings of Louis Armstrong, Maynard Ferguson, and Rafael Mendez. Trained at Interlochen, Juilliard, and the University of Miami, and The Banff Centre, his dynamic trumpet playing led him to work with leading jazz artists including Bob James , the Woody Herman Orchestra, Dave Holland, Kenny Wheeler, Gunther Schuller, and the Mingus Big Band . Walter has toured Japan with the Manhattan Jazz Orchestra, Dave Matthews & the Super Latin Jazz Orchestra, the Toshiko Akioshi/ Lew Tabackin Big Band, and pop singer Wendy Moten. During the early 1990's, Walter toured and recorded with his boyhood hero, trumpeter Maynard Ferguson , and is featured on the CD, Live from London, playing The Fox Hunt, a sizzling duet with Maynard recorded live at England's famed jazz club, Ronnie Scott's . Recently, Walter received critical acclaim for his work with the San Jose/ Cleveland Ballet, conducting and soloing with an 18 piece swing band, playing composer Bill Duncan's "Go Daddy-O!", a piece choreographed by the S.J.C.Ballet's artistic director Dennis Nahat. Walter also received raves for his solo appearance with the Bremerton Symphony, playing Haydn's Trumpet Concerto in Eb and Homage to Armstrong, a medley highlighting Louis Armstrong's strong instrumental style, arranged by Walter for solo trumpet, jazz trio, and orchestra. Mr. White began working with conductor Erich Kunzel in 1996 and has appeared as guest soloist with the Cincinnati Pops and the Baltimore Symphony. He is a frequent guest performer with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra under Kunzel and maestro Neeme Jarvi, and recorded Duke Ellington's "A Tone Parallel to Harlem" , with the DSO and Jarvi for Chandos Records in 1994. Walter was a finalist in the Smithsonian's prestigious Louis Armstrong International Jazz Trumpet Competition and his 1980' s collaborations with saxophonist Rick Margitza led to winning Hennessy's National Jazz Search and a spot in the Playboy Jazz Festival at the Hollywood Bowl. Walter's playing has graced the sound tracks of records, movies, and television; most notably sitcoms TAXI, and The Cosby Show. He has authored a recording for music practice entitled, Walter White Long-tone Accompaniment and recently released Being There, a CD with the Des Moines Big Band that features his original compositions. He often produces music for records and commercials and has composed and arranged for horn sections, vocal groups, brass ensembles, and orchestras. Walter's own groups include the Walter White Jazz Quartet and the fusion group IF-U-NU. An avid educator, he holds master classes and clinics at leading music schools around the globe.

Group Members Walter White(trumpets, keyboards, compositions). Any of the following musicians: Graham Hawthorne(drums), Jeff Trudell(drums), Al Ayoub(guitar), Gary Schunk(keys), Tim Regusis(keys), Paul Livant(guitar), Kip Reed(bass), John Dunn(bass), Pete Peltier(bass), Amanda Homi (voice), Curtis Mann(voice), RJ Kelly(french horn).

Instruments Trumpet, flugelhorn, piccolo trumpet, keyboards

Press Reviews "I consider Walter White to be one of the best trumpet soloists around." -Maynard Ferguson "The trumpeter's incisive playing and often ingenious writing helped propel him to first place in the national Hennessy Jazz search." -Charlie Hunt, Detroit Free Press As trumpet players go, White has it all: tone, technique, power, imagination, assurance, and repertoire. His playing is splendid...snappy, bright, and vivacious, jazz trumpeting doesn't come much better." -Mark Miller, The Globe and Mail, Toronto "Ferguson wisely gave substantial up-front space to White whose playing on "In A Mellow Tone" and "The Fox hunt" ( a classic two trumpet battle with Ferguson) suggested the emergence of a major league talent." -Don Heckman, The Los Angeles Times

Location Ithaca, NY - USA

Copyright notice. All material on MP3.com is protected by copyright law and by international treaties. You may download this material and make reasonable number of copies of this material only for your own personal use. You may not otherwise reproduce, distribute, publicly perform, publicly display, or create derivative works of this material, unless authorized by the appropriate copyright owner(s).