Jazz musician Walter Beasley wins new fans with CD 'Go With The Flow'

Jet, June 2, 2003

Saxophonist-singer Walter Beasley is turning music fans on with the unique jazz and R&B-flavored sound on his latest hit CD Go With The Flow.

And what his fans love most about Walter besides his smooth sax sound is the fact that he also sings.

"My ability to sing is what makes me different from many of my smooth sax peers," he points out. "Singing enables me to communicate in ways others can't. On the flip side, I can evoke emotions and stimulate imagination when I pick up the saxophone. When you combine both of those elements with the fact that my background is R&B and I come from a soulful, instrumental tradition, there is, I think, a certain uniqueness to the music I create both as instrumentalist and a vocalist."

Beasley's vocals are masterfully showcased on Billy Ocean's Suddenly, late saxophonist George Howard's (Do I Ever) Cross Your Mind, and Norah Jones' Don't Know Why.

He has recorded seven albums since he arrived on the music scene in 1987 with his critically acclaimed self-titled album. Today, he is one of the top 10 selling saxophonists worldwide.

When not recording or on the road, Beasley is a music professor at famed Berklee College of Music. "Being a professor has afforded me the opportunity to consistently be around eager, creative minds. It's a symbiotic relationship. I give them the tools to break down the walls, and they, in turn, give me the tools to keep my music fresh in terms of both current trends and current technologies. They're looking to do things that are different and so am I. It's a great situation because we all feed off each other."

He also attended Berklee years ago with jazz great Branford Marsalis, singer Rachelle Farrell and "Tonight Show" guitarist/bandleader Kevin Eubanks. Additionally, he has toured and/or recorded with such performers as Brian McKnight, Vanessa Williams, Stephanie Mills, Kirk Whalum, Norman Brown and others.