Walter Beasley
A popular saxophonist and singer with a mellow, R&B-influenced style, Walter Beasley has led a successful contemporary and smooth jazz career. Following his emergence in the late '80s, he balanced his teaching career at Boston's Berklee College of Music with issuing a steady stream of lyrical, groove-oriented albums like 1997's Tonight We Love, 2002's Rendezvous, and 2007's Ready for Love, the latter of which spawned three number one Billboard smooth jazz songs, including "I'm Back" and "Steady as She Goes." He runs his own Affable Music label on which he issued 2019's Going Home.
Born in El Centro, California in 1961, Beasley briefly played trumpet before switching to the saxophone around age nine. Inspired by Grover Washington, Jr., he began learning jazz and played in various bands throughout junior high and high school. After high school, he attended Berklee College, where he graduated at age 22 and became one of the school's teachers. In 1987, he made his solo debut with Walter Beasley on Verve. Two years later, he returned on Verve with Just Kickin' It. Both of these albums showcased Beasley's broad stylistic influences from jazz and funk to R&B, and found him both playing sax and singing.
During the '90s, he moved to Mercury for 1992's Intimacy and 1995's Private Time, after which he landed at Shanachie for an extended run, beginning with 1997's Tonight We Love and including 1998's For Your Pleasure and 2002's Rendezvous. These albums found him incorporating hip-hop influences and settling into a strong quiet storm vibe. Around this time, he also began recording for Heads Up and his own Affable Records, releasing 2005's For Her and 2007's Ready for Love.
In 2010, he was back to Shanachie for Backatcha! Several live albums followed before the studio date I'm Back appeared in 2015 on Beasley's own Affable label. Two years later, he issued the sensual Blackstreams. Going Home arrived in 2019 and included guest appearances by Phil Davis, Derek Cannon, and Tres Gilbert. Also that year, he guested on bassist Byron Miller's number two Billboard-charting smooth jazz song "The B Spot."
© Matt Collar /TiVo
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The Best of Walter Beasley: The Affable Years, Vol. 1
Contemporary Jazz - Released by Affable Records on Jan 19, 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Do You Want to Dance?
Jazz - Released by Affable Records on Aug 22, 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Meet Me at My Place
Contemporary Jazz - Released by Affable Records on May 10, 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Walter Beasley Live - In the Groove
Contemporary Jazz - Released by Affable on May 4, 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Real Love
Byron Miller, Walter Beasley, Stevie Wonder
Jazz - Released by Byron Miller Studio LLC on Sep 10, 2020
24-Bit 192.0 kHz - Stereo -
Walter Beasley Live and More
Contemporary Jazz - Released by Affable Records on Jan 1, 1996
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Going Home
Contemporary Jazz - Released by Affable Records on Apr 19, 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Go With the Flow
Contemporary Jazz - Released by Affable on Mar 11, 2003
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Won't You Let Me Love You
Jazz - Released by Shanachie on Jul 11, 2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Tonight We Love
Contemporary Jazz - Released by Shanachie on Apr 22, 1997
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Classic R&B Collection
Jazz - Released by Shanachie on Feb 24, 2004
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Just Kickin' It
Jazz - Released by Verve Reissues on Jan 1, 1989
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Live in the Club
Jazz - Released by Affable Records on Jan 1, 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Blackstreams
Contemporary Jazz - Released by Affable Records on Feb 28, 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo