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Artists
Arkansas Jazz Hall of Fame
1995 Candidates
Walter Norris, 1931 -
"Walter Norris is alive and well and living in Berlin!" So declares noted jazz reviewer Andrew Sussman, perhaps explaining why such a brilliant and respected jazz pianist is not better known in the United States, his homeland. Germany is a long way from Little Rock, Arkansas, where Norris was born December 27, 1931. His mother, who played piano, began his piano lessons when he was four and a half. He heard boogie woogie when he was eight and taught himself to play it the same day. He studied classical music for thirteen years with the local church organist and choir master.
Following twenty-one months in the U.S. military, he went to Las Vegas in 1953, where he formed his own trio. In 1954, he moved to Los Angeles. He became a sought-after sideman in California and worked with Zoot Sims, Teddy Edwards, Stan Getz, the Shorty Rogers-Bill Holman Quintet and many others, and recorded with Jack Sheldon, Frank Rosolino, Herb Geller and Ornette Coleman. In New York in the 60's he worked with the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra. In 1976 he spent seven months in Scandinavia playing with Red Mitchell and the Dexter Gordon and Red Rodney groups.
Returning to New York he worked with Charles Mingus until he accepted an offer to work with the S.F.B. Radio in Berlin. He stayed to tour Europe and became a professor at the HOCHSCHULE, a conservatory for the arts, where he still teaches piano improvisation. In addition to live and recorded performances with the above named artists, Mr. Norris has four CDs on Concord Jazz.
AJHF EXCLUSIVE! Order your copy of from another star, released in 1999 by the Walter Norris Duo!
[Find related books and albums at the Foundation Store]
[All-Music Guide entry for Walter Norris]
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