Walter Norris
Encyclopedia
Walter Norris was an American pianist and composer. Ottawa Citizen
, on December 27, 1931, Norris first studied piano at home with his mother, then with John Summers, a local church organist. His first professional performances were with the Howard Williams Band in and around Little Rock during his junior high and high school years. After graduating from high school, Norris played briefly with Mose Allison
, then did a two-year tour in the US Air Force. After his time in the Air Force, Norris played with Jimmy Ford in Houston, Texas
, then moved to Los Angeles
where he became an integral part of the West Coast Jazz
scene. While in Los Angeles, he played on Jack Sheldon
's first album and on Ornette Coleman
's first album, Something Else! The Music of Ornette Coleman
(1958) for Contemporary Records
.
In 1960, Norris relocated to New York City and formed a trio with guitarist Billy Bean
and bassist Hal Gaylor, and the group made one album. Norris took a job at the New York City Playboy Club in 1963 and in time became the club's Director of Entertainment, remaining there until 1970. Between 1970 and 1974, Norris was a free-lance performer and taught in the New York area. In 1974, he replaced Roland Hanna
in the Thad Jones
-Mel Lewis
Band. After a tour of Scandinavia, he remained in Europe to record a duo album with double bass player George Mraz
, titled Drifting.
Returning to the states, Norris joined the Charles Mingus
Quintet in 1976. In the dressing room prior to a performance, according to Norris, he made the mistake of calling the temperamental Mingus "Charlie" instead of "Charles," which angered Mingus. At that moment, the stage manager entered the room and told the musicians they were needed onstage immediately, which provided a temporary escape from confrontation. Norris quit the band and accepted a job in Berlin, Germany, as pianist with the Sender Freies Berlin
-Orchestra. He moved to Berlin in January 1977 and lived there from that point. He insisted that his fear of Mingus was the primary cause of the move to Europe.
. The resulting recordings were all significant, but especially Sunburst (with saxophonist Joe Henderson
), Hues of Blues (with George Mraz), and the Live at Maybeck Recital Hall
solo piano album. In 1998, without a record contract, Norris self-financed the album From Another Star, made in New York with bassist Mike Richmond
, pressing 1,000 copies.
A documentary film directed by Chuck Dodson, Walter Norris, a documentary, was completed in 2010. In 2005 an autobiography, "In Search of Musical Perfection" and method book "Essentials for Pianist Improvisers" were released. In July 2006, Norris recorded at his home in Berlin with Los Angeles bassist Putter Smith
.
He died on October 29, 2011 at his home in Berlin, Germany, and is survived by his wife, Kirsten. His other descendants were two daughters from his previous marriage to Mandy, Dinah and Delia (deceased), and two granddaughters, Emily and Holly.
With Ornette Coleman
Early life & career
Born in Little Rock, ArkansasLittle Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
, on December 27, 1931, Norris first studied piano at home with his mother, then with John Summers, a local church organist. His first professional performances were with the Howard Williams Band in and around Little Rock during his junior high and high school years. After graduating from high school, Norris played briefly with Mose Allison
Mose Allison
Mose John Allison, Jr. is an American jazz blues pianist and singer.-Biography:...
, then did a two-year tour in the US Air Force. After his time in the Air Force, Norris played with Jimmy Ford in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, then moved to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
where he became an integral part of the West Coast Jazz
West coast jazz
West Coast jazz refers to various styles of jazz music that developed around Los Angeles and San Francisco during the 1950s. West Coast jazz is often seen as a sub-genre of cool jazz, which featured a less frenetic, calmer style than bebop or hard bop. The music tended to be more heavily arranged,...
scene. While in Los Angeles, he played on Jack Sheldon
Jack Sheldon
Jack Sheldon is an American bebop and West Coast jazz trumpeter, singer, and actor. He is a trumpet player and was a comedian on The Merv Griffin Show, as well as the voice heard on several episodes of the educational music television series Schoolhouse Rock.-Biography:Sheldon was born in...
's first album and on Ornette Coleman
Ornette Coleman
Ornette Coleman is an American saxophonist, violinist, trumpeter and composer. He was one of the major innovators of the free jazz movement of the 1960s....
's first album, Something Else! The Music of Ornette Coleman
Something Else!!!!
Something Else!!!! is the 1958 debut album by jazz saxophonist Ornette Coleman. According to All Music, the album "shook up the jazz world", revitalizing the union of blues and jazz and restoring "blues to their 'classic' beginnings in African music"...
(1958) for Contemporary Records
Contemporary Records
Contemporary Records was a jazz record label founded by Lester Koenig in 1951 in Los Angeles. Contemporary was known for seminal recordings embodying the West Coast sound, but also released recordings based in New York...
.
In 1960, Norris relocated to New York City and formed a trio with guitarist Billy Bean
Billy Bean (musician)
William Fredrick "Billy" Bean is an American jazz guitarist from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Bean was born into a musical family; his mother played piano, his father guitar, and his sister was a professional singer. Bean studied privately on his instrument and played locally in Philadelphia in the...
and bassist Hal Gaylor, and the group made one album. Norris took a job at the New York City Playboy Club in 1963 and in time became the club's Director of Entertainment, remaining there until 1970. Between 1970 and 1974, Norris was a free-lance performer and taught in the New York area. In 1974, he replaced Roland Hanna
Roland Hanna
Roland Hanna was an American Jazz pianist.Hanna studied classical piano as a boy, but was strongly interested in jazz. This increased after his time in military service.He studied at Eastman School of Music and Juilliard School...
in the Thad Jones
Thad Jones
Thaddeus Joseph Jones was an American jazz trumpeter, composer, and bandleader.-Biography:Thad Jones was born in Pontiac, Michigan to a musical family of ten . Thad Jones was a self taught musician, performing professionally by the age of sixteen...
-Mel Lewis
Mel Lewis
Mel Lewis was an American drummer, jazz musician and band leader. He was born Melvin Sokoloff in Buffalo, New York to Russian immigrant parents....
Band. After a tour of Scandinavia, he remained in Europe to record a duo album with double bass player George Mraz
George Mraz
George Mraz is a jazz bassist and alto saxophonist. He was a member of Oscar Peterson's group, and has worked with Stan Getz, Tommy Flanagan, Chet Baker and many other important jazz musicians...
, titled Drifting.
Returning to the states, Norris joined the Charles Mingus
Charles Mingus
Charles Mingus Jr. was an American jazz musician, composer, bandleader, and civil rights activist.Mingus's compositions retained the hot and soulful feel of hard bop and drew heavily from black gospel music while sometimes drawing on elements of Third stream, free jazz, and classical music...
Quintet in 1976. In the dressing room prior to a performance, according to Norris, he made the mistake of calling the temperamental Mingus "Charlie" instead of "Charles," which angered Mingus. At that moment, the stage manager entered the room and told the musicians they were needed onstage immediately, which provided a temporary escape from confrontation. Norris quit the band and accepted a job in Berlin, Germany, as pianist with the Sender Freies Berlin
Sender Freies Berlin
Sender Freies Berlin was the ARD public radio and television service for West Berlin from 1 June 1954 until 1990 and for Berlin as a whole from German reunification until 30 April 2003...
-Orchestra. He moved to Berlin in January 1977 and lived there from that point. He insisted that his fear of Mingus was the primary cause of the move to Europe.
Later career
In 1990, Norris signed a five-album contract with Concord RecordsConcord Records
Concord Records is a U.S. record label now based in Beverly Hills, California. Originally known as Concord Jazz, it was established in 1972 as an off-shoot of the Concord Jazz Festival in Concord, California by festival founder Carl Jefferson, a local automobile dealer and jazz fan who sold his...
. The resulting recordings were all significant, but especially Sunburst (with saxophonist Joe Henderson
Joe Henderson
Joe Henderson was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. In a career spanning more than forty years Henderson played with many of the leading American players of his day and recorded for several prominent labels, including Blue Note.-Early life:From a very large family with five sisters and nine...
), Hues of Blues (with George Mraz), and the Live at Maybeck Recital Hall
Maybeck Recital Hall
Maybeck Recital Hall, also known as Maybeck Studio for Performing Arts, is located inside the Kennedy-Nixon House in Berkeley, California, USA. It was built in 1914 by Bernard Maybeck. The hall seats up to 50 people and was designed upon commission for the Nixon family, local arts patrons who...
solo piano album. In 1998, without a record contract, Norris self-financed the album From Another Star, made in New York with bassist Mike Richmond
Mike Richmond (musician)
Mike Richmond is an American jazz bassist.Richmond played guitar as a youth but picked up bass during high school. He attended Temple University and taught and played locally in the late 1960s...
, pressing 1,000 copies.
A documentary film directed by Chuck Dodson, Walter Norris, a documentary, was completed in 2010. In 2005 an autobiography, "In Search of Musical Perfection" and method book "Essentials for Pianist Improvisers" were released. In July 2006, Norris recorded at his home in Berlin with Los Angeles bassist Putter Smith
Putter Smith
Putter Smith is an American jazz bassist, teacher and retired actor.-Acting performances:He famously played the part of homosexual assassin Mr. Kidd alongside partner Mr...
.
He died on October 29, 2011 at his home in Berlin, Germany, and is survived by his wife, Kirsten. His other descendants were two daughters from his previous marriage to Mandy, Dinah and Delia (deceased), and two granddaughters, Emily and Holly.
As leader
- The Trio (RiversideRiverside RecordsRiverside Records was a United States record label specializing in jazz. Founded by Orrin Keepnews and Bill Grauer under his firm Bill Grauer Productions, Inc. in 1953, the label was a major presence in the jazz record industry for a decade...
) - Drifting (EnjaEnja RecordsEnja Records is a German jazz record label based in Munich, Germany. It was founded by jazz enthusiasts Matthias Winckelmann and Horst Weber in 1971....
, 1978) with George Mraz, Aladar Page - Synchronicity (Enja, 1978) with Aladár PegeAladár PegeAladár Pege , was a jazz musician from Hungary. He was well known for his work and was dubbed "the Paganini of double bass"....
- Stepping on Cracks (ProgressiveProgressive Records-Artists:*Harry Allen*Laurie Altman*Milt Buckner*Chris Connor*Alice Cooper*Buddy DeFranco*Tommy Flanagan*Don Friedman*Al Haig*Sir Roland Hanna*Hank Jones*Lee Konitz*Stan Mark*Red Norvo*Maddy Prior*Derek Smith*Steeleye Span*Sonny Stitt*U.K. Subs...
, 1978) with George Mraz, Ronnie BedfordRonnie BedfordRonnie Bedford is an American jazz drummer and professor. Bedford is one of the founders of the Yellowstone Jazz Festival held annually in Cody, Wyoming, and was the recipient of the 1993 Wyoming Governor's Award for the Arts. In 1993 he released a self-published CD, Tour de West. He later... - Winter Rose (Enja, 1908) with Aladar Pege
- Lush Life (Concord JazzConcord RecordsConcord Records is a U.S. record label now based in Beverly Hills, California. Originally known as Concord Jazz, it was established in 1972 as an off-shoot of the Concord Jazz Festival in Concord, California by festival founder Carl Jefferson, a local automobile dealer and jazz fan who sold his...
) with Neil Swainson, Harold Jones - Live at Maybeck Recital HallMaybeck Recital HallMaybeck Recital Hall, also known as Maybeck Studio for Performing Arts, is located inside the Kennedy-Nixon House in Berkeley, California, USA. It was built in 1914 by Bernard Maybeck. The hall seats up to 50 people and was designed upon commission for the Nixon family, local arts patrons who...
, Vol. 4 (Concord, 1990) - Sunburst (Concord, 1991) with Joe Henderson, Larry GrenadierLarry GrenadierLarry Grenadier is an American jazz double bassist.His father, Albert, was a trumpet player, and his two brothers, Phil and Steve, would eventually play trumpet and guitar respectively. Grenadier too began on trumpet when he was 10 years old. His father taught him to read music and gave him his...
, Mike Heyman - Love Every Moment (Concord, 1992) with Putter SmithPutter SmithPutter Smith is an American jazz bassist, teacher and retired actor.-Acting performances:He famously played the part of homosexual assassin Mr. Kidd alongside partner Mr...
, Larance MarableLarance MarableLarance Marable is a West Coast jazz hard bop drummer born in Los Angeles, California, probably best known today for his work with Charlie Haden in his Quartet West. However, Marable also had a strong career first as a bop musician in the 1950s working with the likes of Dexter Gordon and Charlie... - Hues of Blues (Concord, 1995)
- From Another Star (Sunburst, 1998) Mike Richmond
As sideman
WIth The Thad Jones / Mel Lewis Orchestra- New Life (1975)
With Ornette Coleman
Ornette Coleman
Ornette Coleman is an American saxophonist, violinist, trumpeter and composer. He was one of the major innovators of the free jazz movement of the 1960s....
- Something Else!!!!Something Else!!!!Something Else!!!! is the 1958 debut album by jazz saxophonist Ornette Coleman. According to All Music, the album "shook up the jazz world", revitalizing the union of blues and jazz and restoring "blues to their 'classic' beginnings in African music"...
(1958)
External links
- Walter Norris' own website
- Documentary film about Walter Norris.
- http://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=2928