George Walker

George Walker started playing guitar professionally at age 17. At age 16, he was playin in colleges around New England. He got his music education in Boston at Berklee College of Music and his studio, movie and TV experience in Hollywood.

George has played at all of the major jazz festivals throughout the United States. He is a egular of the Omaha jazz & blues scene, playing frequently at Ameristar & Harvey's Casinos, McKenna's, Border's & Papa G's.

George also contributes music articles & reviews to Lincoln's Maxx magazine and UNO's Black Studies Dept. George provides classy, versatile entertainment for private parties & weddings. While best known for his excitin & relaxing jazz arrangements, his repertoire includes rock, pop and r&b - standards as well as contemporary hits.

George Walker is one of 12 artists selected by Smick Guitars (the world's largest make of guitars) to endorse their product. In April, 1999, he won a song writer award from the Nebraska Arts Council, one of five composition winners in a group that included Jackson Berkey.

He is originally from Boston but most of his career took place in California working with many of the top name recording artists of today. He has worked & recorded with Lou Rawls, Kenny Burrell, Harvey Mason, Paul Humphrey, Wilton Felder and more. Most people know him as the Smooth Jazz guitarist who tastefully builds his solos into colorful gutsy notes founded in the Blues. He combines Blues & Jazz in a very exciting way.

George's first CD „One Way or Another The Blues" was released in April 1999 and is carried by Homers, Borders and Leola's Records.

George has contributed as a writer to a book on American music titled African American Jazz and Rap, which is scheduled for publication in the year 2000.

George recently toured in Germany where he received rave reviews as a „must see", „best blues jazz" artist and a „jazz teacher".

In May, 1999 George entertained 800 people at a fund-raiser that helped Creighton Prep raise over $ 400.000.

George teaches the jazz/blues style adding a history of the roots of the blues. He demonstrates the different musical styles for his students and discusses the evolution ob blues & jazz.

In the future George plans to perform in Omaha and Europe and continue to record, teach and promote his CD.

For bookings or more information contact:

One Way or Another

Blues Jazz Productions

5005 N. 126 St.

Omaha, NE 68164-1995

US (402) 493-8243

Germany 011-49-551-31337

Email - gww36@hotmail.com

George Walker - One way or another, the blues.

The title of George Walker's album " One way or another, the blues " is something misleading, because one first expects to hear a Blues-album. Blues is a melody of a mournful and haunting character, originating among the black people of the Southern U.S., freq. in a twelve-bar sequence using many ‘blue’ notes. Already 1956 Morgans & Horricks wrote in modern jazz: " The twelve-bar blues, long at source of expression for the outpouring of emotion, underwent at startling change with the introduction of the reef in jazz ". George Walker has an individual unique way however to mix Blues with Smooth Jazz to a new style. Although his home is the Blues, he uses elements of Pop, Soul and R&B, to mediate Jazz and Blues to the audience . Most people know him as the Smooth Jazz guitarist who tastefully builds his solos into colorful gutsy notes founded in the Blues.

With the first piece on his album, we meet an old friend. Grazing in the grass, the former hit of the formation Friends of Distinction from the year 1969 we have already found on Gordon James's self-titled album. George Walker presents us a measured version using a Samick copy of a les Paul. His friend Arthur Herrington did keyboards, bass, drums and strings.George Walker put his guitar on top of the tracks after he finished them. The result is a impressing mellifluous pleasing piece.

South by South was written by Arthur Herrington as a piano play. George Walker made a furious guitar solo out of this tune mixing solo tones with accords in a masterful manner. If you like George Benson's guitar play, you will love these songs.

I'm gonna get ya is the right title for the next track. With his Ibanez Artist George Walker reaches our heart without hesitancy. Emotionally and ingratiating he takes us to heaven. This blissout is an album, every artist must have dreamed of making.

The right successor, who still reinforces this impression, is In the pocket. For every lover of a melodic and jazzy guitar play this album is a must.

Hip to my hop is not a Hip-Hop but a funky and still smooth piece. George Walker combines his atmospheric pointed guitar play with Arthur Herrington's sophisticated keyboard sounds. Great idea the dutch organ samples.

With Blue's in F George Walker approaches the Blues, without abonding the Contemporary Jazz area. Anew he showcases his skillfulness on guitar play.

Friend finishs this mesmerical album. Luther Vandross couldn't make a better performance. George Walker doesn't recoil before it to bring pure Soul to a Smooth Jazz album. For a purist unbelievable, for a fan of Smooth Jazz a meaningful supplement.

The only criticism, that should license me George, the album is too short with 27 minutes. Therefore my appeal, more from these fine tunes.