Robert Walter (musician)

Robert Walter is an American keyboard player specializing in soul jazz on the Hammond B3 organ and Fender Rhodes. He is best known as a founding member of The Greyboy Allstars.

Robert Walter
Robert Walter in New Orleans 2017
Background information
Birth nameRobert Shaun Walter VI
Born (1970-05-03) May 3, 1970
GenresJazz, soul jazz
Occupation(s)Musician
InstrumentsHammond B3 organ, piano
Years active1990s–present
LabelsFog City, Royal Potato Family
Associated actsThe Greyboy Allstars, VW Duo, Creedle, Stanton Moore, Mike Gordon
Websiterobertwalter.com

Biography

A founding member of The Greyboy Allstars,[1] Walter, splits his time between 20th Congress, The Greyboy Allstars and a robust film soundtrack career.[2] He has performed and recorded with heavyweights like Fred Wesley, Gary Bartz, Skerik, Melvin Sparks, Andy Bey, Reuben Wilson, Harvey Mason, Alec Ounsworth, Anders Osborne, Red Holloway, Chuck Rainey, Phil Upchurch, Mike Clark, Johnny Vidacovich, Mike Gordon and Steve Kimock.

In 1999, six years into The Greyboy Allstars, Walter formed Robert Walter's 20th Congress,[3] which featured Robert on electric piano and Hammond B3 organ, Dap-Kings Cochemea Gastelum on alto sax, electric sax and flute, Chris Stillwell on bass and Stanton Moore on drums. 20th Congress released their debut full-length recording Money Shot on San Francisco's Fog City Records in 2000.[4]

Walter moved from his native San Diego to New Orleans in 2003, and subsequently reunited with producer Dan Prothero to record Super Heavy Organ with local legends Johnny Vidacovich, James Singleton, Tim Green, and Stanton Moore.

In 2008, Walter recorded and released Cure All with James Singleton and Johnny Vidacovich. AllMusic calls it soul-jazz with "a healthy balance of intellect and funkiness".[5]

In Spring of 2013, The Greyboy Allstars released Inland Emperor, their first album since 2007's What Happened to Television? A move from New Orleans to Los Angeles jump-started Robert Walter's 20th Congress once again. He released Get Thy Bearings, which pushed Walter's organ, piano, Rhodes and synthesizer to the front of a group rounded out by guitarist/bassist Elgin Park, drummer Aaron Redfield, sax players Karl Denson and Cochemea Gastelum, and percussionist Chuck Prada.[6] Recorded in just a few takes at Elgonix Labs - the same studio where Walter has lent his skills to Get Thy Bearings producer Michael Andrews' film scores and productions. Since returning to LA, recording film scores has widened the conceptual palate of Walters' work.

"A lot of modern music is over-considered, but if you fix every little edge there's no mystery. We didn't monkey around too much, just indulged in our musicalness." It's the same commitment that has made Walter such a live force. The current 20th Congress touring line-up include Simon Lott, Chris Alford, and Victor Little. In April 2015, Robert joined Phish's Mike Gordon as his keyboard/organ player.[7]

In September 2018, Walter released Spacesuit, a new studio album by 20th Congress.[8]

Discography

As leader
  • Spirit of '70 with Gary Bartz (Greyboy, 1996)
  • Health and Fitness (Fog City, 1999)
  • Money Shot (Fog City, 2000)
  • There Goes the Neighborhood (Premonition, 2001)
  • Giving Up the Ghost (Magnatude, 2003)
  • Super Heavy Organ (Magnatude, 2005)
  • In a Holiday Groove With Robert Walter and His Bumpin' Beats (Fog City, 2006)
  • Cure All (Palmetto, 2008)
  • Get Thy Bearings (Royal Potato Family, 2013)
  • Spacesuit (Royal Potato Family, 2018)

With The Greyboy Allstars

  • West Coast Boogaloo with Fred Wesley (Greyboy, 1994 and Light In The Attic 2020)
  • A Town Called Earth (Greyboy, 1997)
  • GBA Live (Relaxed/ADA, 1999)
  • What Happened to Television? (SCI Fidelity, 2007)
  • Inland Emperor (Knowledge Room Recordings, 2013)
  • Como De Allstars (Knowledge Room Recordings, 2020)

As sideman

With Creedle

  • Half Man Half Pie (Cargo/Headhunter, 1992)
  • Silent Weapons for Quiet Wars (Headhunter, 1994)
  • When the Wind Blows (Headhunter, 1996)
  • Bad Radio (Cargo/Headhunter)

With Karl Denson

  • The D Stands for Diesel (Greyboy, 1995)
  • The Bridge (2002)
  • New Ammo (2014)

With Mike Gordon

With Greyboy

  • Land of the Lost (Ubiquity, 1995)
  • To Know You Is to Love You (Ubiquity, 2001)
  • Soul Mosaic (Ubiquity, 2004)

With Gary Jules

With Stanton Moore

With others

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References
  1. Wickstrom, Ann. "Robert Walter: Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved 7 April 2011.
  2. http://www.heraldpalladium.com/features/five-questions-with-robert-walter/article_a1554b6b-412c-538a-a601-ec96c09bb5cf.html
  3. http://greyboyallstars.com/1482-2/
  4. liner notes
  5. https://www.allmusic.com/album/cure-all-mw0000783010
  6. https://www.allmusic.com/artist/robert-walter-mn0000832107
  7. http://mike-gordon.com/june-2015-tourdates-announced/
  8. https://www.robertwalter.com/bio
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