David T. Walker

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David T. Walker
Birth nameDavid T. Walker
Also known as"David T."
Born (1941-06-25) June 25, 1941 (age 83)
Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S.
Genres Soul, R&B, crossover jazz, jazz
Occupation(s)Guitarist, composer, musician
InstrumentGuitar
Years active1957–present
Website davidtwalker.com

David T. Walker (born June 25, 1941) is an American soul/R&B, and jazz guitarist. In addition to numerous session musician duties since the early 1970s, Walker has issued fifteen albums in his own name. [1]

Contents

Career

David T. Walker was born to a Native American mother and African American father. He and his family relocated to Central California when he was 7 years old. [2] He attended David Starr Jordan High School in the Watts area of Los Angeles. He has recorded fifteen solo albums since his debut release, The Sidewalk, in 1967. He has also been a session rhythm and lead guitarist, appearing on numerous soul, R&B, and jazz releases.

His backup work was featured on several singles and albums, including Love Unlimited Orchestra's big hit single Love's Theme . [3] (1974), Stevie Wonder's Innervisions (1973); Marvin Gaye's Let's Get It On (1973) [4] and I Want You (1976); Carole King's Fantasy (1973); the Jackson 5's Diana Ross Presents The Jackson 5 , ABC , and Maybe Tomorrow , single "Never Can Say Goodbye"(1971); Michael Jackson's Ben , single "Got To Be There"(1971); [5] Nick De Caro album "Italian Graffiti", song "Under the Jamican Moon"(1974), Afrique on its 1973 Afro funk release Soul Makossa, [6] Smokey Robinson's pop hit Cruisin'(1979) [7] Bobby Womack's album The Poet(1981), and LeVert's R&B hit (Pop Pop Pop) Goes My Mind(1986). [8]

Other musicians Walker has worked with over the years include James Brown (1973), Ray Charles, [9] LeVert, Aretha Franklin, [1] Martha and the Vandellas, [9] Bobby Womack(1981), [10] Smokey Robinson, Leon Ware, [11] Barry White & Love Unlimited Orchestra, [1] Four Tops, Wah Wah Watson, Chuck Rainey, Etta James, Donald Byrd, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Billy Preston, the Sylvers, Quincy Jones, Hampton Hawes, [12] Monk Higgins, Willie Hutch, Jeffrey Osborne, Johnny Bristol, Solomon Burke, Cannonball Adderley, [13] B.B. King, the Friends of Distinction, the Crusaders, [14] Joe Sample, Paul Humphrey, Bobbi Humphrey, Sérgio Mendes, Stanley Turrentine, [15] Marlena Shaw, Blue Mitchell, Gloria Scott, and Boz Scaggs. [1]

His song "On Love" was sampled on the breakbeat compilation album Tribe Vibes Vol. 2 by the group A Tribe Called Quest. His guitar riff on Joe Sample's "In All My Wildest Dreams" (from Rainbow Seeker) was sampled on Tupac Shakur's song "Dear Mama".

Walker played in Bill Cosby's all-star band at the 2008 Playboy Jazz Festival. [16] He has gained popularity in Japan for playing guitar and he also leads his group on tours of Japan each year. He recently toured Japan with Marlena Shaw, Larry Carlton and a Brazilian artist Ed Motta.

Discography

As Leader

[17]

As sideman

With Etta James

With Martha & the Vandellas

With Stevie Wonder

With the Jackson 5

With Afrique

With Marvin Gaye

With Cannonball Adderley

With Donald Byrd

With Nick De Caro

With Friends of Distinction

With Herbie Hancock

With Monk Higgins

With Richard "Groove" Holmes

With Freddie Hubbard

With Bobbi Humphrey

With Paul Humphrey

With Quincy Jones

With Lonette McKee

With Blue Mitchell

With Alphonse Mouzon

With Jeffrey Osborne

With Gloria Scott

With Marlena Shaw

With the Sylvers

With Stanley Turrentine

With Vulfpeck

With Leon Ware

With Bobby Womack

With Dee Dee Bridgewater

With Ed Motta

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Wynn, Ron. "David T. Walker" . Retrieved February 22, 2010.
  2. ↑ "David T. Walker - Official Website │ Biography".
  3. ↑ The Best of Barry White's Love Unlimited Orchestra - Love Unlimited Orchestra | Songs, Reviews, Credits AllMusic. Retrieved 22 February 2024
  4. ↑ Staff (September 8, 1973). "Billboard's Top Album Picks". Billboard . p. 56.
  5. ↑ "Michael Jackson Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard . Retrieved January 22, 2022.
  6. ↑ Afrique davidtwalker.com Retrieved 22 February 2024
  7. ↑ Smokey Robinson Where Theres Smoke Retrieved 26 February 2024
  8. ↑ Le Vert allmusic Retrieved 26 February 2024
  9. 1 2 The Afro American Feb 27 1971 at Google News. Accessed 22-02-10
  10. ↑ David T. Disco Retrieved 18 February 2021
  11. ↑ Leon Ware insheepsclothinghifi.com Retrieved 22 February 2024
  12. ↑ "Hampton Hawes Discography". Jazzdisco.org. Retrieved June 30, 2014.
  13. ↑ Gilles Miton. "The Happy People". Cannonball-adderley.com. Retrieved June 30, 2014.
  14. ↑ Rebecca D. Clear (1993). Jazz on Film and Video in the Library of Congress. DIANE Publishing. p.  98. ISBN   978-0-7881-1436-6.
  15. ↑ Johnson Publishing Company (March 1976). Ebony. Johnson Publishing Company.
  16. ↑ Walker, Chris. "Jazz Reviews: Playboy Jazz Festival - By Chris Walker — Jazz Articles". Jazztimes.com. Archived from the original on April 29, 2016. Retrieved June 30, 2014.
  17. ↑ "David T. Walker | Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved June 30, 2014.
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