Grammy award-winning drummer/percussionist/composer/educator Mark Walker was born in Chicago, Illinois. He began playing drumset at age ten and played his first professional club, concert and recording gigs barely out of high school. He gained valuable experience performing an extremely wide range of styles in the Chicago area and later became a first-call session drummer and percussionist, playing on hundreds of jingles and record dates. While still living in Chicago in the 1990’s, he began a long stint with sax/clarinet virtuoso Paquito D’Rivera, which continues to this day. He also toured for two years with Lyle Mays.
Since moving to New York in 1995, he has performed extensively and recorded with: Oregon, Paquito D’Rivera, Rosa Passos, Michel Camilo, Caribbean Jazz Project, Dave Samuels, Andy Narell, David Liebman, Cesar Camargo Mariano, Diane Schuur, Linda Eder, Cathy Richardson, Ivan Lins and many more.
He has also performed onstage with major artists such as Michael Brecker, Joe Lovano, Mike Manieri, Airto Moreira, Don Alias, Flora Purim, Dizzy Gillespie, Sammy Davis Jr. , Chu Cho Valdes, Amadito Valdes, Bebo Valdes, Sakesho, Eliane Elias, Jerry Gonzalez, Giovanni Hidalgo, Jovino Santos Neto, Chano Dominguez, Diane Reeves, João Bosco.
He has appeared on major television shows such as: “Late Night with David Letterman”, “The Rosie O’Donnell Show”, “PBS presents…” and “BET On Jazz”. He also appears on screen with Paquito D’Rivera in Fernando Trueba’s Latin jazz documentary “Calle 54”(Miramax).
He was appointed Associate Professor at Berklee College of Music in Boston (2001) creating a new curriculum, serving on the Education committee and teaching drummers, percussionists and ensembles. He has also served on the faculty at Drummers Collective in New York City. Mark has given master classes, clinics and workshops in South America, North America and Europe.
As an author he’s written for the all-star instructional drum set book “Killer Grooves” published by Carl Fischer. He is currently working on a book for Berklee press tentatively titled “World Jazz Drumming”. His solo projects include the sample/loop discs “Chameleon Drums, Vol 1 & 2”(Sonic Emulations) and “Ritmo De Las Americas”(Sampleheads).
He has also composed and arranged for the group Oregon, the Paquito D’Rivera Quintet, Bob McGrath and David Onderdonk. His compositions can be heard on the CD “1000 Kilometers”, by Oregon, and also on “Funk Tango”, by the Paquito D’Rivera Quintet.
He has won 3 Grammy Awards and earned several Grammy nominations for his work with various artists, including Oregon, Donato Poveda, Paquito D’Rivera and Caribbean Jazz Project. He is currently nominated for two Grammy awards, one for best instrumental composition (for the track “Deep Six” from Oregon’s CD “1000 Kilometers”) and best Latin jazz album as a drummer/composer with the Paquito D’Rivera Quintet.
He’s won in 1996 the grand prize for Jazziz magazine’s competition “Percussion On Fire”. Mark has also earned the Indie award and the Jazz award (German record manufacturers) for his work with Oregon.
Mark Walker is a Yamaha, Paiste, Remo, Vic Firth and LP artist. His website is www.wiggage.com/markwalker.html. He currently lives in the Boston Metrowest area with his family, teaching at Berklee, writing, recording and touring.
I edited my profile with Thomas Myspace Editor V4.4 (www.strikefile.com/myspace)
OREGON Live at Jazztage, Leverkusen, Germany 2006
Oregon Live 2006
Mark Walker with Andy Narell and the Trinidad All-Stars October '07
Michel Camilo/Anthony Jackson/Mark Walker live at Jazz Plaza, Havana, Cuba 1998
Cesar Camargo Mariano featuring Michael Brecker Live in Rio de Janeiro, Brasil 1997
Caribbean Jazz Project featuring Paquito D'Rivera, Andy Narell and Dave Samuels Live in Lugano, Switzerland 1995
Caribbean Jazz Project featuring Paquito D'Rivera, Andy Narell and Dave Samuels Live in Lugano, Switzerland 1995
Cesar Camargo Mariano featuring Michael Brecker Live in Rio de Janeiro 1997
Paquito D'Rivera Quintet at Birdland, New York, NY 2004
Wake up! Welcome to Germany. And many congrats on that Grammy. John and I watched you live on the web cast of the ceremony. Perhaps you heard us cheering all the way from Cologne.
My next book (RHYTHM) will be out in October. It's about a drummer. Next to bass players, you guys are my favorite people.
hello Mark, you may or may not remember me, but me and my friends stopped you twice on the street in Boston to tell you how great your playing was at the end of the percussion festival. hopefully i can see more of it next year! thanks for the music....
Master thanks for the add and for me ist a pleasure to be your friends, You are the inspirations for old the drummers... Stay in touch.. Omarquez Venezuela....
BONJOUR A TOUS AMIS BATTEUR & PERCUSSIONNISTE, N'HÉSITEZ PAS A POSTER VOS DEMOS AUDIO, VIDEO, INFOS CONCERTS, STAGES, MASTER-CLASS SUR NOTRE PAGE L'ESPACE COMMENTAIRES EST LIBRE...
Have you ever been stumped in your creativity? Sir Philip Sidney has the answer in his poem:
Astrophel and Stella: Sonnet 1
1 Loving in truth, and fain in verse my love to show, That she dear she might take some pleasure of my pain, Pleasure might cause her read, reading might make her know, Knowledge might pity win, and pity grace obtain, I sought fit words to paint the blackest face of woe: Studying inventions fine, her wits to entertain,
