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Walt Szymanski
Jazz / Latin / R&B

		Walt Szymanski Music BROOKLYN, New York United States Profile Views: 9729 Last Login: 7/12/2009
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www.myspace.com/waltszymanskimusic

Walt Szymanski: General Info

Member Since	7/13/2007
Band Website	waltszymanski.com
Band Members	Trippin' & Love's Brief Departure: Scott Petersen (ten) Paul Keller (bass) Phil Kelly (pno) Jonathan Knust (dms) 90 Degrees with 100 Percent Humidity: Alex Harding (bari) Andy Bemke (pno) Massa Kamaguchi (bass) Jonathan Knust (dms) Kidz: Tino Derado (pno) Wayne Batchelor (bass) Gene Calderazzo (dms) You're the Boss: Carla Cook (voc) Mark Gross (alto) Lance Bryant (ten) Alex Harding (bari) Walt (voc/lead tpt) Steve Wiseman (solo tpt) Brian Bonvissuto (tbn) Rick Germanson (pno) Matt Hughes (bass) Willard Dyson (dms) Nica's Dream: J.C. Heard Orchestra J.C. Heard (dms) Russ Miller (alto) Scott Petersen (ten/solo) Les Sabina (ten) Mark Berger (bari) Bob Fazecash (lead tp) Walt (solo) Walter White (tp) Albert Duncan (tbn) Ed Gooch (tbn) Mike Pashenee (bs tbn) Jeff Halsey (bass) Earl VanRiper (pno)
Influences	Herbie Williams, Marcus Belgrave, J.C. Heard, Dizzy Gillespie, John Coltrane, Woody Shaw, Charlie Parker, Booker Little, Wayne Shorter, Clifford Brown, Igor Stravinsky,Elvin Jones, Bela Bartok, Max Roach, Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell, Marv Holladay, Sonny Stitt, Joe Henderson, Freddie Hubbard, Blue Mitchell, Charles Mingus, Miles Davis, Paul Chambers, Louis Armstrong, Maurice Ravel, Machito, Cannonball Adderley, Kenny Dorham, Chocolate, Eddie Palmieri, Ray Santos, Bach, Beethoven, Ed Nuccilli, Ella Fitzgerald, Nat Adderley, Frank Sinatra, Joe Zawinul, Sarah Vaughn, Eddie Jefferson, King Pleasure, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Duke Ellington, McCoy Tyner, Chick Correa, Duke Pearson, Thad Jones, Fats Navarro, Clark Terry, Snooky Young, Beatles, Stones, U2, Dr. John, Professor Longhair, Maurice Andre, James Tamburini, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Irakere, Bill Evans, Tony Bennett, Joe Williams, Al Jarreau, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Donny Hathaway, Curtis Mayfield, Quincy Jones, Aretha Franklin, Luciano Pavarotti.
Sounds Like	The Spirit of Detroit
Record Label	Duct Tape Music
Type of Label	Unsigned

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About Walt Szymanski

Walt began his musical journey from a small home on the east side of Detroit that was constantly resonating with the sound of music. Listening to his mother play and sing the Broadway standards on the family piano and hearing the records of Nat Cole, Frank Sinatra, Dizzy Gillespie and Al Hirt as well as the constant refrains of the ever present Motown sound presented him a tremendous musical foundation upon which to build.

The age of seven found Walt as a soprano soloist in the 120 voice, all male choir of St. Raymond in the Archdiocese of Detroit. He made his first professional appearance at that time, singing as well as soloing in front of an audience of 3000 at Ford Auditorium. As the choir began to performed more in orchestral situations, Walt was able to hear the beautiful sonority of the trumpet as it soared above the masses. His love quickly changed from vocalizing to playing the trumpet and upon entering high school he quickly captured first chair in wind ensemble and orchestra as well as playing lead trumpet in the jazz big band and school pit orchestra. In his senior year of high school, Walt was presented the Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia award for the "Best Jazz Trumpet" in the State of Michigan.

After a brief flirtation with medical studies, and a year of classical trumpet studies at the University of Michigan, Walt transferred to Oakland University in Rochester, Mi., where an emerging Jazz Studies Program under the direction of Marvin "Doc" Holladay seemed to be the direction he wanted to pursue. The jazz program, which drew it's faculty from the great jazz musicians staffing Motown records, included trumpet artists Marcus Belgrave and Herbie Williams, saxophonists Sam Sanders and Donald Washington, bassists Ed Pickens and Ali Jackson, pianists Harold McKinney and Johnny Allen and drummers Jimmy Allen and "Pistol" Allen. At Oakland, Walt got first hand experience performing with Jazz greats Clark Terry, Thad Jones, Frank Foster, "Dangerous" Dan Turner, Phil Woods, Joe Farrell and John Clark.

It was also during this period that Walt began to record and tour with many local Detroit acts including Johnny Taylor, the Four Tops, Aretha Franklin, the Temptations, the Dramatics, Wild Cherry and the Brides of Funkenstein. He also co-led the jazz quintet, IMPACT, which hosted a legendary Detroit Sunday afternoon jam session and worked extensively throughout the mid-west region.

From 1979 through 1982, Walt served as staff arranger, trumpet soloist and vocalist at the Grand Hotel, on Mackinac Island, MI., It was there that he made his first contact with legendary jazz drummer great, J.C. Heard., who was so inspired by Walt's arranging ability that he hired him as music director for his newly formed Duke Ellington Repertory Orchestra, the J.C. Heard Orchestra. His apprenticeship with J.C. found Walt sharing the stage with one of his greatest idols, Dizzy Gillespie. In addition to Diz, Walt performed in small combo situations with Oscar Peterson, Ray Brown, Milt Hinton, George Shearing, Buddy Tate, Nat Pierce, Buddy DeFranco, Slim Galliard and Joe Bushkin.

Walt, also prolific as a composer (formal studies with Stanley Hollingsworth), served as composer in residence for the Detroit Dance Collective, the Acoustic Arts Ensemble and the Detroit Concert Choir. Additionally, Walt has served as Instructor of Jazz Trumpet, Arranging and Composition Studies at Oakland University (Rochester, MI) 1985-92, as well as the Center for Creative Studies (Detroit, MI) 1988-90. His numerous artistic awards include 1972 Best Trumpet (State of Michigan Phi Mu Alpha), 1976-77 Arranger and Soloist awards (NAJE, IAJE), 1989-92 Best Trumpet and Best Composer awards (Metro-Times Annual Music Awards), and 1993 Jazz Hall of Fame (Metro-Times Annual Music Awards).

His true love of straight ahead Jazz inspired Walt in 1982 to form and co-lead a hard bop group, the Motor City Jazz Quintet, which in addition to performing at numerous clubs and concert venues, was a perennial favorite at the Detroit/Montreux Jazz Festival. For 10 years, from 1982 to 1992, the quintet performed original compositions and arrangements, always packed houses and rave reviews. It was during this time also that Walt created numerous arrangements for J.C. Heard and his Orchestra. After the untimely death of J.C. in 1988, Walt knew that he would have to move on if he was to maintain the energy level established through his association with Mr. Heard. This "moving on" meant New York City, the "Big Apple".

Establishing residency in New York in 1993, Walt quickly established musical affiliations with Barry Altschul, Kenny Drew Jr., Kirk Lightsey, Cecil McBee, Eddie Hendersen, David Scnitter, and Jimmy Madison. His first New York jazz group, Emergence, featured new compositions inspired by Walt's move to NYC. He soon was performing as an instrumentalist/soloist with Ray Santos and CAME, the Mingus Big Band, Wayne Andre, Nancy Banks Orchestra and the Jazz Composers Orchestra. His current musical activities include principal trumpet for the Billy Strayhorn Project, the Charles Tolliver Big Band, co-leader of the Jambalya Brass Band and musical director of George Gee's Make Believe Ballroom Orchestra and Jump Jivin' Wailers. In 2004 Walt co-produced a CD with legendary arranger/composer Frank Foster entitled "Settin' the Pace" featuring the George Gee Orchestra.

Also a lover of classical music as well, Walt is principal trumpet with the Metropolitan Brass Quintet and the Gotham Brass Quintet. He additionally has appeared with the Harlem Festival Orchestra and the Greater Allen Cathedral of New York Orchestra.

In 2001, Walt and two fellow musicians, Alex Harding (bari sax) and Gary Wittner (guitar) formed Trio WAG and were selected to present the music of Louis Armstrong as Jazz Ambassadors for the U.S. State Department and Kennedy Center. As Jazz Ambassadors, the trio found themselves serving as the first cultural exchange group in the Balkans since the onset on civil war in the region. The trio performed numerous concerts and workshop/clinics throughout Serbia, Montenegro and Slovenia. In 2003 they embarked on a second tour taking them to Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Japan.

One of Walt's main current and exciting project finds him working as musical director/soloist/composer with pianist and songstress Ms. Jo Thompson and the Detroit Jazz Jewels. Originally formed as a quartet they, appeared at all of the major cabaret/jazz venues in NYC, including the Tavern on the Green, the Supper Club, the Oak Room, Michael's Pub and Eighty Eights. In 1994 they were recipients of the Backstage Award for Best Instrumental/Vocal Group as well as the MAC award. In 2000, Walt and Jo decided to expand the sound to include the 13 member J.C. Heard Orchestra and have subsequently recorded two albums, "Slender, Tender and Tall" and "Forever Fabulous". They have performed to packed houses and rave reviews at the world famous Blue Note, Iridium and Birdland jazz clubs as well as the Lincoln Center and extensively throughout Japan.

Walt Szymanski's Friend Space (Top 40)

Walt Szymanski has 674 friends.

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Walt Szymanski's Friends Comments

Displaying 25 of 159 comments ( View All | Add Comment )

Tom Pietrycha	Jun 28 2009 4:16 PM Hey Walt. See you Tuesday?
B.	Jun 11 2009 5:32 PM Make sure to check out Kermit Ruffins performing his new album, Living the Treme Life, live at Lincoln Center's Midsummer Night Swing on Tuesday, July 7th at 6:30.
Dirk Amrein	Jun 5 2009 7:19 AM
Mark Isham	May 27 2009 4:44 PM Thank you for the add! Hope you're doing great! Mark http://www.bittersweetthealbum.com
KROSHET	May 27 2009 4:40 PM HI THANKS 4 BEING A FRIEND !!!!
ERD	May 13 2009 2:18 AM Thank you for making the connection with Entertainers Resource Directory www.entertainersrd.com Is your Key resource for Live Entertainment Worldwide. Also, Here at myspace Twice monthly I feature a new set of our top 24 myspace artist friends. Become a fan and friend here at www.myspace.com/jimentertainersrd. Drop me a line, Love to hear from you Jim .
Max Effort	Apr 20 2009 7:18 PM Walt, Thank you for admitting me into your MySpace circle of friends. Best wishes for continuing commercial, financial and artistic success with your illustrious music career.
Bion's Jazzbeat	Apr 17 2009 2:49 PM Greetings from the "jazzy" side of Las Vegas USA.
ANITA GABRIELLA'S SYMPHONY OF MUSIC	Apr 17 2009 1:03 AM
Fernando "PILA" Alvarez	Apr 8 2009 2:55 PM Muchas Gracias...!!! Por el Add. Saludos desde; Valencia - Spain
Paulo Djorge	Apr 8 2009 2:44 PM Muito grato! Maravilha de som. A música faz com que as pessoas experimentem um pouquinho do mundo divino. Neste espaço, pude perceber que são habitados por anjos - e você é um deles - não importa sua legião. Penso que a música está acima do bem e do mal - Deus é mais - e espero que você esteja sempre envolvido por ela. Portanto desejo uma ótima existêcia e agradeço por existir na mesma época que você. Um beijo no coração!!! Paulo Djorge
Rubén Chammé "Official MySpace"	Apr 7 2009 2:58 AM Hello Walt, thanks for the ADD. Beautiful music and the sounds of his trumpet, flugehorn and all the band !, congratulations !. Rubén Chammé from Salta-Argentina. -
Dirk Amrein	Mar 22 2009 1:01 PM Thanks for your friendship , Part of cerberus is in my player , downloadable later in this space www.myspace.com/marcyeats , hope you come,listen and enjoy , all the best dirk
Tom Pietrycha	Mar 10 2009 5:47 PM See you tonight?
Paradoxonia	Feb 17 2009 2:47 PM hello walt,glad to meet you here. your playing and music is great! best regards
Augusto Di Tella	Feb 11 2009 2:08 PM Walt:Thanks for the friendship and excellent music.A guitar's hug from Buenos aires,Argentina. Augusto Di Tella.
DUO MOSÏK	Dec 31 2008 3:10 AM Thanks for the add, nice music here! <— CLICK THE IMAGE and listen to good MOSÏK!
Jazz Break	Dec 31 2008 1:10 AM We value every new jazz "friend" we find. So, we appreciate your add very much. Please take a look at this ..... http://jazzbreak2. blogspot. com/ It's our exclusive jazz promotion site. We know how important it is to have your name and your music out everywhere. We have placed over 1,500 musicians into over 250 jazz playlists. Each day hundreds of jazz fans come to this site to listen to our playlists. These people are music buyers. If you have a CD to sell or just want to get more people to visit your MySpace page, you can do it here Thanks to the music, we are all connected! *
TASSILI BOND	Dec 30 2008 8:33 PM Friends18. com New Year Greetings
Terry "Thunder" Hughley	Dec 26 2008 2:49 AM Get More at COMMENTYOU. com
Dolce Vita String Quartet	Nov 23 2008 6:13 AM Thank you Walt for accepting us within your friends! You are most welcome to be amongst ours! In Music and in Life, all the very best to you! Our albums available on iTunes and can now be accessed on eMusic. Please visit our MySpace for links to listen to the rest of our tracks at iTunes or eMusic! .. DOLCE VITA STRING QUARTET :-)
TASSILI BOND	Nov 17 2008 9:51 AM Hello Walt. I've entered The Roots Remix Contest. If I win I get to spend two days in the studio recording one of my tracks with The Roots! I think it would be really cool if a jazz musician won this high profile contest! Please support me with your vote by clicking on the following link . Thank you!!! http://www. indabamusic. com/submissions/show/3721
Renaissance Dell'Arte	Oct 13 2008 7:10 PM Thanks for connection. Keep up the great music. Kiss Renaissance Dell'Arte
Victor Hodge	Oct 13 2008 5:01 AM thx for adding me.
Walter Ramello	Sep 28 2008 10:42 PM Thank you for all walt . Is a honor for me

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