Walter Booker RIP

[Stereojack]

It has been reported on Jazz Corner that bassist Walter Booker died Thursday night.

This has been a rough week!

[sidewinder]

Oh no, that's really sad news. It's just over a year ago since I saw Walter backing Bertha Hope in Brooklyn - a performance in which he looked to be thoroughly enjoying himself. My deepest condolences to his family and may he rest in peace.

Not a great week all in all..

[JohnS]

More sad news.

[brownie]

More sad news!

He was one of these unheralded and utterly reliable musicians!The ones who delivered!

[Dan Gould]

Brownie's right. He was one of those unheralded musicians who always delivered. RIP.

[JSngry]

RIP to a true soldier of the music.

[GA Russell]

I'm very sad about this. Walter Booker was my first favorite bassist. I think I first heard him on the Ray Bryant album Gotta Travel On. A couple of years later I saw him with Thelonious Monk, and a year later with Cannonball Adderley, when I was fortunate enough to interview him for my college radio station. Nice guy.

RIP.

[catesta]

R.I.P.

[paul secor]

I just listened to a Norris Turney recording yesterday. Walter Booker was the bassist on that date, and as I listened I thought about how solid his bass playing was.

It's a very sad thing to read of his passing.

[Harold_Z]

[Late]

Isn't Walter Booker the bassist on Andrew Hill's quartet recording with Sam Rivers (to be reissued next year as Change)? He is a monster on that recording — blew me away when I heard it for the first time.

He's also great on Rollins' On Impulse. Sad news indeed, but it looks like he left a fine legacy for us all to enjoy.

What other notable sessions did Booker grace?

[ValerieB]

bookie was my friend mostly in the '60s and '70s although i saw him a few years ago and from time to time. i have many wonderful memories of these years. he was sweet, charming, warm and totally fun-loving. and, of course, last but not least, a very talented musician. he gave his all to every performance. he was married to a friend of mine for years and they produced a magnificent son who is at this moment touring with sergio mendes. my best memories are during the years bookie was with cannonball. whether it was in ny, l.a., s.f., we partied hearty! i often reminisce with zawinul, george duke or roy mccurdy, who i plan to see tonight to celebrate his 70th birthday. we all loved bookie. you couldn't help but love him. he had all the attributes of the loving saggitarius he was.

i'm sure he's already got the party started up there! party, on, my friend.

Edited November 25, 2006 by ValerieB

[Free For All]

What other notable sessions did Booker grace?

...to name just a few.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

He was also on this

I treasure Pharoah screaming, over and over, "Walter Booker on bass! Walter Booker on bass!"

And don't forget Walter was also the composer of that lovely tune, recorded by so many musicians, "Book's Bossa".

RIP

Shitty week.

MG

[brownie]

Some of the other sessions that were graced by Walter Booker's talent:

- the two Riverside albums by the JFK Quintet

- Harold Vick 'Caribbean Suite'

- Robin Kenyatta 'Until'

- Milt Jackson 'Born Free'

- Pete La Roca 'Turkish Women at the Bath'

- Lee Morgan 'The Procrastinator'

- Joe Zawinul 'Zawinul'

- Betty Carter 'Now It's My Turn'

- Junior Cook 'Good Cookin''

- Nick Brignola 'Burn Brigade'

- Clifford Jordan 'Repetition'

all those Cannonball Adderley (and Nat Adderley) albums and so many more...

[ep1str0phy]

A terrific player--I'm sorry to see him go. RIP.

[king ubu]

Very sad news

Thank you for sharing your memories, Valerie!

[mikeweil]

A real good bass player, and, yes, taken for granted. RIP and thanks for the music.

[Guest youmustbe]

I talked to him a year ago and told him how I could never figure out how he got such a big tone, almost like an electric bass out of the acoustic, what with his fingering. He laughed!

[Peter Friedman]

A very good bass player. Just learned earlier today that Walter Booker was married to Bertha Hope. That helps explain the fact that Booker is the bass player on Bertha Hope's 2 CDs on Steeplechase, 1 CD on Reservoir, and 1 CD on Minor Music.

[clifford_thornton]

Damn shame. RIP.

Wasn't he recently interviewed at AAJ?

One of the greats. I'll be spinning some of his work tonight.

[Dmitry]

A very good bass player. Just learned earlier today that Walter Booker was married to Bertha Hope.

Obviously she was Elmo Hope's widow prior to becoming Walter Booker's.

Another solid musician gone. The balance sheet doesn't look good.

[ValerieB]

Memorial Information for Bookie

The "Celebration of a Life" Memorial Service for Walter M. Booker, Jr. will be held as follows:

Sunday, January 14, 2007 at 7:30 P.M.

Saint Peters Lutheran Church

619 Lexington Avenue at 54th Street

New York, NY 10022

(212) 935-2200

[GA Russell]

I'm delighted to see the many posts to this thread. For all these years I thought I was the only guy who really liked him.

One of his recordings that hasn't been mentioned yet is Wayne Shorter's Super Nova.

[ValerieB]

I'm delighted to see the many posts to this thread. For all these years I thought I was the only guy who really liked him.

One of his recordings that hasn't been mentioned yet is Wayne Shorter's Super Nova.

i remember well when that was recorded. bookie accompanied his then wife, maria, on the guitar when she sang dindi. she was very pregnant with their son, krishna and broke down and cried on that tune and they kept it in!