Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Walt Weiskopf was born in Augusta, Georgia on July 30, 1959 and grew up outside of Syracuse, New York. His father, a physician by profession, was also a serious classical pianist. Classically trained, it wasn’t the albums of Al Hirt or Herb Alpert his mother brought home but Miles Ahead that turned his attention. Already filled with Charlie Parker, Stan Getz, Dexter Gordon and John Coltrane at 14 he set his sight in earnest on jazz. At 16, he began playing alto saxophone in a local big band alongside the great tenorist J.R. Monterose, who became his first mentor.

Heading to the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, Walt acquired a B.A. and after a move to New York City at twenty in 1980 he made a name for himself in jam sessions and was drafted into the Buddy Rich Big Band, adding tenor to his arsenal. By 1983, he began a 14-year association with Toshiko Akiyoshi, touring and recording with her jazz orchestra and small group.

The late ’80s, saw him playing with and writing for his first quartet that included his brother Joel, bassist Jay Anderson, and drummer Jeff Hirshfield. In 1989, he released his debut album as a leader, Exact Science, with that band. A sextet album followed as his sophomore project with Conrad Herwig, Andy Fusco, Joel Weiskopf, Peter Washington, and Billy Drummond. This began a long association with Criss Cros,s Jazz in which eleven albums were recorded and released.

His latest project, the debut of the European Quartet takes him further into his composing, arranging and thematic compositions. The group has released a number of albums, such as Worldwide, Introspection and Introspection 2.0, and a three song ep A Little Christmas Music.

As outstanding as this output is and all of his efforts as a sideman are (he is especially great on Billy Drummond’s Dubai), Weiskopf is best known to many fans for his work with Steely Dan over the past 20 years—before and after the untimely passing of its genius co-founder Walter Becker in 2017.

As an educator he has taught at numerous schools including the Eastman School of Music, Temple University, New Jersey City University and the New School. He published numerous books, Intervalic Improvisation, Around the Horn, and Understanding the Diminished Scale. Moving to Virginia, he retired from teaching and working commercially and is concentrating on practicing and composing.

Tenor saxophonist, composer, arranger and educator Walt Weiskopf, who was a 20 year staple of the studio-only jazz rock fusion band Steely Dan, continues to push the realm of his music.

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