ABBA

In 1964, he played saxophone in the recording studio on tracks to be included on Quincy Jones Explores the Music of Henry Mancini. He spent much of 1966 multi-tasking on bassoon, clarinet and tenor saxophone for the Wes Montgomery album, California Dreaming. In 1968, he reunited with Wes on Road Song, this time on bassoon, appeared on the J.J. Johnson-Kai Winding collaboration, Israel, and was in the reeds section for the recording of Cal Tjader Sounds Out Burt Bacharach. He was also credited with reeds on Grady Tate’s Feeling Life and Bob Freedman’s Journeys of Odysseus: A Jazz Suite for Chamber Orchestra, both of which were recorded in 1969.

In 1970, he rejoined Grady Tate in the studio for the recording of his album, After the Long Ride Home. He played bassoon on Hubert Laws’ classical-jazz experiment, The Rite of Spring, recorded and released in 1971. In 1972, he remained on bassoon for Joe Farrell’s Moon Germs. Likewise, he stuck with the bassoon on Jan Akkerman’s Tabernakel, which hit the shelves in 1973. In 1974, he performed on Freddie Hubbard’s Polar AC and Peter Allen’s Continental American. He also appeared on The Manhattan Transfer’s self-titled album in 1975.

In 1977, he played bassoon, clarinet and flute on Ron Carter’s Peg Leg and was credited with horn on Harold Vick’s After the Dance. He switched to flute on Deodato’s Love Island, bass saxophone on Lemon’s epononymous effort, and clarinet and tenor saxophone on The Michael Zager Band’s Let’s All Chant, all released in 1978. In 1979, he did another turn on the horn on Tom Browne’s Browne Sugar and clarinet on the recording of Paul McCandless’s All the Mornings Bring.

He opened the ‘80s with Steely Dan on Gaucho and Earl Klugh on Late Night Guitar. In 1985, he easily made the cut on A Decade of Steely Dan, on the strength of “Babylon Sisters”. He was credited with French horn on the Broadway production of Grand Hotel, which enjoyed a 2-1/2 year run, from 12^th November 1989 through 25^th April 1992.

In the CD era, opportunities abound to hear Walter on a variety of instruments: A case in point is Wes Montgomery’s 1996 retrospective, Talkin’ Verve: Roots of Acid Jazz.

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