Walter Duda
Bridgeport, Connecticut, United States | INDIE
Music
Press
Calm, cool and collected sets the flavour for the DayLight Again CD by Walter Duda. He explores the territory of smooth jazz with skillful consciousness and versatility. Stations are picking up on this talent...and recognizing a dawning star...
Reviewed by Fred Scott - ContemporaryJazz.com
Walter Duda on his DayLight Again CD is joined by an all-star aggregation which includes Will Lee (David Letterman tv show), Dave Weckl (Chick Corea), Joel Rosenblatt (Spyro Gyra), and Danny Wilensky (Steve Winwood)...his compositions exemplify his cool crossover of pop and jazz, combining appealing melodies and smooth grooves. This CD effectively conveys the many talents of this self-taught pianist and vocalist in a way that stays with you long after the CD is over.
Reviewed by Paula Edlestein - JazzReview.com
Walter Duda's DayLight Again CD, with an all-star lineup at the top of their game, is a rare and compelling excursion into contemporary jazz. This release deserves to be heard!
Reviewed by Rob Moore - Privatejazz.com
His piano playing is exemplary, even surprising...an outstanding performance. Fans, if you like Steely Dan, Joe Jackson or New York Horns, you'll like Walter Duda.
Reviewed by Erik Deckers - Indie-music.com
Walter Duda...lots of roots in 70's style fusion, with a harder shell for (contemporary) ears!
Reviewed by Fran Fried - New Haven Register
Walter Duda serves up a combination platter of tasteful pop/jazz instrumentals and Steely Dan-influenced vocal numbers.
reviewed by Rhapsody.com - Rhapsody.com
"We've only gotten back very positive feedback from those in attendance at the concert and from our regular listeners. Walter and his band maintained the high entertainment standards that our WEIB-106.3 Smooth FM listeners have come to enjoy and expect."
reviewed by Carol Moore Cutting, President, Owner & General Manager-WEIB-106.3 Smooth FM, Northampton, MA - WEIB-FM SMOOTH106.3
March 03, 2009
Walter Duda - Notes from The Coast
I first became aware of silky smooth jazz pianist Walter Duda through his 1997 debut ‘Daylight Again’. It proved to be a cool mix of funk, contemporary jazz and soul which laid down a clear marker as to what he was all about. The follow up, ‘Sole Intention’, was released digitally in 2005 and now, replete with the mellifluous vibe that regular listeners to Duda’s music have come to expect, he is back with a brand new collection of his own material, ‘Notes From The Coast’.
Duda is a self taught musician who graduated from The University of Detroit with a Bachelor of Arts Degree. After a year teaching foreign languages at high school level he decided that in fact music was his language of choice and his very first composition made the finals of a scholarship contest sponsored by The Berklee College of Music. Since then he has recorded his original music with some of New York’s top session players and performed in venues throughout the city. As the co-founder of World Alert Records Duda has a ready outlet for his work and a significant presence within the online contemporary jazz scene.
Quite simply ‘Notes From The Coast’ is a chilled out pleasure. It opens with the mid tempo ‘Rapless Rhapsody’ that claimed an early place on the Radio & Records smooth jazz indicator and without doubt is the sort of track that Duda does to perfection. Both for the title cut, that is funky in a turned down sort of a way, and ‘This Feel’ there is more of the delightful same and, although totally faithful to its title, ‘Funktioning Smoothly’ reverberates with delicious horn driven energy. In complete contrast the wonderfully tranquil ‘Long Term Memory’ finds Duda at his mellow best and his penchant for thoughtful and melodic smooth jazz is again exemplified by tunes such as ‘The Chance’ and ‘Face To Face’.
That same ‘easy on the ear’ flow is once more evident with ‘Head In That Direction’ while ‘Fortune Teller’ is blessed by excellent sax from Bill Harris. Undoubtedly one of the album’s better tracks it is usurped only by the compelling ‘Fooled No More’ that features another splash of cool sax and great keys from Duda.
As with his previous releases, as keyboard player, composer and arranger Duda is very much the guy that makes things happen.
Denis Poole, U.K.
- SmoothJazzTherapy.com
Discography
CD Title: DayLight Again
(The title track DayLight Again was voted the Best of WSVNRadio.net Hall of Fame, Vol.8)
CD Title: Sole Intention
(The track Best Heard Chilled has received radio airplay on smooth jazz stations nationwide.)
CD title: Notes From The Coast
(The track Rapless Rhapsody was included in Radio & Records Smooth Jazz Indicator Most Added chart).
Photos
Bio
Walter Duda is a self-taught musician (piano) and vocalist. He is both a writer and publisher member of ASCAP, has co-founded an independent record label, negotiated a national distribution agreement and achieved significant radio air play of his music.
He graduated from The University of Detroit with a Bachelor of Arts Degree and also attended Fairfield University and Wayne State University graduate schools. After a year of teaching a foreign language on the high school level, he decided that music is his language of choice.
With his earliest influences in music, he identified with Rock & Roll singers Dion and Bobby Darin. Then he became a fan of the vocal harmony arrangements of Brian Wilson (Beach Boys), The Beatles and The Hollies. While in Detroit, he was influenced by the rhythms and grooves of The Motown Sound. Next, progressive rock groups Yes and King Crimson caught his imagination. Eventually jazz fusion keyboardists Brian Auger and Geoge Duke inspired him to switch from playing guitar to piano.
As a songwriter, his influences include Michael Franks, Mose Allison and Bobby Caldwell.
His first musical composition placed him as a finalist in a scholarship contest sponsored by The Berklee College of Music, Boston. George Butler of CBS Records heard him at an audition in New York City and at a solo performance at Catch A Rising Star and arranged for him to record a voice and piano demo at the legendary A&R Recording in Manhattan. He has since recorded his original music with top New York City session players and has performed in many NYC music venues.
He has been mentioned in The New York Times, Playbill (program for Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center), The Village Voice (NY), Connecticut Post and New Haven Register. His songs have been included in top selling compilations (Jazz, Vol.1 by Online Artist Network and WSVNRadio.net Hall of Fame, Vol.8).
He has been selected as Featured Artist (Jazzman.com), voted Favorite Artist Of The Week (SkyJazz.com), included in the Very Best Of program (JazzLynx.net-Canada's Smooth Jazz Connection) and has appeared on Manhattan Cable, Century Cable (Los Angeles) and Cablevision of Connecticut.
Band Members
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