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Chris Walden

Seven-time Grammy nominated German-born composer/arranger/conductor CHRIS WALDEN has scored more than 40 feature and TV films, and has written more than 1,500 orchestral and big band arrangements for artists including Michael Bublé, Aretha Franklin, Paul McCartney, SEAL, Stevie Wonder, Rihanna, Barbra Streisand, Josh Groban, and orchestras like the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Boston Pops. He has worked closely with producers David Foster, Tommy LiPuma, and Phil Ramone.

He most recently served as lead arranger for the Academy Awards (Oscars®), he arranged for and conducted the Kennedy Center Honors and arranged the National Anthem for Jennifer Hudson's performance at the SUPER BOWL XLIII. His recent film credits as a composer include the feature films “The Terror of Hallow’s Eve” and "King Of Herrings”. For many years Walden worked as arranger for "AMERICAN IDOL” and the "THE TONIGHT SHOW with Jay Leno". He has been musical director on many TV shows and series, and has worked on more than 150 CDs. As an arranger and bandleader he has worked with jazz artists including Diana Krall, Herb Alpert, Michael Brecker, Arturo Sandoval, and the Count Basie Orchestra.

Awards

• 2017 Grammy Nomination for "White Christmas" (Herb Alpert) • 2014 Grammy Nomination for "Moon River" (Amy Dickson) • 2013 Grammy Nomination for "Let's Fall In Love" (Calabria Foti/Seth MacFarlane) • 2008 (2) Grammy nominations for "Symphony No.1" • 2007 ASMAC award • 2005 (2) Grammy nominations for "Home Of My Heart" (Chris Walden Big Band) • 1998 Ernst-Fischer-Prize • 1993 Ernst-Fischer-Prize


Tags

15
Album Review

Judy Whitmore: Come Fly with Me

Read "Come Fly  with Me" reviewed by Jack Bowers


When the multi-talented Judy Whitmore sings “Come Fly with Me," it is an invitation that is almost impossible to resist, especially as the lovely and charming vocalist is also a pilot who is licensed to fly anything from jets to seaplanes to hot air balloons. On her latest album, backed by a big band and twenty-six member string section with arrangements by Hollywood top gun Chris Walden, Whitmore beckons listeners to fly with her to romantic places around the world ...

35
Album Review

Chris Walden: Missa Iubileum Aureum: Golden Jubilee Jazz Mass

Read "Missa Iubileum Aureum: Golden Jubilee Jazz Mass" reviewed by Jack Bowers


First things first: there is no doubt that Chris Walden's reverential Missa Iubileum Aureum ("Golden Jubilee Jazz Mass") is beautifully written and wonderfully performed by the LMR Jazz Orchestra, St. Dominick's Schola Cantorum and cantors Kurt Elling and Tierney Sutton. Is it jazz? That is another question, one not so easily answered. While there are elements of jazz, they are incidental and generally overshadowed by the more doctrinal aspects of what is essentially an homage to devotion and piety. And ...

7
Extended Analysis

Chris Walden Big Band: Full-On!

Read "Chris Walden Big Band: Full-On!" reviewed by Jack Bowers


To say that Chris Walden's instrumental compositions and arrangements are the best part of his new big-band album, Full-On!, is not to dismiss the rest as less than adequate. Walden's charts for the ensemble, on the other hand, do provide much of the excitement in a session that is otherwise dominated by vocals (seven in all), several of which are more overwrought than enlightening. Take, for example, “I Can Cook Too" and “Sir Duke," both sung by ...

11
Album Review

Chris Walden Big Band: Full-On!

Read "Full-On!" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky


It's been a while since the jazz world has seen a release from this group. The first three albums credited to the Chris Walden Big Band--the Grammy-nominated Home Of My Heart (Origin Records, 2005), No Bounds (Origin Records, 2006), and Kurt Marti Suite (Origin Records, 2007)--came in quick succession. And then there was silence from Walden. Well, that's not exactly true. Walden's actually been quite busy in the interim, even if his work didn't center on his own big band. ...

510
Extended Analysis

Chris Walden: Symphony No. 1 - The Four Elements

Read "Chris Walden: Symphony No. 1 - The Four Elements" reviewed by Victor L. Schermer


Chris Walden Symphony No. 1 - The Four Elements Origin Records 2008

Chris Walden is probably best known to AAJ readers as a big band leader and composer. But his interest in developing other forms has already garnered him two Grammy nominations, and here he ventures into the serious orchestral realm. He takes the four elements--Earth, Water, Air and Fire--and uses them as the basis of four symphonic movements in the post-romantic programmatic style ...

246
Album Review

Chris Walden Big Band & St. John's Choir: Kurt Marti Suite

Read "Kurt Marti Suite" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan


The German-born composer/band leader Chris Walden pays the rent with his television and movie work, scoring over thirty feature and television films, in addition to his writing for a variety of musical artists, including--Christopher Cross, Michael Bolton, Sheryl Crow, Paul Anka and Olivia Newton-John. The art of his heart, though, must certainly be his big band recordings, including No Bounds (Origin Records, 2006) and the Grammy nominated (Best Large Jazz Ensemble and Best Instrumental Arrangement) Home of My Heart (Origin ...

204
Album Review

Chris Walden Big Band & St. John's Choir: Kurt Marti Suite

Read "Kurt Marti Suite" reviewed by Jack Bowers


It's hard to wrap one's arms around this CD by composer/arranger Chris Walden. On the one hand, Walden has coupled his intrepid ensemble of talented southern California sidemen with the 100-member St. John's Choir from Hamburg, Germany (his hometown), to set to music works by the renowned Swiss poet/lyricist Kurt Marti. On the other, the playing time is only 36:55--less than half a disc's worth--and that includes a five-minutes-plus “bonus track, the late Michael Brecker's “Slings and Arrows.

Setting that ...

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151

Performance / Tour

Grammy Nominated Chris Walden Big Band 10th Anniversary Show August 9 in Hollywood

Grammy Nominated Chris Walden Big Band 10th Anniversary Show August 9 in Hollywood

Source: Costa Communications

THE GRAMMY NOMINATED CHRIS WALDEN BIG BAND 10TH ANNIVERSARY ALL-STAR CONCERT FEATURING TIERNEY SUTTON, CAROL WELSMAN, COURTNEY FORTUNE & CHRISTOPHER CROSS PERFORMS AT CATALINA JAZZ CLUB SUNDAY, AUGUST 9 (Los Angeles, CA) Grammy nominated composer Chris Walden and the Chris Walden Big Band will celebrate their 10th anniversary with an all-star concert featuring Tierney Sutton, Carol Welsman, Courtney Fortune, Christopher Cross, along with special guests. The 10th Anniversary All-Star Concert will be held at the Catalina Jazz Club on Sunday, ...

128

Interview

Chris Walden Interviewed at AAJ

Chris Walden Interviewed at AAJ

Source: All About Jazz

Chris Walden is a highly gifted and creative composer and arranger who is equally at home writing and conducting music for film, TV, and jazz venues. His recent Grammy nominations for his debut big band CD Home of My Heart (Origin, 2005) and the release of the follow-up CD, No Bounds (Origin, 2006), provided the occasion for an All About Jazz interview.

Veteran AAJ contributor Victor L. Schermer caught up with Walden to talk about his relocation from Germany to ...

142

Award / Grant

Chris Walden Scores 2 Grammy Nods for Big Band Debut

Chris Walden Scores 2 Grammy Nods for Big Band Debut

Source: All About Jazz

For Origin Records Big Band debut, Home of my Heart (LOS ANGELES, CA) NARAS announced today that film composer/arranger/musician Chris Walden is nominated for two Grammys: Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album for his Origin Records Big Band debut Home of my Heart and Best Instrumental Arrangement for “Cherokee," a track featured on the album. “Home of my Heart" reached #11 on JazzWeek's chart and remained in the Top 50 for 17 weeks. As this was the German-born composer's first album ...

"The real star of the evening was Walden's writing..., he managed the rare achievement of producing extremely personal sounds." (Don Heckman, Los Angeles Times)

"... It was the work of a man who knows how to handle an orchestra." (Tony Gieske, Hollywood Reporter)

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Come Fly with Me

Self Produced
2024

buy

Missa Iubileum...

Origin Records
2022

buy

Full-On!

Origin Records
2014

buy

Chris Walden Big...

Origin Records
2014

buy

Chris Walden:...

Origin Records
2008

buy

The Tamela D`Amico...

Point of Departure, WMPG-FM
2008

buy

Katechismusfragen

From: Kurt Marti Suite
By Chris Walden

In The Doghouse

From: No Bounds
By Chris Walden

Videos

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