Born: May 18, 1972 Primary Instrument: Drums
Multi-instrumentalist/composer/improviser born 1972 in Rockford, Illinois, probably best known to the general public as being a very fast, high-energy percussionist fusing free jazz and black/death/speed metal approaches. Weasel Walter (first name, last name) moved to Chicago in 1990 and founded the mercurial jazz/punk/noise/metal/prog project the Flying Luttenbachers in late 1991 with Hal Russell. In its various incarnations the group recorded 16 full-length albums and toured the United States and Europe extensively.
During the early-to-mid '90s Mr. Walter proved to be a significant catalyst in the Chicago underground rock and improvised music scenes, forging strong connections between the two camps. Walter founded the weekly (and still extant) Myopic Books Improvised Music Workshop in early 1994 and performed improvised music with dozens of musicians including Kevin Drumm, Ken Vandermark, Jeb Bishop, Jim Baker, Gene Coleman, Fred Lonberg-Holm, Jim O'Rourke, Mars Williams, Jeff Parker and Michael Zerang. Mr. Walter has performed and recorded with scores of underground rock bands like the Flying Luttenbachers, Lake Of Dracula, Burmese, Lair of the Minotaur, Bobby Conn, Erase Errata, XBXRX and Curse of the Birthmark. Weasel Walter relocated to Oakland, California in 2003. In 2005, after a long sabbatical from improvising, Walter established a shape-shifting free jazz ensemble under his own name which has featured various combinations of musicians like Henry Kaiser, Damon Smith, William Winant, Jon Raskin, Randy Hunt and Aram Shelton as well as performing in many ad-hoc improvisational combinations.
Mr. Walter has also performed with Evan Parker, Marshall Allen, John Butcher, Peter Evans, Vinny Golia, Marco Eneidi, Liz Albee, Lisle Ellis, Harry Pussy, Burton Greene, Mick Barr (Orthrelm/Octis), Marc Edwards, Axel Doerner, Total Shutdown, Calvin Weston, Mary Halvorson, Greg Kelley, Quintron, Gianni Gebbia, Frank Gratkowski, Joe Morris, Paul Flaherty, Birgit Ulher, Bhob Rainey, YBO2, Anthony Braxton Orchestra, Bruce Ackley, Cheer-Accident, Sam Hillmer (Zs), the members of Nautical Almanac and many others. Mr. Walter holds a Bachelor's degree in music composition. His major icons are Iannis Xenakis, Alejandro Jodorowsky, Groucho Marx, Jack Kirby and Cecil Taylor.
Tribute to Masayuki Takayanai
Grob
2000
Personnel: Weasel Walter: drums, guitar, electronics. Jim O'Rourke: guitar. Fred Lonberg-Holm: cello.
Eruption
Grob
2003
Personnel: Weasel Walter: drums, guitar, electronics. Kevin Drumm: guitar, synthesizer. Fred Lonberg-Holm: cello.
Revolt Music
ugEXPLODE
2007
Personnel: Weasel Walter: drums, Damon Smith: bass, Randy Hunt: bass, John Gruntfest: alto saxophone, Josh Allen: tenor saxophone, Aram Shelton: alto saxophone, Henry Kaiser: guitar
Early Recordings: 1988-1991
Savage Land, France
2007
Personnel: Weasel Walter: guitars, basses, bass clarinet, clarinet, c-melody saxophone, drums, electronics, etc..
Firestorm
ugEXPLODE
November 15, 2007
Personnel: Weasel Walter: drums, Marshall Allen: alto saxophone, Marc Edwards: drums, Elliott Levin: reeds, Marco Eneidi: reeds, Damon Smith: bass, Lisle Ellis: bass/circuitry, Mario Rechtern: reeds/electronics.
Apocalyptik Paranoia
Gaffer Records
July 15, 2009
Personnel: Weasel Walter: drums, Henry Kaiser: guitar, Greg Kelley: trumpet, Peter Evans: trumpet, Fred Lonberg-Holm: cello, Forbes Graham: trumpet.
Cooperative Recordings
Plants That Kill
Curor
2007
Personnel: Weasel Walter: drums, Sharon Cheslow: guitar, Liz Allbee: trumpet
Lichens
ugEXPLODE
November 15, 2007
Personnel: Weasel Walter: drums, Gianni Gebbia: reeds, Damon Smith: bass
Opulence
ugEXPLODE
2008
Personnel: Weasel Walter: drums, Mary Halvorson: guitar
Summer Rise/Summer Set...Summaries
75 or Less Records
2008
Personnel: Weasel Walter: drums, Elliott Levin: reeds, Scott R. Looney: piano, Damon Smith: bass
Jus
Balance Point Acoustics
2008
Personnel: Weasel Walter: drums, Jacob Lindsay: clarinets, Ava Mendoza: guitar, Damon Smith: bass
Particles
8MM
2008
Personnel: Weasel Walter: drums, Paul Flaherty: saxophones.
Oculus Ex Abyssus
ugEXPLODE
2008
Personnel: Weasel Walter: drums, Peter Evans: trumpet, Paul Hartsaw: saxophones, Damon Smith: bass.
Peter Evans/James Fei/Damon Smith/Weasel Walter
ugEXPLODE
2008
Personnel: Weasel Walter: drums, Peter Evans: trumpet, James Fei: saxophones, Damon Smith: bass.
End of the Trail
ugEXPLODE
March 2009
Personnel: Weasel Walter: drums, Forbes Graham (trumpet), Greg Kelley (trumpet), Paul Flaherty (saxophones).
with The Flying Luttenbachers (improvised titles only)
Live at WNUR 2-6-92
ugEXPLODE
1992
Personnel: Weasel Walter: drums, clarinet. Hal Russell: trumpet, saxophones. Chad Organ: tenor saxophone
Constructive Destruction
ugEXPLODE/Quinnah Records
1994
Personnel: Weasel Walter: drums, clarinet. Ken Vandermark: reeds. Chad Organ: tenor saxophone. Jeb Bishop: bass guitar. Dylan Posa: guitar.
Destroy All Music
ugEXPLODE
1995
Personnel: Weasel Walter: drums, clarinet. Ken Vandermark: reeds. Chad Organ: tenor saxophone. Jeb Bishop: bass guitar. Dylan Posa: guitar.
Alptraum
ugEXPLODE/Pandemonium
1999
Personnel: Weasel Walter: drums, clarinet. Michael Colligan: reeds. Kurt Johnson: bass. Fred Lonberg-Holm: cello.
Trauma
ugEXPLODE
2000/2008
Personnel: Weasel Walter: drums, clarinet. Michael Colligan: reeds. Kurt Johnson: bass
As A Sideman
Kyle Bruckmann
And
Musica Genera
2002
Personnel: Weasel Walter: drums. Kyle Bruckmann: oboe (and others).
Healing Force
The Songs of Albert Ayler
Cuneiform Records
2007
Personnel: Weasel Walter: drums, Henry Kaiser (guitar), Mike Keneally (guitar, vocals, piano), Joe Morris (guitar, bass), Damon Smith (bass), Vinny Golia (reeds), Aurora Josephson (vocals).
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