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Chris Walden
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
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Judy Whitmore: Come Fly with Me
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 ...
read moreChris Walden: Missa Iubileum Aureum: Golden Jubilee Jazz Mass
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 ...
read moreChris Walden Big Band: Full-On!
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 ...
read moreChris Walden Big Band: Full-On!
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. ...
read moreChris Walden: Symphony No. 1 - The Four Elements
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 ...
read moreChris Walden Big Band & St. John's Choir: Kurt Marti Suite
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 ...
read moreChris Walden Big Band & St. John's Choir: Kurt Marti Suite
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 ...
read moreGrammy 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, ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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"... It was the work of a man who knows how to handle an orchestra." (Tony Gieske, Hollywood Reporter)
Photos
Music
Offertory - The Passionate Shepherd to His Love (feat. Tierney Sutton & Kurt Elling)
From: Missa Iubileum Aureum: Golden...By Chris Walden
Katechismusfragen
From: Kurt Marti SuiteBy Chris Walden
In The Doghouse
From: No BoundsBy Chris Walden