Jim Walker
Few other flutists in history have made such indelible marks in so many musical circles. From classical to conservatory to orchestral to jazz to pop, television to film to the concert hall, Jim Walker has never met an audience that didn’t love his powerful, “stand and deliver” performances.
His star began to rise when Jim was named Associate Principal Flute in the Pittsburgh Symphony after a stint playing in the US Military Academy Band at West Point. He quickly gained the admiration of colleagues and audiences in Pittsburgh and set his sights on Principal Flute jobs. After eight years he won the Principal Flute position in the Los Angeles Philharmonic and never looked back.
To be Principal Flute of a major orchestra is to sit at the pinnacle of the profession. Most flutists who reach that height are content to spend the rest of their careers there, but Jim but Jim felt an eagerness and aspiration to move his music-making forward yet again. After seven successful seasons of performing, recording, and touring with the Los Angeles Philharmonic—during which time the New York Philharmonic briefly borrowed him as Principal Flute for their 1982 South American tour—Jim left the orchestra, diving off the mountaintop into the world of jazz, studio recording and a commitment to teaching. …Full Bio
Jim Walker Reviews:
“Pianist Mike Garson and flutist Jim Walker, both with jazz and classical backgrounds and experience, came together on this project to present songs that reflected both their backgrounds. The results are often musically impressive…As with all Reference releases, it’s superbly engineered and sounds wonderful.” – Ron Wynn, All Music Guide