| Walt Dickerson | |
| Background: | non_vocal_instrumentalist |
| Birth Name: | Walter Roland Dickerson |
| Birth Date: | 16 April 1928 |
| Birth Place: | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Genre: | Jazz |
| Occupation: | Musician |
| Instrument: | Vibraphone |
Walter Roland Dickerson (April 16, 1928 – May 15, 2008)[1] was an American jazz vibraphone player, most associated with the post-bop idiom.[2]
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States,[3] Walt Dickerson graduated from Morgan State University in 1953 and after two years in the Army he settled in California. There he started to gain attention by leading a group with Andrew Hill and Andrew Cyrille,[3] but it was Dickerson's later period in New York City when he gained some further notice. For the Prestige label he recorded four albums.[4] In 1962 Down Beat named him the best new artist.[5]
From 1965 to 1975, he took a break from jazz, but later he worked again with Andrew Hill and Sun Ra.[3] After 1975 Dickerson recorded several albums for the Danish Steeplechase label.[3]
He died in May 2008 from a cardiac arrest.[6]
| Year Recorded | Album | Personnel | Label | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | This Is Walt Dickerson! | Austin Crowe (piano), Bob Lewis (bass), Andrew Cyrille (drums) | New Jazz | |
| 1961 | A Sense of Direction | Austin Crowe (piano), Eustis Guillemet, Jr. (bass), Edgar Bateman (drums) | New Jazz | |
| 1962 | Relativity | Austin Crowe (piano), Ahmed Abdul-Malik (bass), Andrew Cyrille (drums) | New Jazz | |
| 1962 | To My Queen | Andrew Hill (piano), George Tucker (bass), Andrew Cyrille (drums) | New Jazz | |
| 1963 | Jazz Impressions of Lawrence of Arabia | Austin Crowe (piano), Henry Grimes / Ahmed Abdul-Malik (bass), Andrew Cyrille (drums) | Dauntless | |
| 1964 | Walt Dickerson Plays Unity | Walter Davis, Jr. (piano), George Tucker (bass), Edgar Bateman, Andrew Cyrille (drums) | Audio Fidelity | |
| 1966 | Impressions of a Patch of Blue | Sun Ra (piano, harpsichord, celeste), Bob Cunningham (bass), Roger Blank (drums) | MGM | |
| 1968 | Vibes in Motion | Audio Fidelity | ||
| 1975 | Tell Us Only the Beautiful Things | Wilbur Ware (bass), Andrew Cyrille (drums) | Whynot | |
| 1975 | Peace | Lisle Atkinson (bass), Andrew Cyrille (drums) | SteepleChase | |
| 1976 | Walt Dickerson 1976 | Wilbur Ware (bass), Jamaaladeen Tacuma (electric bass), Edgar Bateman (drums) | Whynot | |
| 1976 | Serendipity | Jamaaladeen Tacuma (electric bass), Edgar Bateman (drums) | SteepleChase | |
| 1977 | Divine Gemini | Richard Davis (bass) | SteepleChase | |
| 1977 | Tenderness | Richard Davis (bass) | SteepleChase | |
| 1977 | Shades of Love | Solo | SteepleChase | |
| 1978 | To My Queen Revisited | Albert Dailey (piano), Andy McKee (bass), Jimmy Johnson (drums) | SteepleChase | |
| 1979 | Visions | Sun Ra (piano) | SteepleChase | |
| 1979 | Landscape with Open Door | Pierre Dørge (g, per) | SteepleChase | |
| 1981 | I Hear You John | Andy McKee (bass), Jimmy Johnson (drums) | SteepleChase | |
| 1981 | To My Son | Andy McKee (bass), Jimmy Johnson (drums) | SteepleChase | |
| 1982 | Life Rays | Sirone (bass), Andrew Cyrille (drums) | Soul Note | |
With Elmo Hope