Mark Walker

Mark Walker's Biography

Grammy award-winning drummer/ percussionist Mark Walker hails from "Central America" (Chicago, Illinois). He began playing drumset at age 10 and played his first professional club, concert and recording gigs barely out of high school. He gained valuable experience performing an extremely wide range of styles in the Chicago area and later became a first-call session drummer and percussionist, playing on over a thousand jingles and record dates. Since moving to New York in 1995, he has performed and recorded extensively with Oregon, Paquito D'Rivera, Michel Camilo, Caribbean Jazz Project, Dave Samuels, Andy Narell, Lyle Mays, David Liebman, Cesar Camargo Mariano and many more. He has appeared on major television shows such as "Late Night with David Letterman," "The Rosie O'Donnell Show," "PBS presents…" and "BET On Jazz." He also appears on screen with Paquito D'Rivera in Fernando Trueba's Latin jazz documentary "Calle 54" (Miramax). He has also performed at all the major jazz festivals worldwide.

In 2001, he was appointed Associate Professor at Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he has created new curriculum, served on the education committee and taught drummers, percussionists and ensembles. He has also served on the faculty at Drummers Collective in New York City and has conducted master classes, clinics and workshops in South America, North America and Europe, both as a solo artist and with such groups as Oregon, Paquito D'Rivera Quintet, the Caribbean Jazz Project, Sakesho, Lyle Mays Quartet, Chucho Valdes, Bill Watrous and others. He also wrote for the all-star instructional drum set book Killer Grooves, published by Carl Fischer.

His solo projects include the sample/loop discs Chameleon Drums, Vol. 1 & 2 (Sonic Emulations) and Ritmo De Las Americas (Sampleheads). He has co-produced and co-composed with Oregon, Bob McGrath and David Onderdonk and has arranged for Oregon, Paquito D'Rivera, Caribbean Jazz Project and others.

He has won three Grammy Awards and earned several Grammy nominations for his work with various artists, including Oregon, Donato Poveda, Paquito D'Rivera and Caribbean Jazz Project. He won the grand prize for Jazziz magazine's "Percussion On Fire" competition in 1996. He has also earned the Indy award and the Jazz Award (German record manufacturers) for his work with Oregon.

Mark's website is www.wiggage.com/markwalker.html.

Mark Walker

Gear List

Oak Custom NBD-818UF 18"x15"NTT-810U 10"x8"NTT-812U 12"x9"NFT-814 14"x14"NSD-087 14"x7"