Richard Walker.. Altadena/Pasadena native..and Our Baritone Sax and Flute Player…for the Outrageous8…
When one first meets Rich Walker…you meet a mild mannered …funny guy…and as you get to know him…you’ll find that that’s really who is.
Born and raised in Altadena…Ca…Glenrose street…to be specific…near Farnsworth park… Both Grandparents moved Altadena…from ancestors who emigrated from Ireland during the potato famine.
His Mom and Dad met on the front steps of a church on Lake ave…in Altadena…A mission style church called St. Elizabeths …and of course Rich attended that church as a kid… He and his 9 siblings went to elementary school in Sierra Madre St Ritas school… raised Catholic in a very Irish family.. 1961 found them back in Altadena…Elliot Junior High on Lake street…Rich was number 3 of 9 in the birth order ..
I was interested to ask Rich…how did he get into Music? He didn’t have the opportunity to get into his music as a kid. But in 1970… he listened to Ian Anderson playing the flute…and Rich promptly bought a flute at the Rose Bowl swap meet! Started playing the flute at parties by memorizing Jethro Tull tunes.
Looking for more musical inspiration, and being born and raised in Los Angeles, he and his buddies went down to” Sherry’s” club in Hollywood and heard James Moody…who played be bop on the flute….which introduced Rich to more flute styles and Jazz and he totally was inspired by James’ playing.
After graduating high school, Rich went up to Humboldt for college…and I quote him when I say …what’d you do at Humboldt, Rich? ….”I was a a hippy playin flute in the Redwoods”……Rich realized, at some point in the Redwoods…that he had developed some bad habits on the flute that he loved playing so much.
So, he started taking lessons and got a book on flute technique…Sheridan Stokes…had a diagram of your embouchure….arching your fingers ect…at that point…decided to start learning how to read music… and wanted to improve his technique.
After living a bit of a double life…of much jazz playing and studying Botany/environmental sciences.. at Humboldt. Rich then graduated in Resource Planning Interpretation and made his way back down to Pasadena.
He a job as a Landscape designer at a big grower at but wanted to up his game and went back to school at CSUN to get a Masters in Environmental planning ; ironically, everybody on his work crew ,were musicians..which connected him back in the LA music scene.
Rich kept playing as he went back to school to Cal Poly Pomona and got a degree in landscape architecture… and the gal that he studied with introduced him to Anna, his wife..…and they’ve been together…since that time…in 1991
In 1983 , Rich started playing alto in the Michigan Avenue jazz Ensemble….in Pasadena…eventually switching over to Bari he bought a Bari from Safford Chamberlain…who played tenor in the group. What a TRULY small world it its…that OUR arranger and trombone player for THE OUTRAGEOUS8….Harry Smallenburg also played vibes in the Michigan Ave group! Can you believe that?
Because Rich is so talented and a GREAT Bari player…he got invited to play in some Big Bands , and then played with THE DOWNBEAT EXPRESS…the leader of the group…was a salesman for Saxes…and sold Rich his current Bari…which is an Antigua Winds…Bari and just has a GREAT sound an deep low tone. For 15 years or more Rich played in bands and then started playing with the Thursday night band…at the Pasadena American Legion..which is where…Rich and Ron and a LOT of other people who play in the band as subs…met!
We are so lucky to have such a talented Bari and Flute player, and just a genuinely good guy. Rich, we could NOT do it without you….thank you so much for being an integral part of THE OUTRAGEOUS8…and to Anna and of course, Giselle, the cutest pooch ever.
Written by Angela O’Neill