The Chris Walters Trio | Rhapsody In Burlesque: The Music of George Gershwin and Cole Porter

Gulf Theater at Military Heritage Museum, Florida

New Orleans born pianist/singer/composer Chris Walters relocated to Nashville to tour as Music Director & pianist for Barbara Mandrell. Upon her retirement in 1997 he became pianist for the band Alabama, touring and recording with them from 1997-2004. He toured as Music Director/pianist for Sony Music Masterworks Recording Artist & Hall of Fame Songwriter JD Souther, opening each show with a set of his own original music. He also tours as keyboardist with The Alison Brown Quartet, The Peter Mayer Group, and The Jeff Coffin Mu’tet. He’s performed with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra and recorded the soundtrack for a documentary film scored by Bela Fleck. At the age of 18, he was a finalist in the Chattanooga Symphony Orchestra’s Gershwin competition. Chris attended the Jazz Studies Program at Webster University in St. Louis and was listed by them as a notable alumnus in Downbeat magazine. His debut album, “Strange Fruit”, was featured on National Public Radio’s “Jazz South” program. Chris followed that with "Cool Blue Swing" (2003), “Yay! Everybody, Yay!” (2012), “Boneyard Thieves” (2018), and "Whisper & Howl" (2019), recordings that include his original compositions as well as works by Alberto Ginastera and Cole Porter, and feature orchestral arrangements around his small band performances. He is also an award-winning animator. Two of his animated shorts won first place at the 2005 Key West IndieFest Film Festival. Chris will be joined by Zebadiah Briskovich on bass, and Miles Vandiver on drums.

This performance is co-sponsored by the Gulf Theater and the Charlotte County Jazz Society.