Name: WashU Jazz Series: Walter Parks Group
Start: 2026-02-06T19:30:00-06:00
Location: The 560 Music Center

Free - Pillsbury Theatre
Biography
Walter Parks is both entertaining and educational, presenting historic music, original music, and stories that preface songs in a contemporary way. Walter toggles between hollers, spirituals, Appalachian reels, Delta blues, work songs, swamp jazz, and even bits of opera, all delivered with Walter’s northeast Florida swampy feel. At every show, Walter tributes Woodstock legend Richie Havens, with whom he served as sideman for 10 years, performing worldwide in Madison Square Garden, The Glastonbury Festival, and Carnegie Hall, amongst other prestigious venues. Walter was recently invited by The Library of Congress/American Folklife Collection to archive his research work on the music made in southeast Georgia’s Okefinokee Swamp. Now based out of St. Louis, Walter has recently co-written with Stan Lynch, former Tom Petty drummer, and has performed at various venues with R&B drum legend Bernard Purdie and at Lincoln Center with Judy Collins. Walter tours solo, with his trio Swamp Cabbage and with The Unlawful Assembly, a group that reimagines historic spirituals, propelled by drummer Steven Williams and female vocalist Ada Dyer, who’s currently on the Bruce Springsteen world tour. Walter was a founding member of The Nudes, a popular folk duo, with cellist Stephanie Winters.