Walter Perkins

Best known as the leader of the short-lived <a href="spotify:artist:1lyCDYAYsVYALIu9y4uIOw">MJT + 3</a> during 1959-1962, Walter Perkins was a longtime fixture in the Chicago jazz scene. He gained some recognition for playing with <a href="spotify:artist:0BqALs1lInR9TTOulUADH7">the Ahmad Jamal Trio</a> during 1956-1957 (right before <a href="spotify:artist:6gc6oo3u2f7SqTd4mhe81O">Jamal</a> really caught on). A 1957 set for <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Argo%22">Argo</a> led by Perkins (and also featuring trumpeter <a href="spotify:artist:6gl9rqFJvfoMuIhc7M9ENB">Paul Serrano</a>, tenor saxophonist Nicky Hill, the young pianist <a href="spotify:artist:0odGsDIsc4dJTZWyeCfBnT">Richard Abrams</a>, and bassist <a href="spotify:artist:3K4JRC7kRVAJoD9py8Rup6">Bob Cranshaw</a>) used the name of <a href="spotify:artist:1lyCDYAYsVYALIu9y4uIOw">MJT Plus 3</a>. The better-known version of the band (with trumpeter <a href="spotify:artist:72oJp9VDjhlSkQx8F9elSG">Willie Thomas</a>, altoist <a href="spotify:artist:7LLWcVeqxoa7dUtU7nuGv5">Frank Strozier</a>, pianist <a href="spotify:artist:0CHdvqcELhkUJEsftEZ965">Harold Mabern</a>, and bassist <a href="spotify:artist:3K4JRC7kRVAJoD9py8Rup6">Cranshaw</a>) recorded three albums for <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Vee-Jay%22">Vee-Jay</a> during 1959-1960 and was popular for a time locally before breaking up in 1962. Perkins then worked with <a href="spotify:artist:1VEzN9lxvG6KPR3QQGsebR">Sonny Rollins</a> (1962) and as an accompanist to <a href="spotify:artist:2E3nXyfocf7qfHAIFNbBuj">Carmen McRae</a> (1962-1963), gigged with <a href="spotify:artist:4L9xEztn5PKQIO5WnI5W3u">Art Farmer</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:0tg5uVI4VjzZOFzBryJZii">Teddy Wilson</a> in 1964, and remained based in Chicago for decades. Walter Perkins recorded with a who's who of jazz including <a href="spotify:artist:6gc6oo3u2f7SqTd4mhe81O">Jamal</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:7uUBTiZ2u5b40vymlFmXrn">George Shearing</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:338mC0yGyX0C9of8QMJ5hK">Gene Ammons</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:2E3nXyfocf7qfHAIFNbBuj">Carmen McRae</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:1W8TbFzNS15VwsempfY12H">Charles Mingus</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:2jiQ4lRvpc4ZTtUFMB3dGF">Billy Taylor</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:3ZppcUE7tHnE6SzUR4ipSy">Booker Ervin</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:4L9xEztn5PKQIO5WnI5W3u">Art Farmer</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:7pZNp3BIssAHQ9jJZssq3Y">Jaki Byard</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:6cvs1RggkRFSyKPVCBT3cx">Lucky Thompson</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:4DlMMgnldzX6OkCskmeGKz">Pat Martino</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:0CHdvqcELhkUJEsftEZ965">Harold Mabern</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:3ud1yQWO0eEL8hVcXyU0Oi">Charles Earland</a>, among many others. ~ Scott Yanow, Rovi