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Walt Dickerson Records

Walter Roland Dickerson died of a heart attack on May 15, 2008. He was 80 years old.

These are all the recordings by Walt Dickerson I have heard. Many of Dickerson's records, including all of those on the New Jazz and SteepleChase labels, have been reissued on CD. Some of the SteepleChase CDs include material not issued on the original LPs. If you're interested, you can read some reviews of early Dickerson LPs. Scans of the covers are here.

Dickerson apparently also participated in recording sessions at Sweet Silence Studios in Copenhagen on December 20, 1978 and August 8, 1979. In both cases the engineer was Freddie Enok Hansson. Beyond this I don't know the details, e.g. what tunes were performed or who else was involved. Also, I know of a few private recordings in addition to those listed below (e.g. January 12, 1965 in Hilversum; October 10, 1978 at Jazzhus Montmartre, possibly January 26, 1982 in Salzburg). If you have any information about these sessions, or about other Walt Dickerson recordings not listed here, please send me a message.

Walt Dickerson was a complex and interesting man, and a woefully under-recorded musician. You can learn more about both aspects of him in two excellent interviews that have been posted online: Mike Johnston (May 1, 1995) and Hank Shteamer (June 29, 2003).

Last updated: 1/17/2019


AFRS Broadcast (Private recording)
Unknown 1954
This is Walt Dickerson (Fantasy OJCCD 1817)
February 24, 1961; March 7, 1961
A Sense of Direction (Fantasy OJCCD 1794)
May 5, 1961
Relativity (Fantasy OJCCD 1867)
January 16, 1962
To My Queen (Victor VICJ-60683)
September 21, 1962
Jazz Impressions of Lawrence of Arabia (Dauntless DS 6313)
March 21, 1963; March 25, 1963
Vibes in Motion (Audiofidelity AFSD 6217)
March 21, 1963; March 25, 1963
Walt Dickerson Plays Unity (Audiofidelity AFLP 2131)
March 5, 1964
Walt Dickerson Plays Unity (Chiaroscuro CR 2011)
March 5, 1964
Impressions of A Patch of Blue (Verve 559 929)
Unknown 1965
Tell Us Only the Beautiful Things (MCA MTCJ-2001)
July 21, 1975
Peace (SteepleChase SCCD 31042)
November 14, 1975
Walt Dickerson 1976 (MCA MTCJ-2009)
Unknown 1976
Serendipity (SteepleChase SCCD 31070)
August 11, 1976
Divine Gemini (SteepleChase SCCD 31089)
February 9, 1977
Tenderness (SteepleChase SCCD 31213)
February 9, 1977
Shades of Love (SteepleChase SCCD 31424)
November 6, 1977
To My Queen Revisited (SteepleChase SCCD 31112)
July 6, 1978
Visions (SteepleChase SCCD 31126)
July 11, 1978
Landscape with Open Door (SteepleChase SCCD 31115)
September 30, 1978
The SteepleChase Artist 1980 (SteepleChase SCS 1980/1)
September 30, 1978
I Hear You John (SteepleChase SCCD 31146)
October 2, 1978
To My Son (SteepleChase SCCD 31130)
November 29, 1978
New England Theatre (Private recording)
December 10, 1979
Haverford College (Private recording)
January 25, 1980
Unknown venue, Austria (Private recording)
January 28, 1982
Life Rays (Soul Note SN 121028)
February 4, 1982; February 5, 1982
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