Photo by Clare Nieto
“Hang the classifications, and bring on more jazz art songs. The term [crossover] is a tad demeaning and does scant justice to the subtleties and innovations achieved by Walker in his richly suggestive new cycle.” —Terry Blain, Specialist to the Star Tribune (BBC Music Magazine, Opera Magazine U.K.)
“[Walker’s Haunted Blue contains] songs that may reflect the future of classical music,” noted APM’s New Classical Tracks host Julie Amacher, “If Franz Schubert were composing songs today, would they sound like the songs heard on this new recording?“
Jeremy Walker is a composer and pianist. His album of original jazz art songs, Haunted Blue (heard on American Public Media’s Composers Datebook and New Classical Tracks), features award-winning mezzo-soprano Clara Osowski. Walker’s suite 7 Psalms, performed at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis, launched American Public Media’s Radio Choir conducted by Tesfa Wondemagegnehu. Other works include the oratorio The Rage of Achilles—for classical voice and jazz ensemble, and Alma Gentil—five pieces commissioned by Consortium Carissimi for chamber choir with early baroque and jazz ensembles. In 2014, Walker founded Jazz at Orchestra Hall in the Target Atrium where he served as Artistic Director until 2019.