WashU Jazz Series: Walter Parks Group

Biographies

Walter Parks

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.  

Ben Dicke

Ben Dicke earned a BM (2013) in drum set performance from the Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA, where he studied with Ian Froman and Terry Lyne Carringtion, focusing on traditional and contemporary jazz vocabulary and technique. He continued his education in 2015 with legendary jazz drummer and educator Bob Gullotti of the Fringe. He has performed with numerous Americana, R&B, and jazz artists on stages across New England and the US. Since moving to St. Louis in 2018, Ben has become an active member of its thriving jazz scene, performing regularly in the region, most notably as a member of the Kendrick Smith Quartet. Always inspired by the greats of the past as well as those with whom he shares the stage, Ben continues to push the tradition with his honest and expressive performances.

Feyza Eren

Internationally acclaimed jazz vocalist, Feyza Eren, returned to her hometown of St. Louis from Istanbul, in 2011, after spending 15 years singing jazz with Turkey's finest musicians, including world-renowned saxophonist, Ricky Ford.  In 2015, Feyza was featured in HEC-TV's, I Love Jazz with Don Wolff.  She continues to perform with St. Louis' finest musicians at many notable venues, major jazz festivals and special events in and around St. Louis.  She designed and performed a successful tribute project, "A Dozen Divas," at the Sheldon Concert Hall.  Since her return to St. Louis, Feyza celebrated the release of 7 CD’s with drummer/studio engineer, Steve Davis. Most recently, last year Feyza performed with Walter Parks at the Fifth Annual Concert at the Burroak Music Festival.