Myron Walden

Born on October 18, 1973, in Miami, FL, alto saxophonist and composer Myron Walden moved to Harlem upon turning twelve. Hearing Charlie Parker prompted the teenager to take up the alto saxophone, after which he trained at LaGuardia High School of Music and Art as well as the Harlem School of the Arts while refining his technique with guidance from Yusef Lateef, Donald Byrd, and additional mentors. Walden earned first place in the 1993 Charlie Parker competition held at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, then appeared with Wynton Marsalis, Nat Adderley, and Lou Donaldson before issuing his first album as a leader, Hypnosis, in 1996; Like a Flower Seeking the Sun appeared three years later.

From the early 2000s onward he maintained a steady output that included the piano-less quartet recording Higher Ground in 2002 and This Way in 2005. Beginning in 2009 Walden launched a series of projects meant to highlight distinct facets of his musical identity, opening with Momentum, an album centered on his intellectual approach and paired with the live set Momentum Live. Two further releases, In This World: To Feel and In This World: What We Share, explored his spiritual dimension, while Countryfied, issued in August 2010, examined his roots-oriented inclinations.