Photo: Ken Walker | Per Jeff Jenkins: As many of you are now aware, we have lost the great Ken Walker. The depth of gratitude that I feel for being fortunate enough to know and play music with Ken for the last 36 years is incomparable. He was the first bass player that I played with when I moved to Denver in 1990. We immediately struck a musical and personal camaraderie. He was always quick with a laugh and a smile, was always warm and kind and supportive, and these qualities came through in his playing! And his playing. . . too many nights to mention-easily hundreds. There were nights, when magic was with us, that the music was swinging so hard , that all I could do was laugh, and try not to get in the way. We played at the Pec for a couple of years, several times at the Telluride Jazz Festival, Jazz Aspen, and the Vail Jazz Party. Most notably, we played the last Friday of nearly every month at Dazzle Jazz in Denver for over 25 years!
Thank you Ken for filling up half of my life with music and friendship. I will hold you in my heart to my last breath!
Terri Jo Jenkins: Ken was a good friend, fellow musician and mentor. After one of our gigs I was berating myself for messing up some lyrics on a song when Ken said “Let that shit go. You are the only one who remembers that”. Excellent advice my friend. Rest in peace Ken.
Remembering Ken Walker
By Angela Mitchell, DU’s Lamont School of Music
The Lamont School of Music community mourns the passing of beloved jazz bassist, educator, and mentor Ken Walker, who died yesterday at the age of 69. For nearly 30 years, Walker served on the faculty of the Lamont School of Music, shaping generations of young artists while maintaining an extraordinary career as one of the region’s most respected jazz musicians.
Walker joined Lamont in the early 1990s as its first Instructor of Jazz Bass. What followed was not just a long tenure, but a defining presence within the jazz program and the broader Colorado music community.
Former Chair of Jazz & Commercial Music Art Bouton recalled the moment Lamont was considering hiring Walker:
“When Lamont was looking to hire our first Instructor of Jazz Bass in the early nineties, I knew of Ken as a world class player, but did not know if he could also teach. But then I worked with Ken at the Mile High Jazz Camp and witnessed his insightful and supportive, yet uncompromising interactions with the students. He was a tremendous teacher. Ken was also first call for every national performer that came to Denver and they often then called Ken to record with them.”
That balance — supportive yet uncompromising — defined Walker’s pedagogical approach. He challenged students to dig deeper, listen harder, and serve the music above all else. His teaching distilled complex musical ideas into deceptively simple truths, often delivered with characteristic wit.
Bijoux Barbosa, current instructor of jazz bass at Lamont, said “I had the privilege of knowing Kenny for three decades. He was always kind, welcoming, and gracious whenever our paths crossed. He was deeply loved in our community.”
Students will forever remember his quintessential “Ken-isms”:
“Play exciting. Don’t get excited.”
“Silence is not a mistake.”
And when words alone weren’t enough: “Take the horn out’cha mouth.”
Behind the humor was profound musical wisdom. Walker emphasized clarity, restraint, time feel, and above all, musical intention. He understood that great jazz is not about flash, but about listening, space, and trust.
Dave Hanson, adjunct jazz faculty from 1986 to 2022, shared these words:
Ken was such an effective and inspiring teacher that his students were gig-ready and out playing in the community upon graduation. A running line of his was, “they need to understand that staying in Denver (and taking my gigs) is not a good idea”. Truth is, he couldn’t have been prouder of his students and what they achieved.
Ken had a 4/4 swing groove that was the envy of every bassist, but he could sail through odd meter playing, Brazilian and Afro-Cuban feels, you name it. This didn’t happen by accident; he really studied everything, and intensely. Ken’s “Motherlode” collection of Brazilian music, fake books, method books, scores and recordings was an open secret, and we all dipped into that from time to time.
. . . . . . . . . .
Beyond Lamont, Walker was a pillar of the Denver jazz scene. As noted in a recent tribute from KUVO, he was widely regarded not only as a first-call bassist for visiting national artists, but as a deeply generous collaborator and friend. His résumé included performances and recordings with internationally renowned jazz figures, yet he remained grounded in the local community, mentoring younger players and championing the music he loved.
In October 2024, Walker was inducted into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame, a fitting recognition of both his artistic excellence and his enduring impact on the state’s cultural life. The honor celebrated not only his virtuosity and versatility, but also his role in shaping Colorado’s jazz identity over several decades.
Though current Lamont Director Brian Pertl did not have the opportunity to work personally with Walker, he reflected on his legacy within the school:
“Even before I arrived at Lamont, I was aware of Ken Walker’s extraordinary reputation — as a musician and as a teacher. His nearly three decades of service shaped the artistic lives of countless students and helped define the excellence of our jazz program. We are profoundly grateful for his contributions and extend our deepest sympathies to his family, friends, colleagues, and former students.”
Walker’s impact cannot be measured solely in performances, recordings, or accolades. It lives on in the hundreds of bassists and ensemble players he trained — musicians who carry forward his insistence on listening, discipline, musical honesty, and joy.
He taught students not just how to play bass, but how to play together.
The Lamont community extends its heartfelt condolences to Ken Walker’s family, friends, colleagues, and the many musicians whose lives he touched. His sound, his wisdom, and his unmistakable voice in the bandstand conversation will continue to resonate for years to come.
https://liberalarts.du.edu/lamont/news-events/all-articles/remembering-ken-walker
OTHER NOTABLE MUSICIANS’ DEATHS
Musician Eric Kauffman, Friend of Tim Elliott, Dies in Pennsylvania
RIP Eric Kauffman , see you on the other side, brother.
I lived in York PA from Sept. 1987 till January 1997. Played in several cool bands . This band was called Dog Pound. I played with these guys from 1994 ‘til I moved back to Colorado. The band was Mike Kunkle on guitar, Eric Kauffman, yours truly, and Doug Leader on bass. We played mostly covers but did release an 8 song EP. Great guys – one of the most fun bands I got to play in. A true brotherhood. Today I got news that the singer Eric Kauffman passed away yesterday. I am at a loss trying to process this. RIP, my brother.
Bill Payne: These guys were a part of a great time in my life. I truly consider them all brothers. Eric Kauffman, Tim Elliott – Great band, awesome times & amazing memories. That’s all the words I can get out for now! R.I.P. Eric Kauffman. You will be truly missed
Nikki Coleman: So as many of you know now, our Rockstar, friend, husband, plus so much more, has gained his wings and was ready to go [to] be with his family and our Lord. His beautiful wife Cher Kauffman was by his side, and at 10:41 p.m., Feb. 12th, he took his last breath.
He was fighting some health issues and [his] body just couldn’t fight it any more.
Unfortunately he had no Life Insurance, health insurance, a Will or much of anything and the family is struggling to pay for cremation and other financial issues.
So here where I need all of you. I’m asking for help. Do not want to actually [create] a go fund me! They rip you off. BUT I need help . I am, w/permission of the family, asking for anyone that can help us put together a celebration in Eric memory help raise some $ help them. Any ideas, please reach out to me and we will be in touch w/a date on this. At this time, no actual funeral service is planned. (Update: March 28. Racehorse Tavern, PA. Details to follow!!!)
https://www.facebook.com/eric.kauffman.184
Warning Signs of Suicide – National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or if you want to discuss, call the old numbers at 800-273-TALK or 800-273-8255 for English and 888-628-9454 for Spanish. Learn the signs of someone who may be contemplating suicide.
Posting for my Veteran/singer/songwriter/musician friend Troy Hoss: Heavy on my heart so here goes: This is a very real problem … 22 Veterans a day surrender to their demons. #SuicideAwareness | Call Veteran’s Hotline: 988 #1 or 844-647-1354
From Care2 via Jock Bartley on Facebook: Trump shut down our LGBTQ+ suicide and mental health hotline, but CANADA opened a US toll-free number to theirs… so our citizens can get help anytime, at no cost: 1-877-330-6366
Kindness & empathy have no borders.
If you want to know more about any of the musicians we lost, please check them out at http://www.wikipedia.com
February 2026
18: Lil Poppa, 25, American rapper.
17: Jim Čert, 69, Czech singer and accordionist.
16: Marzio Mazzanti, 80, Italian singer and bassist (Homo Sapiens); Billy Steinberg, 75, American songwriter (“Like a Virgin”, “True Colors”, “Eternal Flame”), cancer.
15: Wayne Proctor, American guitarist (We the People); Leo Rosas, 27, Bolivian singer (The Voice of Mexico); Kazue Sawai, 85, Japanese musician.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_the_People_(band)
14: Pavel Klikar, 72, Czech musician and pedagogue; Tim Very, 42, American rock drummer (Manchester Orchestra).
13: Simon Harris, 63, British music producer, DJ and electronic musician.
12: Saúl Cornejo, 79, Peruvian singer and composer (We All Together); Milkman, 36, Mexican rapper, producer, and composer; Michel Portal, 90, French composer, saxophonist and clarinetist.
11: Jerry Kennedy, 85, American record producer, songwriter and guitarist; Helmuth Rilling, 92, German choral conductor (Gächinger Kantorei, Oregon Bach Festival, Internationale Bachakademie Stuttgart); László Somfai, 91, Hungarian musicologist.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Kennedy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deaths_in_2026
Photo of Ken Walker courtesy of Jeff & Terri Jo Jenkins