My new group Swamp Cabbage has released its first CD HONK and its now available through CD Baby . The sound pays well deserved homage to my swampified roots in the Jacksonville, Florida area where I grew up. I'm enjoying using banjo finger picking styles with a gnarly old Guild Starfire electric guitar.

After a five year break, Stephanie Winters and I are playing together again, using our names Stephanie Winters and Walter Parks instead of the name The Nudes. We're easing into things by opening some shows for Richie. Our live set will feature our favorite instrumental selections from our former group The Nudes and some new music with a movie score feel.

As to non-musical endeavors, I occasionally do freelance photography and graphic design for other artists and record labels as I love that work very much. Please navigate to the designs and photos page of my site to view some of my shots.  

Afterwards the voices of practicalityencouraged Walter to study Business Management at the University of Georgia in Athens. While at school Walter helped promote arena rock shows for the Student Government Association and performing on his own took a back seat. Walter made extra money buying vintage guitars and selling them to the traveling bands which he would help promote on campus. Yet the urge to play spoke up. Walter left Athens to form what was to become a regionally popular fusion jazz group called "Sneakers" in his north Florida hometown, Jacksonville.

He moved to New York in 1991 with his rock band named Dear John after the band won a talent contest organized by Don Kirchner of "Rock Concert" fame. Walter soon found that the distractions of big city survival were overshadowing the inspirational aspects of being there. The expenses of rehearsing a band in the city were prohibitive. The solution was to go acoustic because rehearsals could take place in a small New York apartment. Walter placed an ad in the Village Voice in search of a cellist. Soon thereafter, Stephanie Winters and Walter formed the group The Nudes. Until the group started touring, Walter made ends meet by teaching guitar at the New School and played jazz guitar at the Plaza Hotel near Central Park. One of Walter's first original music gigs in New York was busking in Grand Central Station-something a few brave singers do when they first hit town. "For a performing songwriter, there's a lot of truth to playing on the streets in New York. A musician has very little time to break into people's aware-zone but if the music really speaks people will stop, take a listen and pay. I quickly learned what was connecting and what wasn't." The Nudes stayed together for eight years playing folk festivals and concert series' all over the US.

Walter moved from New York to Nashville in 1998 and began revisiting his southern roots and writing in the same swamp blues guitar style that drew him to music in the first place. Walter has created a solo performance that offers a veritable sonic salad of urban, blues, folk, dance and ambient moods. He performs an interesting set of songs that move the feet and talk to the soul.

Since May of 2001, Walter has been playing with Richie Havens as a lead acoustic guitarist in his trio. He currently tours with Richie playing concerts in the US, Europe and Canada.

Walter has written with Robert Lamm of the group Chicago and has also supported jazz artist Leni Stern and David Wilcox in a side-man guitarist role. Additionally, HBO has used two of his song Lady and Gentlemen(The Nudes) and Early in the Morning (The Nudes) as background music for the popular special Real Sex.

"I'm also very proud of the non-musical things I do. I study French and Spanish as a hobby and I have a growing list of New York musical clients who hire me to do photographs, design web sites and artwork for their CDs. Still my best moments are playing music for folks with whom there's a great connection."

Walter currently lives in scenic Jersey City, NJ.