Rick Walker

Rick Walker is a Santa Cruz–based percussionist, composer, producer, and multi‑instrumentalist recognized as a pioneer of both the World‑Beat movement in the 1980s and the international live‑looping scene.

As a recording studio musician, he’s contributed to more than 1,000 sessions with artists like Martin Simpson, Bob Brozman, Tarika Sammy, Ile Aye, and Amel Tafsout. Walker has also authored a multi‑volume “Global Beats and World Pop Styles” encyclopedia and taught rhythm and composition to thousands of students. For over a decade he has curated the Y2K International Live Looping Festival and other avant‑garde music events in Northern California.