Walinsky fits squarely in that tradition in this sense: like
the great pianists, jazz and classical, he’s a serious musical
anthropologist who knows that the above-mentioned musi-
cal modes share too much common DNA to keep separate.

He’s got great ears and his mind is a vast repository of
repertoire. But you need more than that to play piano; you need
your hands. And in the mid-late ’90s, after the first album,
Walinsky’s hands became a problem.

Based on the record’s positive reception, Walinsky started
playing some concerts, including one relatively high profile
one at The Kennedy Center, as part of its Millennium Stage
series. “I was really rolling along with that pretty nicely there,”
Walinsky said, “but then I got carpal tunnel syndrome in
both hands, and that really threw a wrench into things for
a while.”
This explains why over two decades separate the release of
his first album (1996) and his second (2018).

Carpal tunnel didn’t stop Walinsky from playing
altogether — he taught privately and continued to teach
in Philadelphia’s public schools, where he taught at three
district elementary schools more than 15 years. Like any
jazzer, he still jammed, mostly at the now-defunct jazz
jam at the 23rd St. Cafe, for 25 years a hidden gem of
Philadelphia’s jazz scene.

Still, carpal tunnel took a serious toll on the aspect of his
playing Walinsky valued most.

“I had to cut back totally on concert stuff,” Walinsky said.

“I could still do parties, background stuff with duos and
trios, because it was less demanding.”
But doing what he really loved — concertizing solo,
showcasing his creative arrangements and distinct improvi-
sational style — was, for a time, just not possible. It took too
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For more information about exceptional living
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1515 The Fairway, Rydal, PA 19046 | 215-814-0420
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