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Daybreak host Gary Walker pays tribute to the great composer Lalo Schifrin

Lalo Schifrin in concert with the Big Band of the Kölner Musikhochschule on July 7th 2006 in Cologne, Germany. WBGO's Gary Walker will pay tribute to his late friend on Friday, July 4 at 11am with a special hour of music and memories
Alexandra Spürk (Alexi)/Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5
Lalo Schifrin in concert with the Big Band of the Kölner Musikhochschule on July 7th 2006 in Cologne, Germany. WBGO's Gary Walker will pay tribute to his late friend on Friday, July 4 at 11am with a special hour of music and memories

"No Mission Impossible": WBGO's Gary Walker will pay tribute to his late friend Lalo Schifrin on Friday, July 4 at 11am with a special hour of music and memories.

Argentine composer Lalo Schifrin died on Thursday, June 26, 2025 at the age of 93.

Schifrin composed scored for hundreds of TV films and movies, most notably the theme from the popular series Mission: Impossible that began in the mid 60's.

WBGO's Gary Walker (left) and his buddy and great composer Lalo Schrifin share a moment with WBGO's Doug Doyle at the radio station in Newark
WBGO
WBGO's Gary Walker (left) and his buddy and great composer Lalo Schrifin share a moment with WBGO's Doug Doyle at the radio station in Newark

Lalo came into the WBGO studios in Newark several times to talk about his compositions and collaborations.

Schifrin grew up in Buenos Aires, surrounded by music. His father played violin in the Teatro Colon Opera, so young Lalo's early piano training was classical. But he also played with tango-great Astor Piazzolla, represented Argentina in an international jazz festival in Paris, and started a 16-piece jazz band while still in his 20s.

An encounter with Dizzy Gillespie resulted in Schifrin writing a piece called "Gillespiana," and not long after that, Gillespie brought him to the U.S. as his arranger.

In jazz radio, great announcers are distinguished by their ability to convey the spontaneity and passion of the music. Gary Walker is such an announcer, and his enthusiasm for this music greets WBGO listeners every morning on Daybreak. He's the winner of the 1996 Gavin Magazine Jazz Radio Personality of the Year Award and the recipient of the 2021 Marian McPartland-Willis Conover Award for Career Achievement in Broadcasting from the Jazz Journalists Association. Gary hosts the morning show each weekday from 8am til noon. And, by his own admission, he's truly having a great time.