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Jessica Williams (musician)

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by ElaineCArc (talk | contribs) at 00:36, 24 October 2014 (Added other record labels she recorded for extensively, also changed Dundalk, MD to Baltimore, MD as she did not live in Dundalk very long.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

For other people named Jessica Williams (musician), see Jessica Williams (musician) (disambiguation).
Jessica Williams
Jessica Williams, pianist and composer
Jessica Williams, pianist and composer
Background information
Born (1948-03-17) March 17, 1948 (age 76)
OriginBaltimore, Maryland
GenresJazz, Improvisation, Electronic Music
Instrument(s)Piano
Years active1960s–present
LabelsRed and Blue Records, Candid Records, Concord Records, Maxjazz Records, Timeless Records, Jazz Focus Records, Landmark/Fantasy Records
Websitehttp://www.jessicawilliams.com

Jessica Williams (born March 17, 1948) is an American pianist and composer who has deep roots in jazz. She has been called "one of the top jazz pianists of today."[1]

History

Williams was born in Dundalk, Maryland[2]. She began her music career young, taking piano lessons at the age of four and began classical training at the Peabody Conservatory of Music when she was seven.[1][3] She moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania during her teens and began playing with the quintet of Philly Joe Jones, the former Miles Davis drummer.

In 1977, she moved to San Francisco, California, where she played in various house bands, such as for Eddie Harris, Dexter Gordon, Tony Williams, and Stan Getz. She also became the house pianist for Keystone Korner. She recorded for Candid, Fantasy, Timeless, Concord, Jazz Focus, Hep, and MaxJazz record labels. She began her own label in 1997, called Red and Blue Recordings, on which to release her own original material. She also owns her own publishing company, JJW Music, and runs her own Internet CD mail-order business, jessicawilliams.com.

She is a three-time Grammy Award Nominee and holds a Fellowship from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation for composition.

She appeared at the 2004 and 2006 "Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz Festivals" at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.

Recognition

Selected discography

Jessica Williams, pianist and composer. This photo (by E Arc) appeared on the cover of her 2004 solo release for Hep Records, The Real Deal.

References

  1. ^ a b Scott Yanow. "Jessica Williams". Retrieved 2007-02-19.
  2. ^ Dundalk remembers during Women’s History Month Retrieved 2014-10-23.
  3. ^ "Introducing Jessica Williams". Retrieved 2007-02-19.

External links

Wikiquote has quotations related to Jessica Williams (musician).

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