John Williams (pianist)
John Thomas Williams (January 28, 1929 – December 2018) was an American jazz pianist.
Early life
[edit]Williams was born in Windsor, Vermont on January 28, 1929.[1] He began playing piano aged eight and joined a local ensemble at twelve; he also learned organ, and performed in church as a teenager.[1] In March 1945, he embarked on a six-month tour as a member of Mal Hallett's band, having not yet completed high school.[1]
Later life and career
[edit]Late in the 1940s, he played with Johnny Bothwell and Teddy Kotick, and at the end of the decade he relocated from Vermont to New York City.[1] After playing a gig with Charlie Parker at the end of 1950, he served in the military during the Korean War (1951–53), playing low brass in Army bands.[1] After the war, he returned to New York, where he enrolled at the Manhattan School of Music, formed his own trio ensemble, and recorded widely as a sideman.[1] His associations around this time included Charlie Barnet, Stan Getz, Sal Salvador, Charlie Mariano, Cannonball Adderley, Jimmy Cleveland, Phil Woods, Al Cohn, Zoot Sims, Jimmy Raney, and Lon Norman.[1]
Williams also recorded two albums as a leader for EmArcy Records in the mid-1950s.[2] His eponymous debut was a trio album, with bassist Bill Anthony and drummer Frank Isola, and was recorded in 1954.[3] The follow-up was also a trio record, with various other musicians, and was made in 1955.[3] The two were released on one CD by Fresh Sound.[3]
Disillusioned with the jazz life in New York, Williams decided to move to Florida, where he played for a time as a pianist in Miami Beach, then receded from performance.[1] He worked as a city commissioner from 1971 to 1991 and held a position in a banking firm while still occasionally playing locally.[1] He also was a regular performer at an annual music festival in Hollywood, Florida, where he played with Bob Brookmeyer, Buddy DeFranco, Terry Gibbs, and Scott Hamilton.[1] In 1987, he appeared with Spike Robinson in Clearwater, Florida.[1] This appearance, plus a piece published in Jazz Journal International in 1994, "helped bring Williams back to the attention of the jazz world",[4] and he recorded two albums in the 1990s.[2] He died on December 14[5] or 15, 2018.[2]
Playing style
[edit]Williams was "strongly influenced by Bud Powell and Horace Silver".[2] AllMusic described him as "Inventive, forceful, with a commanding sense of swing and, importantly, a workmanlike view of the true role of the pianist in both mainstream and bop settings".[4]
Discography
[edit]As leader
[edit]| Year recorded | Title | Label | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1954 | John Williams | EmArcy | Trio, with Bill Anthony (bass), Frank Isola (drums)[3] |
| 1955 | John Williams Trio | EmArcy | Trio[3] |
| 1990s? | Welcome Back | Marshmallow | With Spike Robinson (tenor sax), Jeff Grubbs (bass), Frank Isola (drums)[6] |
As sideman
[edit]| Year recorded | Leader | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1953 | Stan Getz | Interpretations by the Stan Getz Quintet | Norgran[7] |
| 1953 | Stan Getz | Interpretations by the Stan Getz Quintet #2 | Norgran[8] |
| 1953–54 | Stan Getz | Interpretations by the Stan Getz Quintet #3 | Norgran[9] |
| 1954 | Stan Getz | Stan Getz at The Shrine | Norgran[1] |
| 1955 | Phil Woods | Woodlore | Prestige[1] |
| 1955 | Cannonball Adderley | Julian "Cannonball" Adderley | EmArcy[10] |
| 1998 | Spike Robinson | The C.T.S. Session | Hep[11][12] |
Further reading
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Kernfeld, Barry (2003), Williams, John (ii), Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press, doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.J485600
- ^ a b c d Myers, Marc (December 18, 2018). "John Thms. Williams (1929–2018)". jazzwax.com.
- ^ a b c d e Ramsey, Doug (April 18, 2006). "THAT John Williams". Rifftides.
- ^ a b "John Williams". AllMusic. Retrieved January 4, 2019.
- ^ Ramsey, Doug (December 20, 2018). "John Williams Has Died". Rifftides.
- ^ "Artists". marshmallow-records.com. Retrieved January 4, 2019.
- ^ "Stan Getz Catalog: norgran-mgn-1000". jazzdisco.org. Retrieved January 4, 2019.
- ^ "Stan Getz Catalog: norgran-mgn-1008". jazzdisco.org. Retrieved January 4, 2019.
- ^ "Stan Getz Catalog: norgran-mgn-1029". jazzdisco.org. Retrieved January 4, 2019.
- ^ Nastos, Michael G. "Cannonball Adderley: Julian "Cannonball" Adderley". AllMusic. Retrieved January 4, 2019.
- ^ Ramsey, Doug (April 20, 2006). "Comments: John Williams". Rifftides.
- ^ Chell, Samuel (November 8, 2006). "Spike Robinson: The CTS Session". All About Jazz.
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