Buster Williams
Buster Williams | |
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![]() Williams at Victoria during the 2016 Oslo Jazzfestival | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Charles Anthony Williams |
Born | Camden, New Jersey | April 17, 1942
Genres | Jazz, jazz fusion |
Occupation(s) | Musician |
Instrument(s) | Double bass |
Years active | 1959–present |
Website | busterwilliams |
Charles Anthony "Buster" Williams (born April 17, 1942) is an American jazz bassist.[1] Williams is known for his membership in pianist Herbie Hancock's early 1970s group, as well as working with guitarist Larry Coryell, the Thelonious Monk repertory band Sphere and as the accompanist of choice for many singers, including Nancy Wilson.
Biography
Early life and career
Williams' father, Charles Anthony Williams Sr., was a musician who played bass, drums, and piano, and had band rehearsals in the family home in Camden, New Jersey, exposing Williams to jazz at an early age. Williams was particularly inspired to focus on bass after hearing his father's record of Star Dust, performed by Oscar Pettiford, and started playing in his early teens.
He had his first professional gig while he was still a junior high school student, filling in for Charles Sr., who had double booked himself one evening. Williams later spent his days practicing with Sam Dockery, who was playing in Jimmy Heath's band in Philadelphia on a regular double bill with Sam Reed. Charles Sr. hosted a jam session at a club called Rip's and gave Williams the opportunity to put his own group together for a Monday night show in 1959, and in an effort to work his way into Heath's band, Williams hired Sam Reed. The plan worked, as two days later Reed contacted Williams about playing in his band that coming Saturday, which demonstrated Williams' talent to Heath, who in turn hired Williams the following week.
Williams attended Camden High School.[2] Just after graduating high school in 1960, Williams had the opportunity to play with Gene Ammons and Sonny Stitt when Nelson Boyd reached out to Charles Sr. to cover for him. Charles Sr. was also unable to make the gig, and sent Buster in his stead. After the first set on a Friday night, Ammons and Stitt asked Williams to join the band on tour, starting in Chicago, after playing through the weekend in Philadelphia. Williams toured with them for about a year, from 1960 into 1961, until the group got stranded in Kansas City and was abandoned by Ammons, who fled without paying the band. The rhythm section managed to work with Al Hibbler for one week in order to earn enough for train fare to return home. Williams made his first two recordings with the Ammons/Stitt group in August 1961, Dig Him! for Argo Records and Boss Tenors for Verve, both recorded in Chicago.[3][4][5]
Education
Williams attended Combs College of Music in Philadelphia irregularly during and after his tenure with the Ammons/Stitt group. He learned composition, syntax, harmony and theory from Dr. Roland Wiggins.[3][4]
Vocal accompanist
Williams was hired by
West Coast
Williams' move to the
Herbie Hancock Sextet
In October 1968, Williams moved to New York City and continued to work steadily, playing shows with
Debut as leader
Buster Williams made his recording debut as leader in 1975 with the album Pinnacle for
Further collaborations
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1e/Wallace_Roney_Quintet_25_maart_2015_BIM_Amsterdam_-_Buster_Williams_%2851299321943%29.jpg/220px-Wallace_Roney_Quintet_25_maart_2015_BIM_Amsterdam_-_Buster_Williams_%2851299321943%29.jpg)
Williams was nominated for a
Recent work
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ad/Buster_Williams_%282423796564%29.jpg/220px-Buster_Williams_%282423796564%29.jpg)
From 2010 into 2014, Buster Williams toured with
Film and television work
Williams worked on several film soundtracks and television commercials (including
Personal life
Williams was married in 1965 to Veronica, whom he met in junior high school, and as of 2014, he lives in Camden with his wife.
Awards and honors
In addition to his Grammy nomination, Williams was awarded a National Endowment for the Arts grant for composition as well as a New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship Grant in 1991. Williams has also been recognized by the Min-On Concert Association, RVC Corporation, and Soka Gakkai International.[4]
Critical reception
The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD declared Buster Williams "one of the key sidemen in modern jazz" with "a rock-solid grounding in harmony, counterpoint and orchestration." The guide observed that "Buster's harmony is impeccable and he has a rhythmic sense that is unfailing, feeling and utterly original."
Gear
Williams' instrument is a copy of a late-1800s
Discography
As leader
- Pinnacle (Muse, 1975)
- Crystal Reflections (Muse, 1976)
- Tokudo (Denon, 1978)
- Heartbeat (Muse, 1978)
- Dreams Come True (Buddah, 1980)
- Two as One with Kenny Barron (Red, 1987) – live rec. 1986
- Something More (In+Out, 1989)
- Somewhere Along the Way (TCB, 1998)
- Lost in a Memory (TCB, 1999)
- Live at the Montreux Jazz Festival 1999 (TCB, 2001) – live rec. 1999
- Houdini (Sirocco Jazz Ltd., 2001)
- Joined at the Hip (TCB, 2002) – rec. 1998
- Griot Libertè (HighNote, 2004)
- 65 Roses (BluePort Jazz, 2008) – rec. 2006
- Buster Williams Live Volume 1 (Buster Williams, 2008)
- Audacity (Smoke Sessions, 2018)
- Unalome (Smoke Sessions, 2023)
As sideman
With Geri Allen
With Gene Ammons
With Roy Ayers
With Angelo Badalamenti
With Chet Baker
With Kenny Barron
With Sathima Bea Benjamin
With Art Blakey
With Ron Carter With Cyrus Chestnut
With Norman Connors
With Larry Coryell
With Sonny Fortune
With Benny Golson
With Dexter Gordon
With Herbie Hancock
With Billy Hart With Eddie Henderson
With Buck Hill
With Shirley Horn
With Bobby Hutcherson
With Abdullah Ibrahim
With
With Steve Kuhn With Harold Land
With Harold Mabern
With John McNeil
With
With Frank Morgan
With Houston Person
With Wallace Roney
With Jimmy Rowles
With Hilton Ruiz
With Woody Shaw
With Sphere
With Buddy Terry
With The Timeless All Stars
With Steve Turre
With Stanley Turrentine
With McCoy Tyner
With
With Cedar Walton
With Mary Lou Williams
With
With Denny Zeitlin
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With Others
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References
- Toledo Blade, November 16, 1993, p. P-1. Retrieved June 1, 2013.
- ^ Wynn, Ron. "Buster Williams: Blendability", JazzTimes, April 1, 2001. Accessed September 2, 2019. "Though Williams began working professionally upon graduating from Camden High School in Camden, New Jersey, he eventually took some courses in Composition and Harmony and Theory at Combs College of Music in Philadelphia."
- ^ a b c d e Colligan, George. "The Buster Williams Interview", Jazz Truth. Blogger, July 7, 2013. Web. February 19, 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Biography" Archived 2012-01-25 at the Wayback Machine, Buster Williams website.
- ^ a b c d e f g Ginell, Richard S. "Buster Williams|Biography" AllMusic. Web. 01 Mar. 2014.
- ^ a b c d Wynn, Ron. "Buster Williams: Blendability." JazzTimes, April 2001. Web. March 19, 2014.
- Pittsburgh Press. "Jazz Pianist Opening Here Monday". October 19, 1974, p. 11. Retrieved on June 1, 2013.
- Times Daily, January 15, 1984, p. 10E. Retrieved June 1, 2013.
- ^ Hentoff, Nat. "Cookin' at the Cookery". The Village Voice, March 21, 1974, p. 47. Retrieved on June 1, 2013.
- ^ Murthi, R.S. "Man with the lyrical horn". New Straits Times, June 17, 1990, p. 18. Retrieved June 1, 2013.
- ^ Henry, John. "SACD/DVD-A Jazz Reviews 10/04". Audiophile Audition. October 2004. Web. March 4, 2014.
- ^ Yanow, Scott. "Artist Biography by Scott Yanow". AllMusic. Web. March 4, 2014.
- ^ Santella, Jim. "George Coleman, Mike Stern, Ron Carter, Jimmy Cobb: 4 Generations Of Miles (2002)". All About Jazz. October 1, 2002. Web. March 4, 2014.
- ^ a b "Buster Williams School of Music | About". Buster Williams School of Music. 2014. Web. March 4, 2014.
- ^ Barros, Paul de. "Cecile McLorin Salvant, Julian Priester Shine at Portland Jazz Festival". The Seattle Times. February 24, 2014. Web. March 4, 2014.
- ^ Boccella, Kathy. "Jazz Legend Buster Williams Brings His Groove to Abington Friends". Philly.com. Interstate General Media LLC, February 5, 2013. Web. March 4, 2014.
- ^ "Watch Buster Williams: Bass to Infinity | Prime Video". Amazon.
- ^ a b Sewell, Rhonda B. "Emergency inspires jazz bassist's new CD". Toledo Blade, September 15, 2004, p. D3. Retrieved on June 1, 2013.
- ^ Monica Piccini "The Way I Do Kosen-Rufu". Buddismo, October 12, 2008. Retrieved on August 24, 2014.
- ^ Cook, Richard, and Brian Morton. The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD, London: Penguin, 2000.
- ^ Conrad, Thomas, "Buster Williams Trio: Houdini", Down Beat, November 2001: 69-70.
- ^ "Jazz Legends # 1, by Michal Urbaniak feat Kenny Barron, Buster Williams & Roy Haynes". UbxMusic. Retrieved 2021-06-01.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)