James Williams

Pianist James Williams channeled the gospel and R&B influences of his youth to forge a soulful, deeply expressive approach to contemporary jazz. A gifted soloist and accompanist, he was also a respected producer and educator. Born in Memphis on March 8, 1951, Williams began piano lessons at age 13. A fan of <a href="spotify:artist:1eYhYunlNJlDoQhtYBvPsi">Ray Charles</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:7guDJrEfX3qb6FEbdPA5qi">Stevie Wonder</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:7Kfrmups2Z3ncDQmNS5jRc">Ramsey Lewis</a>, he spent six years as the organist with Memphis' Eastern Star Baptist Church before studying music education at Memphis State University. After befriending fellow pianists <a href="spotify:artist:6Zq5ky484xYTgxE6dQ8yHh">Mulgrew Miller</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:0tOHfICflG25HPz8Z4QrYu">Donald Brown</a>, Williams turned his focus to jazz, drawing influence from <a href="spotify:artist:0BhFfJmScFj7OzqVaDqnSv">Hank Jones</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:6gc6oo3u2f7SqTd4mhe81O">Ahmad Jamal</a>, and local legend <a href="spotify:artist:1WsMRWV5KEC2AxpYkeb2Cf">Phineas Newborn</a>. At just 22 Williams joined the faculty of Boston's Berklee School of Music, additionally backing touring jazz dignitaries like <a href="spotify:artist:23i8EixXKG0EWGRCfHlUGN">Milt Jackson</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:4L9xEztn5PKQIO5WnI5W3u">Art Farmer</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:217b0uqAzsOOhGcnoANZqj">Sonny Stitt</a> in groups led by colleague <a href="spotify:artist:023XpyUykQOrpzb9D5uoJQ">Alan Dawson</a>. During his five years at Berklee, the pianist also developed his compositional skills, and in 1977 issued his first LP as a leader, the Zim label release Flying Colors. Williams joined <a href="spotify:artist:6ykfXAed2KOLOMI3R0TZdz">Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers</a> the following year, completing a lineup that included a young <a href="spotify:artist:375zxMmh2cSgUzFFnva0O7">Wynton Marsalis</a>. This iteration of <a href="spotify:artist:6QQuESLtKhAOcLW2TeWC2t">Blakey</a>'s long-running group cut no fewer than ten LPs over the next four years. Upon exiting the Jazz Messengers Williams settled in New York City, where he collaborated with <a href="spotify:artist:5RzjqfPS0Bu4bUMkyNNDpn">Dizzy Gillespie</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:0fTHKjepK5HWOrb2rkS5Em">Freddie Hubbard</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:1sdyFmN4bVOcuFDpTVsxBB">Kenny Burrell</a> in addition to leading his own projects, among them his vocal/instrumental combo Intensive Care Unit, a group featuring saxophonist Bill Pierce, bassist <a href="spotify:artist:5ACxPOI9gR3l0cyy2dvkHv">Christian McBride</a>, and drummer <a href="spotify:artist:6iBB0kmucXaaga3D0fXizs">Tony Reedus</a>. In 1987 Williams reunited with <a href="spotify:artist:6QQuESLtKhAOcLW2TeWC2t">Blakey</a> and bassist <a href="spotify:artist:0SvD7DL5CQTbcrMtns1US8">Ray Brown</a> in the Magical Trio. Later incarnations included drummers <a href="spotify:artist:4dUMhhUjQ2YcNTvab29hYF">Elvin Jones</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:0hZXvDnljkma4aThiBMQ6h">Jeff "Tain" Watts</a>. He also founded his own production firm, Finas Sound, and with <a href="spotify:artist:6Zq5ky484xYTgxE6dQ8yHh">Miller</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:0tOHfICflG25HPz8Z4QrYu">Brown</a> launched <a href="spotify:artist:6mTuU8mm6rnfzJt0RAITVw">the Contemporary Piano Ensemble</a>, a group dedicated to preserving and promoting the music of <a href="spotify:artist:1WsMRWV5KEC2AxpYkeb2Cf">Phineas Newborn</a>. In 1999 William Paterson University named Williams its director of jazz studies; he remained with the school until he was diagnosed with the liver cancer that claimed his life on July 20, 2004. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi