Mary Lou Williams - A Keyboard History

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1955
Time: 68:14
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 156,2 MB
Art: Front

(2:08) 1. Fandangle
(3:28) 2. Mama, Pin a Rose On Me
(3:38) 3. Roll 'em
(3:34) 4. Sweet Sue
(5:17) 5. Lullaby of the Leaves
(2:19) 6. Taurus
(3:32) 7. Jericho
(4:46) 8. I Love Him
(4:02) 9. Amy
(4:42) 10. It's the Talk of the Town
(3:32) 11. I Love You
(4:00) 12. Easy Blues
(2:17) 13. Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
(3:12) 14. There's a Small Hotel
(3:21) 15. En Ce Temps-la
(3:04) 16. Lover
(2:40) 17. Carioca
(3:31) 18. Nicole
(2:35) 19. Tire Tire L'Aguielle
(2:31) 20. Autumn in New York

Mary Lou Williams’ difficult to find 1955 LP A Keyboard History (Jazztone J1206) in its entirety. Williams is showcased here in both a trio setting with bassist Wendell Marshall and drummer Osie Johnson on some tunes, as well as solo piano on many selections. As a bonus, another complete album by the pianist recorded the previous year in Paris.

All ten tracks on Mary Lou (Emarcy LP MG26033) are trio performances featuring Buddy Banks on bass, and Jean-Louis Viale on drums. Both albums received a five-star rating in Down Beat magazine https://www.jazzmessengers.com/en/9374/mary-lou-williams/mary-lou-williams

Personnel: Mary Lou Williams, piano; Wendell Marshall, bass (out on 2, 4, 6 & 10); Osie Johnson, drums (also congas on 7; out on 2, 4, 6, 8 & 10)

A Keyboard History

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Mary Lou Williams - Live At The Cookery

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1976
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:43
Size: 159,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:55)  1. Praise The Lord
(6:56)  2. Blues For Peter
(5:54)  3. I Can't Get Started
(6:33)  4. Roll 'Em
(3:50)  5. The Jeep Is Jumping
(5:23)  6. My Funny Valentine
(3:23)  7. Waltz Boogie
(4:41)  8. The Surrey With The Fringe On Top
(7:58)  9. The Man I Love
(4:46) 10. All Blues
(5:11) 11. Mack The Knife
(8:07) 12. A Grand Night For Swinging

This CD gives one a definitive look at talented pianist Mary Lou Williams in her later years. In these duets with bassist Brian Torff, Williams essentially takes listeners on a trip through the history of jazz, from hymns and blues to stride, swing, and bop (including "All Blues"). The CD reissue adds three fine performances to the original program. Recommended. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/live-at-the-cookery-mw0000091515

Personnel:  Piano – Mary Lou Williams ;  Bass – Brian Torff

Live At The Cookery

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Mary Lou Williams - Lady Piano

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1955
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:41
Size: 104,4 MB
Art: Front

(2:06)  1. Fandangle
(3:26)  2. Mama, Pin a Rose On Me
(3:36)  3. Roll' em
(3:32)  4. Sweet Sue
(5:15)  5. Lullaby of the Leaves
(2:17)  6. Taurus
(3:30)  7. Jericho
(4:44)  8. I Love Him
(4:00)  9. Amy
(4:40) 10. Talk of the Tawn
(3:30) 11. I Love You
(4:00) 12. Easy Blues

To say that Mary Lou Williams had a long and productive career is an understatement. Although for decades she was often called jazz's greatest female musician (and one has to admire what must have been a nonstop battle against sexism), she would have been considered a major artist no matter what her sex. Just the fact that Williams and Duke Ellington were virtually the only stride pianists to modernize their style through the years would have been enough to guarantee her a place in jazz history books. Williams managed to always sound modern during a half-century career without forgetting her roots or how to play in the older styles. Born Mary Elfrieda Scruggs (although she soon took the name of her stepfather and was known as Mary Lou Burley), she taught herself the piano by ear and was playing in public at the age of six. Growing up in Pittsburgh, Williams' life was always filled with music. When she was 13, she started working in vaudeville, and three years later married saxophonist John Williams. They moved to Memphis, and she made her debut on records with Synco Jazzers. John soon joined Andy Kirk's orchestra, which was based in Kansas City, in 1929. Williams wrote arrangements for the band, filled in for an absent pianist on Kirk's first recording session, and eventually became a member of the orchestra herself. Her arrangements were largely responsible for the band's distinctive sound and eventual success. Williams was soon recognized as Kirk's top soloist, a stride pianist who impressed everyone (even Jelly Roll Morton). In addition, she wrote such songs such as "Roll 'Em" (a killer hit for Benny Goodman) and "What's Your Story Morning Glory" and contributed arrangements to other big bands, including those of Goodman, Earl Hines, and Tommy Dorsey. Mary Lou Williams stayed with Kirk until 1942, by which time she had divorced John Williams and married trumpeter Harold "Shorty" Baker. She co-led a combo with Baker before he joined Duke Ellington. 

Williams did some writing for Duke (most notably her rearrangement of "Blue Skies" into a horn battle called "Trumpets No End") and played briefly with Benny Goodman's bebop group in 1948. She had gradually modernized her style and by the early to mid-'40s was actively encouraging the young modernists who would lead the bebop revolution, including Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell, Tadd Dameron, and Dizzy Gillespie. Williams' "Zodiac Suite" showed off some of her modern ideas, and her "In the Land of Oo-Bla-Dee" was a bebop fable recorded by Gillespie.  Williams lived in Europe from 1952-1954 and then became very involved in the Catholic religion. She retired from music for a few years before appearing as a guest with Dizzy Gillespie's orchestra at the 1957 Newport Jazz Festival. Williams returned to jazz and by the early '70s sounded more like a young modal player (clearly she was familiar with McCoy Tyner) than a survivor of the 1920s. Although she did not care for the avant-garde, she occasionally played quite freely, although a 1977 duo concert with Cecil Taylor was a complete fiasco. Williams wrote three masses and a cantana, was a star at Benny Goodman's 40th-anniversary Carnegie Hall concert in 1978, taught at Duke University, and often planned her later concerts as a history of jazz recital. By the time she passed away at the age of 71, she had a list of accomplishments that could have filled three lifetimes.  

Mary Lou Williams recorded through the years as a leader for many labels including Brunswick (a pair of piano solos in 1930), Decca (1938), Columbia, Savoy, extensively for Asch and Folkways during 1944-1947, Victor, King (1949), Atlantic, Circle, Vogue, Prestige, Blue Star, Jazztone, her own Mary label (1970-1974), Chiaroscuro, SteepleChase, and finally Pablo (1977-1978).~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mary-lou-williams-mn0000859820/biography

Lady Piano

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Mary Lou Williams - Mary Lou Williams Plays In London

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:21
Size: 158.8 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2016
Art: Front

[2:59] 1. Titoros
[2:58] 2. They Can't Take That Away From Me
[4:32] 3. Round About Midnight
[2:51] 4. Perdido
[2:56] 5. Kool Bongo
[3:13] 6. For You
[3:46] 7. Don't Blame Me
[3:03] 8. Lady Bird
[3:13] 9. Titoros (Alternate Take)
[3:19] 10. They Can't Take That Away From Me (Alternate Take)
[2:48] 11. Round About Midnight (Alternate Take)
[2:30] 12. Azure-Té
[3:07] 13. Flying Home
[2:55] 14. Nickels
[3:57] 15. Yesterdays (Alternate Take)
[2:59] 16. The Man I Love
[2:35] 17. Twilight
[2:32] 18. Just One Of Those Things
[3:42] 19. Why
[3:43] 20. Yesterdays
[2:45] 21. The Man I Love (Alternate Take)
[2:47] 22. Just One Of Those Things (Alternate Take)

Bass – Ken Napper (tracks: 1 to 11), Lennie Bush (tracks: 12 to 22); Bongos – Tony Scott; Drums – Allan Ganley (tracks: 1 to 11), Tony Kinsey (tracks: 12 to 22); Piano – Mary Lou Williams. Recorded in London in 1953 and 1954.

This 22-track reissue compiles the great pianist's two Vogue albums cut in 1953 and 1954, and includes the alternate takes from each. All of this music has been available before, but it is noteworthy that this set marks the first time these recordings have appeared together with their original sequencing.

While touring Europe in the early '50s, Mary Lou Williams made two separate recording trips to London. Each time she was paired with a different rhythm section. The common player on both dates was Tony Scott, who played bongos, thus appending both trios. The songs include standards, Latin tunes, and a few originals. For the most part, these sides were designed to offer a well-rounded portrait of an established American artist to record buyers on the other side of the pond. They accomplish that and more.

On the 1953 session she is accompanied by bassist Ken Napper and drummer Allan Ganley, as well as Scott. The highlights of the program include the hard-grooving swing-to-bop read of "Perdido" and two quite different takes of "Titoros" -- both of the latter make good use of Scott's bongos, which is not always the case here. Williams' "Kool Bongo" underscores these. The alternate take of "They Can’t Take That Away from Me" is done as a cha-cha but the original standard version is stronger. Williams' canny meld of harmony, rhythm, and the use of empty space on Monk's "'Round Midnight" offers elegance without drawing from the wonderful strangeness of its melody. The second date features a considerably lesser known -- but no less intuitive -- rhythm section comprised of lesser-known drummer Tony Kinsey and bassist Lennie Bush. It commences with a sprightly version of "Azure Te," which makes fine jazz use of the bongos, followed by a bluesed-out read of Lionel Hampton's and Benny Goodman's "Flying Home." This entire session feels far more relaxed. Williams' "Nickles" is a fingerpopping number that dances between bebop and swing. Her classy cha-cha tune "Twilight" offers interesting chord embellishments before it transforms into a blues. The alternate takes of standards "Yesterdays" and "The Man I Love" are in different keys than the ones originally issued, and it's arguable as to which are superior. A true highlight from the latter session is the reading of Cole Porter's "Just One of Those Things." The rhythm section plays it at double time while Williams complements and counters their collective energy adding grace, verve, and humor to every line. While this package is obviously designed for collectors who have everything else, it also serves as a fine introduction to Williams' iconic pianism. ~Thom Jurek

Mary Lou Williams Plays In London mc
Mary Lou Williams Plays In London zippy

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Mary Lou Williams Trio - Free Spirits

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:57
Size: 155.6 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 1975/2010
Art: Front

[4:48] 1. Dat Dere
[7:53] 2. Baby Man (Take 2)
[8:28] 3. Baby Man
[6:56] 4. All Blues
[5:05] 5. Temptation
[4:27] 6. Pale Blue
[5:00] 7. Free Spirits (Take 2)
[5:22] 8. Free Spirits
[5:37] 9. Blues For Timme
[5:52] 10. Ode To Saint Cecilie
[2:55] 11. Surrey With The Fringe On Top
[5:29] 12. Gloria

Hard to believe that somebody could add something to Miles Davis' and Gil Evans' "All Blues" but Mary Lou Williams does it. This woman is one of the unsung geniuses of modern jazz. Why she has not received the same acclaim as people like Coltrane and Monk is beyond me. Sexism? Probably. Do yourself a favour and pick up one of her albums. If you love jazz, you will love Mary Lou Williams. ~Bob O'Jazz

Free Spirits

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Buddy Tate - Buddy Tate & His Buddies

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:25
Size: 99.4 MB
Styles: Bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 1973/1994
Art: Front

[ 8:16] 1. Rockaway
[ 6:15] 2. Medi 2
[ 7:39] 3. Paris Nights
[10:04] 4. When I'm Blue
[11:10] 5. Sunday

Bass – Milt Hinton; Drums – Gus Johnson; Guitar – Steve Jordan; Piano – Mary Lou Williams; Tenor Saxophone – Buddy Tate, Illinois Jacquet; Trumpet – Roy Eldridge.

Jam sessions featuring swing veterans were not that common an occurence on record during the early '70s, making Hank O'Neal's Chiaroscuro label both ahead of and behind the times. This CD reissue is most notable for having pianist Mary Lou Williams (who rarely was invited to this type of freewheeling session) as one of the key soloists. Also heard from are the tenors of Buddy Tate and Illinois Jacquet and the aging but still exciting trumpeter Roy Eldridge; the backup players are rhythm guitarist Steve Jordan, bassist Milt Hinton and drummer Gus Johnson. Together they jam three group originals, Buck Clayton's "Rockaway" and the standard "Sunday" and, although falling short of being a classic, this infectious and consistently swinging music is worth picking up. ~ Scott Yanow

Buddy Tate & His Buddies

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Mary Lou Williams - The Mary Lou Williams Collection 1927-59 (2-Disc Set)

Mary Lou Williams achieved extraordinary recognition and success as pianist, composer and arranger in a world and an era where women found often it hard to break through into areas other than simply singing with bands. Born in 1910, she built a reputation working with Andy Kirk's Twelve Clouds of Joy, and arranged for top bandleaders and performers like Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman as well as being a mentor to major artists like Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk and Charlie Parker. Her career eventually covered about half a century, so unsurprisingly her playing encompassed a variety of developing techniques, from blues to stride, and swing through bebop and beyond.

This 51-track 2-CD collection comprises recordings she made over a period of over three decades from her 1927 studio debut through to the '50s, when her work was distinctly selective and eclectic. It naturally includes a significant tranche of her work with Andy Kirk in the '30s, but also includes solo, trio, small band and other ensembles, featuring many of her own compositions and arrangements. Inevitably it features performances by a variety of noted musicians with whom she recorded, from Benny Goodman, Coleman Hawkins and Don Byas through to British artist like Tony Kinsey and Allan Ganley, with whom she recorded during her European sojourn in the early '50s. It's hugely varied and entertaining, and a fine showcase for her unique and versatile talents

Album: The Mary Lou Williams Collection 1927-59 (Disc 1)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 72:48
Size: 166.7 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[2:42] 1. Midnight Stomp
[3:11] 2. Down In Gallion
[2:38] 3. Mess-A-Stomp
[3:09] 4. Froggy Bottom
[2:55] 5. Nite Life
[2:39] 6. Dallas Blues
[2:40] 7. Walkin' And Swingin'
[2:59] 8. Bear Cat Shuffle
[2:48] 9. Steppin' Pretty
[2:44] 10. Overhand
[2:45] 11. Clean Pickin'
[2:46] 12. Mary's Special
[2:58] 13. (Keep It) In The Groove
[3:04] 14. Twinklin'
[2:47] 15. Little Joe From Chicago
[2:58] 16. The Pearls
[3:04] 17. What's Your Story, Morning Glory
[3:01] 18. Mary's Idea
[2:52] 19. Zonky
[3:18] 20. Mary Lou Williams Blues
[3:07] 21. Scratchin' In The Gravel
[3:09] 22. The Count
[2:49] 23. Baby Dear
[2:48] 24. Harmony Blues
[2:45] 25. Ring Dem Bells

The Mary Lou Williams Collection 1927-59 (Disc 1)

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Album: The Mary Lou Williams Collection 1927-59 (Disc 2)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 72:19
Size: 165.6 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[3:13] 1. 47th Street Jive
[2:20] 2. Blue Skies
[2:14] 3. Yesterdays
[2:47] 4. Roll 'em
[2:33] 5. Mary's Boogie
[3:11] 6. St. Louis Blues
[2:37] 7. You Know Baby
[2:39] 8. This 'n' That
[3:04] 9. Song In My Soul
[2:15] 10. Aries
[3:08] 11. Scorpio
[3:10] 12. Harmony Gifts
[2:42] 13. Kool
[2:43] 14. Benny's Bop
[2:40] 15. Oo-Bla-Dee
[2:52] 16. Willow Weep For Me
[2:46] 17. Bobo
[4:04] 18. Out Of Nowhere
[2:58] 19. Titoros
[1:50] 20. Rag Of Rags
[2:15] 21. Musical Express
[4:07] 22. Lullaby Of The Leaves
[2:27] 23. Autumn In New York
[3:07] 24. Nancy Is In Love With The Colonel
[2:14] 25. Chuck-A-Luck, Pt. 1
[2:12] 26. Chuck-A-Luck, Pt. 2

The Mary Lou Williams Collection 1927-59 (Disc 2)

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Mary Lou Williams - First Lady Of The Piano

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:23
Size: 87.9 MB
Styles: Bop, Piano jazz
Year: 1953/2009
Art: Front

[2:48] 1. They Can't Take That Away From Me
[3:07] 2. They Can't Take That Away From Me (Alt Take)
[3:09] 3. Lady Bird
[3:01] 4. For You
[3:36] 5. Don't Blame Me
[2:44] 6. 'round About Midnight
[4:14] 7. 'round About Midnight (Alt Take)
[2:43] 8. Don't Blame Me
[3:04] 9. Koolbongo
[3:32] 10. Don't Blame Me
[3:03] 11. Titoros
[3:16] 12. Titoros

Mary Lou Williams, who had started her career as a stride pianist, was one of the few early jazz players who successfully made the transition to more modern styles. On this Inner City LP (drawn from recordings made for Vogue), Williams and her trio (with clarinetist Tony Scott sitting in on bongos) performs such standards as "'Round Midnight," Tadd Dameron's "Lady Bird" and Wild Bill Davis's "Titoros" in convincing fashion, very much in a bop vein. Excellent music. ~Scott Yanow

First Lady Of The Piano

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Mary Lou Williams & Barbara Carroll - Ladies Of Jazz

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 42:08
Size: 98.1 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 1951/2010
Art: Front

[3:03] 1. My Funny Valentine
[2:21] 2. Taking a Chance on Love
[2:53] 3. You Took Advantage of Me
[3:26] 4. 'Tis Autumn
[2:27] 5. The Lady's in Love with You
[2:37] 6. Love of My Life
[4:36] 7. Autumn in New York
[2:52] 8. You're the Cream in My Coffee
[2:29] 9. Surrey with the Fringe on Top
[2:45] 10. Pagliacci
[2:56] 11. Opus Z
[3:40] 12. From This Moment On
[3:05] 13. In the Purple Grotto
[2:51] 14. 'S Wonderful

This is a reissue of an early LP that devoted a side apiece to these two talented pianists in a trio setting. Most of Barbara Carroll's recordings from this era are long out of print, and she was recorded rather sporadically until a flurry of activity in the early '90s, so it's a treat to hear her swinging renditions of gems like "Taking a Chance on Love" and "The Lady's in Love With You," with the added bonus of a previously unissued track, "They Can't Take That Away From Me." Mary Lou Williams' set is more adventurous, featuring an adaptation of Leoncavallo's "Pagliacci," and classic show tunes like "The Surrey With the Fringe on Top" and "'S Wonderful." But it's her potent originals that steal the show -- the bluesy "In the Purple Grotto" and "Opus Z," a composition co-written with the unjustly neglected Herbie Nichols. ~Ken Dryden

Ladies Of Jazz

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Mary Lou Williams - Zoning

Bitrate: 320K/s

Time: 59:02

Size: 135.2 MB

Styles: Piano jazz

Year: 1974/1995

Art: Front

[3:27] 1. Syl-O-Gism

[4:03] 2. Olinga

[2:07] 3. Medi, No. 2

[4:39] 4. Gloria

[2:22] 5. Intermission

[6:50] 6. Zoning Fungus, No. 2

[3:26] 7. Holy Ghost

[4:56] 8. Medi, No. 1

[4:37] 9. Rosa Mae

[4:55] 10. Ghost Of Love

[6:37] 11. Praise The Lord

[6:35] 12. Gloria 2

[4:22] 13. Play It Momma

All songs written or co-written by Mary Lou Williams except "Olinga" (Dizzy Gillespie) and "Holy Ghost" (L. Gales). Contains 13 tracks, including two previously unreleased tracks. Mary Lou Williams emerged in the early '70s after a long period in which she worked in the Catholic church to resume her always stimulating career as a jazz pianist. On this CD reissue, one of her finest recordings of her later years has been brought back and augmented by two previously unissued performances. Williams performs in duos and trios with bassist Bob Cranshaw and drummer Mickey Roker, uses Zita Carno on second piano during a couple of the more avant-garde pieces, and also performs some trios with bassist Milton Suggs and Tony Waters on congas. Rather than sounding like a veteran of the 1920s, Mary Lou Williams sounds 40 years younger, shows the influence of McCoy Tyner, and hints at free jazz in spots. An often surprising set of modern jazz. ~ Scott Yanow

Recorded at A&R Studios, New York, New York from January to March 1974. Originally released on Mary Records (M-103).

Mary Lou Williams (piano); Leon Thomas, Sonny Henry (vocals).

Zoning      

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