Jazz Articles about Tony Williams

About Tony Williams

Radio & Podcasts

Exploring music from 1975 and 1978

by Len Davis
November 21, 2020

Exploring 1975 and 1978, plus Mark Egan, Ben Wendel and Yellowjackets. Playlist The New Tony Williams Lifetime “Mr Spock" from Believe It (Columbia) 00:00 David Sancious “One Time" from Forest of Feelings (Epic) 0:06:38 Gong “Soli" from Expresso 2 (Virgin) 13:17 Major Surgery “Beans" from Rare Live Performances (The Last Music Company) 19:47 Mark Egan-Danny Gottlieb “Blue Sound Bath" from Electric Blue (Wavetone) 26:14r Terreon Gully-Greg Spero “Spherical" from Tiny Room Sessions (Tiny Records) 32:41 Ben Wendel “Drawn ...

Album Review

Chet Baker / Wolfgang Lackerschmid: Quintet Session

Read "Quintet Session" reviewed by Chris May

by Chris May
November 18, 2020

Quintet Session is the second of two albums the trumpeter Chet Baker recorded in Stuttgart, Germany with the vibraphonist Wolfgang Lackerschmid in 1979. It was originally released as Chet Baker / Wolfgang Lackerschmid (Sandra Music, 1980). The combination worked well on the first session, which produced the lovely Ballads For Two (Sandra Music, 1979), and almost as well on the second session, nine months later. The fly in the ointment second time out was Baker's German tour ...

Radio & Podcasts

Blue Note Review 2: Spirit & Time and More

by Marc Cohn
April 10, 2020

Lots of cool features this week. First, Side 2 of the new-music LP from 2nd limited-edition Blue Note Review box with drummers Tony Allen and Chris Dave reimagining Tony Williams compositions. Then, a deep dive into the Savoy vaults from 1947 with recreations of 78s by Charlie Parker, Fats Navarro and Dexter Gordon. Celebrating Sonny Rollins with 2 more selections from Monk's Brilliant Corners release on Riverside and the 2020 centennial of Carmen McRae with tracks from her stupendous session, ...

Radio & Podcasts

Blue Note Review 2 & Play a Game with DrJ, Newk & Lady Day

by Marc Cohn
November 15, 2019

It's Gifts and Messages show No. 400 from the studios of WHYR—how did that happen? To celebrate (but let's face it, we celebrate every week), we have a game for you: tunes written by famous saxophonists 'reimagined' in 2019—name the composer. We also have a start on listening to the Blue Note Review #2 collectors' box (highlighting the compositions of Tony Williams); Sonny Rollins with Trane from 1956; and songs associated with Billie Holiday. Enjoy the show! Sincere thanks to ...

Extended Analysis

Tony Williams: Life Time

by Matthew Aquiline
July 12, 2016

By now, it's an irrefutable fact that drummer Tony Williams was the youngest preeminent figure within the avant-garde movement of the mid-'60s. Every jazz fan seems to know the events that led to his international fame: after intriguing trumpeter Miles Davis with his cutting-edge approach to drumming, he was hired and added to the groundbreaking “Second Great Quintet" at the ripe age of 17. During this significant stint, Williams altered the trajectory of Davis' music, solidified himself as a drum ...

Album Review

Miles Davis Quintet: Miles Smiles

Read "Miles Smiles" reviewed by Nenad Georgievski

by Nenad Georgievski
July 2, 2016

Without a hint of a doubt, the trumpeter Miles Davis' Second Great Quintet which he led in the mid-'60s rekindled his fire for music resulting in exuberant and adventurous music. Davis was reenergized by his young band which vitality and enthusiasm has made a big difference. Not only did it stretch Miles' boundaries, as the band was taking chances and experimenting, but it also helped him get through a difficult period in his personal life (the deaths of his parents, ...

My Blue Note Obsession

Point Of Departure

by Marc Davis
October 12, 2015

I have put off writing this blog post as long as possible. For three weeks, I've been listening to Andrew Hill's Point of Departure and contemplating what I can say that isn't blatantly subjective and negative.I give up. I just don't like it.I honestly thought I might appreciate this, even though I don't generally like avant-garde jazz. Almost everyone seems to love this record. Let me count the ways:The new book Uncompromising Expression, a ...