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Jerry "Jay Flat" Williams

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Jerry "Jay Flat" Williams was born and raised in the south suburbs of Chicago. Exposed at a young age to many different types of music has giving him the tools and knowledge to play many different genres of music, such as Funk, Latin, Reggae, Pop, Jazz, Calypso, Rock, Soca and R&B. While proficient on soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone saxophones, Jay Flat also plays flute, clarinet and steel pan. He has worked with distinguished musicians and artist such as, Louis Price; former lead singer of the temptations, Wycliffe Gordon, Liam Teague, Freddy Harris III, Matthew Tembo, Gary Smulyan, Franco Da Vita, Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, and Mary J. Blige just to name a few. Jay Flat earned his Bachelors of Music Performance Degree at Northern Illinois University and working several new projects set to be released next year.

Cootie Williams: Jumping in the 1940s

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
January 15, 2025

In 1943, the country was coping with a recording ban launched by the American Federation of Musicians in mid-1942. With live music under assault by new technology ranging from records and radio to the jukebox, the union decided to pull the plug on members making records until record companies agreed to pay into a fund to support unemployed musicians. Technically, it wasn't a strike, since that would have been illegal during World War II. Instead, it was referred to as ...
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Event

Acclaimed Jazz Saxophonist Nick Stefanacci Headlines At Williams Center For A Good Cause

Source: EMPKT PR
May 9, 2024

Renowned saxophonist Nick Stefanacci, hailing from Wayne, New Jersey, is set to grace the stage of the Williams Center in Rutherford, NJ once again with his captivating performance and magnetic stage presence. The occasion? The unveiling of his latest musical endeavor, the much-anticipated Secrets EP, scheduled for release on May 10, 2024. Stefanacci, accompanied by his esteemed ensemble of musicians, will command the Black Box Stage of the Williams Center on Saturday, May 11, 2024, starting at 8:00 PM. Tickets ...
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Event

Sol Roots Band Performs At Flat Iron Crossroads With Guest Bobby Blackhat

Source: 9th Floor Music
August 9, 2023

Sol Roots Band brings a powerful blend of funk, jazz, blues, rock, and more to the Tidewater Virginia area on Saturday August 12. The Sol Roots band also will add special guest, blues personality Bobby BlackHat, for their upcoming performance at the Flat Iron Crossroads summer concert series. The Sol Roots band performs a blend of New Orleans influenced funk and jazz, deep blues, energetic rock, greasy soul, and hypnotic rhythms. Sol is a fierce guitarist and soulful singer who ...
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Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Buster Williams

Source: Michael Ricci
April 17, 2023

All About Jazz is celebrating Buster Williams' birthday today!

Buster Williams is a prodigious artist whose playing knows no limits. He has played, recorded and collaborated with jazz giants such as Art Blakey, Betty Carter, Carmen McRae, Chet Baker, Chick Corea, Dexter Gordon, Jimmy Heath, Branford Marsalis, Wynton Marsalis, Gene Ammons, Sonny Stitt, Herbie Hancock, Larry Coryell, Lee Konitz, McCoy Tyner, Illinois Jacquet, Nancy Wilson, Elvin Jones, Miles Davis, the Jazz Crusaders, Ron Carter, Woody Shaw, Sarah Vaughan, Benny Golson, ...
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Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Jay McShann

Source: Michael Ricci
January 12, 2023

All About Jazz is celebrating Jay McShann's birthday today!

“The Last of the Blue Devils” Jay “Hootie” McShann landed in Kansas City in the 1930s, and along with fellow pianist and bandleader Count Basie, established what came to be known as the Kansas City sound: blues rooted jazz driven by swinging horns laid over a powerful but relaxed rhythmic pulse. James Columbus McShann was born in Muskogee, Okla., on Jan. 12, 1916. He learned to play piano as a young ...
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Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Tony Williams

Source: Michael Ricci
December 12, 2022

All About Jazz is celebrating Tony Williams' birthday today!

Born in Chicago and growing up in Boston, Williams began studies with master drummer Alan Dawson at an early age and began playing professionally at the age of 13 with saxophonist Sam Rivers. Jackie McLean hired Williams at 16. At 17 Williams found considerable fame with Miles Davis, joining a group that was later dubbed Davis's “Second Great Quintet." His first album as a leader, 1964's Life Time (not to be ...
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Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Buster Williams

Source: Michael Ricci
April 17, 2022

All About Jazz is celebrating Buster Williams' birthday today!

Obituary

Jessica Williams: 1948-2022

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
March 18, 2022

Jessica Williams, a jazz pianist and composer of extraordinary talent and imagination whose style touched on bebop, fusion and the avant-garde, died on March 12, She was 73. Williams was a mystery to many jazz fans and jazz writers—a name you heard every so often but never got to hear live or see on TV. Intensely sensitive and private, she was averse to touring and preferred keeping to herself. Her keyboard approach was flavored by the styles of multiple jazz ...
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Recording

Pianist-Composer Armen Donelian Debuts New Trio, With Jay Anderson & Dennis Mackrel, On 'Fresh Start,' Due April 1 From Sunnyside Records

Source: Terri Hinte Publicity
February 2, 2022

Pianist-composer Armen Donelian reemerges from the COVID-inspired shutdowns with a newly refined conception on both instrument and pen on Fresh Start, to be released April 1 on Sunnyside Records. The album is the recorded premiere of Donelian’s new trio featuring bassist Jay Anderson and drummer Dennis Mackrel. Sidelined like all musicians by the worldwide pandemic, Donelian was further removed from performing when a shoulder injury left him temporarily unable to play the piano. Ever resourceful, the 71-year-old simply wrote new ...
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