Greg Williamson

BIO - The Short Version

Greg Williamson, drummer, percussionist and composer, has toured as amember of the swinging big bands of Woody Herman, Glenn Miller andHarry James. He has appeared on over 30 CDs, including the recent"JazzIn It" by singer Dee Daniels, which charted #1 across Canada. Hetravelled several years with Steve Allen and Tonight Show Live withlegendary pianist Paul Smith. He has performed with Seattle's own andwidely renown vocalist Ernestine Anderson since 1991, acting in lateryears as her musical director. He has led his own groups ranging fromGreg Williamson Quartet to the Pony Boy All-Star Big Band, and recentlyformed an organ-quartet "The Young Lizards" bringing jazz sounds to thealt-club scene. He also focuses on large scale multi-media projects,including the award winning "Conversations & Deconstructions" the "1909AYP - Jazz Music For Seattle's World's Fair." Greg's early experiencescame from hanging out with the cats on the scene - legendary jazzers likeBuddy Catlett, Ray Brown, Red Kelly, Bill Ramsay and Jay Thomas. In1994 he founded Pony Boy Records which has produced 40 releases, theannual Pony Boy Records Jazz Picnic, and the weekly series Jazz &Sushi. He is the musical director for Boxley's Jazz Club in North Bend,WA, which features music nightly, and hopes to continue to foster jazzmusic, and hang out with the cats on the scene

BIO - The Long Version

Greg Williamson began playing drums and piano at an early age, listeningto the record collection of his parents, always returning to that curiousdouble live LP by Thelonious Monk. His mother still takes credit forbringing him - at an age less than one year - to concerts of Duke Ellingtonand Louis Armstrong in 1965. By the time he hit high school, ha had wonseveral college festival awards. In 1986 he gained a degree in jazz studiesfrom Western Washington University, also studying classical percussion &composition. During this time he played many musicals, big band shows,local gigs, and was principal percussion, timpanist and clinician with theSeattle Youth Symphony.

Woody Herman's Thundering Herd

Woody, Glenn & HarryWhile in college, he also began hanging out and mentoring with jazzdrummers Jeff Hamilton and Mel Lewis - and bassists John Clayton andRay Brown, soaking up the lineage of jazz. Relocating to Los Angeles, hewas very quickly touring with the Glenn Miller Orchestra, then WoodyHerman's Young Thundering Herd, and then the Harry James Orchestra.Greg counts these years of road band experience and performing behindguest artists as priceless and immeasurable. Wonderful people likeRosemary Clooney, The Mills Brothers, Anita O'Day, Helen Forest, HelenO'Connell, Art Lund, and others.

Big Bad Groove @ Jazz Alley

Seattle & Big Bad GrooveIn 1990 he returned to Seattle as a home base, and continued to dooccasional tours while bursting into the fertile Seattle music scene. Hebegan groups of his own, drawing on some of the fine musicians from hisroad band associations. The Big Bad Groove Society is a sextet withflexible horn instrumentation for which he also writes and arranges,tapping into the big band sound with a small group flexibility. The groupincluded friend and Ernestine Anderson pianist Larry Fuller (later to joinJeff Hamilton's Trio & Ray Brown's Trio).

w/ Ernestine @ Concord Jazz Festival

Ernestine & Steve-a-rinoHe also began performing, touring and recording with jazz singer,Downbeat Poll winner, and Grammy nominated vocalist ErnestineAnderson. Still working with Ernestine, he has toured Japan numeroustimes, Brazil, and all around the US . Several years later he also beganworking with legendary pianist and funnyman Steve Allen, doing night clubdates, big band shows, Las Vegas showrooms, and a revival of theoriginal "Tonight Show" - a touring ensemble including Louis Nye and Bill"Jose Jimenez" Dana, working with the great pianist Paul Smith, a veteranof Ella Fitzgerald, CBS Orchestra, and many others. This again gave moreopportunities for performing with the great stars of jazz, swing, and film.Joe Williams, Steve & Edie, Buddy Grecco, and more. His collective"played with" list is extensive.

Jazz Times Year in ReviewCritics Picks 2002Pony Boy RecordsThe release of a Big Bad Groove Society recording in 1994 saw theformation of Pony Boy Records, an affable moniker for promotion anddistribution. The title "Live at Kellys" became the first of many liverecordings at the home club of bassist and raconteur Red Kelly. Redbecame a personal link to many of the characters of 50's big bands'heyday - the same big bands which Greg had played 30 years later.

Pony Boy Records, a label for the fun of jazz, became immediatelypopular. With other musicians of like mind wanting to be part of the "stableof artists", Pony Boy has grown to more than 30 releases, includingWilliamson's highly regarded "Swing Your Big Head" enhanced-CD, andhis new "Double Sax Quintet" - listed in the Jazz Times Year in ReviewCritics Picks 2002 (Top Ten - Harvey Siders). He also leads the highlystabled Pony Boy All-Star Big Band.

Greg's development of skills in graphic arts, promotion, and digital audiorecording/mastering has allowed Pony Boy Records to help jazz artistswith the tools of music. Live performance is the target of the effort -promoting concerts, tours and gigs.

Play Jazz - Tour - Swing HardGreg played many yearswith Brian Nova, a swinging guitarist and protégéof jazz legends Herb Ellis and Joe Pass. This group toured extensively,including month-long annual trips through Japan. The group performedwith other great artists, including rock and blues superstar Steve Miller.Greg also spent several years with Sinatra-style wise guy HB Radke,performing for swooning swing-dancers, national sports crowds, and evenas a personality on national shock-jock radio with Tom Leykis. AltogetherGreg has appeared on more than 40 CDs, and can often be heardbacking up a variety singers and jazzers up and down the west coast.

IAJE 2002 w/Jeff Hamilton & Rich ThompsonJazz EducationGreg has continued to teach drums and jazz privately and in clinics,focusing on musicality and the lineage of big band and jazz. His techniqueis relaxed and natural, bouncing the stick to get a warmth of sound fromgood instruments, digging on time and feel. He draws from stories andexperience of drummers and musicians before him - and drawscomparisons to some classical technique.

He participated in the 2002 International Association of Jazz EducatersConvention and coached the National Community College Jazz Ensemblerhythm section. He enjoys clinics and rehearsing school groups; impartinghis sense of joy of music to students; and the drive, dance, and textureavailable to performers of all kinds.

Playing Cymbals in TokyoToolboxGreg Williamson endorses and plays Garcia snare drums. He endorsesthe wonderful Bosphorus cymbals (Hammer & Master Series). He alsouses several different Gretsch drum sets, vintage 1980's with DWhardware. Moving from calf-skin heads, he now employs several Removariations. Sticks and brushes from RegalTip (Hamilton and Elvin), andHinger Timpani mallets. He uses Digidesign Pro Tools on the road and inthe studio, with Waves plug-ins, as well as many Macintosh hardwareproducts.

Awards

• Earshot Jazz Golden Ear Award "For Significant and Enduring Contributions to the Seattle Jazz Scene" to Greg Williamson and Pony Boy Records Jazz Picnic • Earshot Jazz Golden Ear Award Nomination "Conversations & Deconstructions" CD and Concert

Gear

Bosphorus Cymbals Endorsement Artist Garcia Drums (snare) Artist Gretch Drums