Mary Lou Williams: S/D

Years ago I had a folkways comp CD that had this very cool tune on it. Since then, I've been vaguely aware of her music but haven't spent much time with it. Recently revisited this very tune, and it's so great -- makes me want to check out more of her music. So, where to start?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1PTZxQwPYQ

I'm no expert but I've always liked what I've heard. Also have always found it interesting to read about her interactions with other pianists, such as Monk and Hilton Ruiz, for example.

I like the Zodiac Suite, which I become aware of through the Geri Allen tribute album and it is one of them "albums" from the 40's which i don't think was released as such at the time and was debuted on her radio show. It's deffo one worth checking out.

iirc the album she did with cecil sounds two players playing over each other rather than a collaboration, but i might have been in a grumpy mood when i listened to it.

This is an amaaaaziing album:

https://img.discogs.com/WM8sbJ7PLS1VT-_ns7xyWVB37Pw=/fit-in/504x504/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-2203270-1312500473.jpeg.jpgE

Eventually reissued w bonus tracks, as Amazon says:

Product Description

Mary Lou Williams, the "First Lady of Jazz" was an extraordinary pianist, composer arranger and master of blues boogie woogie, stride, swing and bebop. Her complex harmonies and brilliant phrasing rooted on the avant-garde. BLACK CHRIST OF THE ANDES is both a powerful secular statement and a call to the divine. Originally issued in 1964, this CD contains extensive liner and 4 bonus tracks not included in the original.
Amazon.com

Generally regarded as our greatest female jazz musician, Mary Lou Williams composed and arranged for Duke Ellington and Dizzy Gillespie and was an important influence on fellow pianists Thelonious Monk and Bud Powell. Williams converted to Catholicism in the mid '50s, and in 1962 she began work on Black Christ of the Andes, the centerpiece of which is a hymn dedicated to the 16th century Afro-Peruvian priest, St. Martin de Porres, featuring a chorus by the Ray Charles Singers. In many ways, this three-part work anticipates Ellington's Sacred Concerts. The rest of the disc blends the sacred and the secular while highlighting Williams mostly in trio settings (often including the MJQ bassist Percy Heath). Williams embraces the whole history of jazz, from the funereal, John Kennedy tribute "Dirge Blues" and the Latin-styled "Koolbonga" to the soul-jazz-tinted treatment of "My Blue Heaven" and her avant-garde solo, "A Fungus A Mungus." --Eugene Holley, Jr.

Several other MLW albums on this page, incl. ones I never heard of:
https://www.amazon.com/Mary-Lou-Williams-Presents-Christ/dp/B0001L3LGS

sounds like two players playing over each other rather than a collaboration, but i might have been in a grumpy mood when i listened to it

rolling jazz 2021 thread title ?

We used to name jazz threads like that but unperson didn’t like so we switched to more generic name.

"Black Christ of the Andes" is pretty amazing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kRT9M8h3JE

This article about her duo concert with Taylor is fascinating. He was legitimately into her music (which doesn't surprise me a bit) but felt like his side of things was being shunted aside with the plans for the performance, so he sabotaged it/took it over.

i mean, the idea of *anyone* trying to play piano with cecil taylor seems like a crazy thing to do.

i mean, the idea of *anyone* trying to play piano with cecil taylor seems like a crazy thing to do.

I agree. That's what I think is so fascinating about the two collaborations Taylor did with Bill Dixon in the 1990s, the live one that was released at the time, with Tony Oxley on drums, and the collection of in-studio duos that was released last year (but recorded in 1992). I don't know how he did it, but Dixon really managed to get Taylor to come to him; the music sounds much more like Dixon's Black Saint albums than anything else in Taylor's discography.

There was a piece in Down Beat at the time where Williams’ musicians, Mickey Roker and Bob Cranshaw, complained about Cecil on that date, but I don’t recall Williams adding her voice to that chorus. She knew Cecil’s work; it’s unlikely that anything on that date surprised her. It’s fascinating to hear her edge towards Cecil’s approach at times, and similarly to hear Cecil occasionally “accompany” Williams.

Unfortunately, there’s some kind of technical defect on the recording, so everything in Cecil’s channel (Williams and Cecil were panned left and right in the mix) has a slap-back delay on it (which, at certain points, adds a degree of fascination).

thanks for that link, unperson xp

cecil and dixon's relationship was complicated and fascinating. i'm not sure if i'll ever get to the bottom of it, or if that story has ever really been told in full (?)

I don't know how he did it, but Dixon really managed to get Taylor to come to /him/; the music sounds much more like Dixon's Black Saint albums than anything else in Taylor's discography.

I took out a bio on her from the library on her a decade or so ago that was pretty good, maybe the one by Linda Dahl, can’t remember.

As Ellington famously remarked of her,

" Mary Lou Williams is perpetually contemporary. Her writing and performing have always been a little ahead throughout her career. Her music retains, and maintains, a standard of quality that is timeless. She is like soul on soul."
Astute audiodoc, from the always-valuable Night Lights radio show---stream/download:
https://indianapublicmedia.org/nightlights/history-mary-lou-williams.php

We used to name jazz threads like that but unperson didn’t like so we switched to more generic name.

― Isinglass Ponys (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, August 16, 2020 3:01 PM (yesterday) bookmarkflaglink

coming back here just to say that we should start naming the rolling jazz thread again

B-b-but then people might not take jazz seriously!