John Williams (8)

Real Name:
John B. Williams
Profile:
John Williams (born on February 27th, 1941 in Bronx, New York, NY, USA) is an American bassist and occasional actor.

In 1964, he began studying classical bass with Ron Carter, after spending 4 years in the military. He studied for three years before auditioning for the Horace Silver Quintet, The. The band stayed together for two years, after which Williams went on to play with several different artists, including Hugh Masekela, Dizzy Gillespie, Kenny Burrell and Roland Hanna. He recorded with Roy Ayers, Count Basie, Louis Armstrong, Benny Carter and Billy Cobham among others.

From 1969 to 1976 he was part of the studio band of "Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson.

In 1975 he formed a band of his own, called "Expectations". The line-up included saxophonist Ernie Watts, pianist Bill Mays, and later, Bobby Lyle, then Milcho Leviev, guitarist Mitchel Forman, percussionist Steve Forman, drummer Ted Hawk, and sound & special effects engineer Fred Stites. The band was a success, but ended up splitting. Afterwards, Williams continued on doing freelance work and recording with such artists as Benny Carter, Louis Bellson, Pearl Bailey, Lainie Kazan, and Freddie Hubbard.

In the fall of 1976, Williams was asked to join the "Nancy Wilson Trio", which began a twenty-five year musical relationship with Nancy Wilson.

In 1989, Williams joined another late night show band, "The Posse" on "The Arsenio Hall Show", where he also started the "John B. Williams Poetry Moment". While performing at clubs in Los Angeles, he started adding poetry and monologues to his music, a fusion which came about in part from his collaboration with the playwright Bradley Rand Smith. That collaboration gave birth to "Jazz Theater," which combines the two art forms: theater (spoken word) and jazz.

After "The Arsenio Hall Show" ended, Williams released a live album with Bennie Maupin and continued to work as a freelancer. He has also released a solo album "Gratitude", and he keeps on promoting "Jazz Theater".
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Discography

Appears On:
Serenade To A Soul Sister (Album) (3 versions)   Blue Note ... 1968
You Gotta Take A Little Love (Album) (2 versions)   Blue Note 1969
Ubiquity (Album) (3 versions)   Polydor ... 1970
San Francisco (Album) (2 versions)   Blue Note 1971
He's Coming (Album) (4 versions)   Polydor ... 1972
Crosswinds (Album) (7 versions)   Atlantic ... 1974
Identity (Album) (3 versions)   Arista 1975
Everything Must Change (Album) (5 versions) Everything Must Change... Warner Bros. Records ... 1976
The Trio Sides (2xLP, Comp) Next Time I Fall In Love Blue Note 1976
Inner Conflicts (Album) (2 versions) Nickles And Dimes, Arroyo Atlantic ... 1978
Plays Music Of Richard Rogers (LP)   Trend Records (3) 1980
Billy Cobham (LP)   AMIGA 1981
Twangin... (Album) (3 versions) Baby Let's Play House Swan Song 1981
What A Wonderful World (CD, Album, RE, RM)   Bluebird (3), RCA 1988
White Sands (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (Album) (2 versions)   Polydor ... 1992
A Night Out With Verve (4xCD, Comp + Box) On The Sunny Side Of T... Verve Records 1996
Blue Break Beats: Volumes One - Four (4xCD + Box, Comp) Ummh Blue Note 1999
Identity (CD)   BMG (Japan) 2000
Rudiments - The Billy Cobham Anthology (2 versions)   Atlantic ... 2001
The Best Of The Blue Note Years (CD) Ummh Blue Note 2001
Everything Must Change / Now We May Begin (CD, Album) Everything Must Change... Wounded Bird Records 2005
Psychedelic Jazz (CD, Comp, RM) The Fuzz Boutique, Universal Music Classics & Jazz 2008
Red White & Blues: Women Sing Of America (LP, Comp) Arkansas Blues Rosetta Records  
The Rabbit's Work On Verve Vol. 4 (LP, Album, RE)   Verve Records  
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