Anthony Tillmon Williams (December 12, 1945 – February 23, 1997) was an American jazz drummer. Williams first gained fame as a member of

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Davis adopted a variety of music ...

' " Second Great Quintet", and later pioneered

jazz fusion Jazz fusion (also known as fusion and progressive jazz) is a music genre that developed in the late 1960s when musicians combined jazz harmony and improvisation with rock music, funk, and rhythm and blues. Electric guitars, amplifiers, and ke ...

with Davis' group and his own combo, the Tony Williams Lifetime. In 1970, music critic

Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most well-known and influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and ...

described him as "probably the best drummer in the world". Williams was inducted into the ''

Modern Drummer ''Modern Drummer'' is a monthly publication targeting the interests of drummers and percussionists. The magazine features interviews, equipment reviews, and columns offering advice on technique, as well as information for the general public. ''Mo ...

'' Hall of Fame in 1986.

Life and career

Williams was born in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

and grew up in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

. He is of African, Portuguese, and Chinese descent. He studied with drummer Alan Dawson at an early age, and began playing professionally at the age of 13 with saxophonist

Sam Rivers Sam Rivers may refer to: * Sam Rivers (jazz musician) Samuel Carthorne Rivers (September 25, 1923 – December 26, 2011) was an American jazz musician and composer. Though most famously a tenor saxophonist, he also performed on soprano saxophone ...

. Saxophonist

Jackie McLean John Lenwood "Jackie" McLean (May 17, 1931 – March 31, 2006) was an American jazz alto saxophonist, composer, bandleader, and educator, and is one of the few musicians to be elected to the ''DownBeat'' Hall of Fame in the year of their deat ...

hired Williams when he was 16. At 17 in 1963 Williams gained attention by joining

in what was later dubbed Davis's Second Great Quintet. Williams was a vital element of the group, called by Davis in his autobiography "the center that the group's sound revolved around." His playing helped redefine the role of the jazz

rhythm section A rhythm section is a group of musicians within a music ensemble or band that provides the underlying rhythm, harmony and pulse of the accompaniment, providing a rhythmic and harmonic reference and "beat" for the rest of the band. The rhyth ...

through the use of polyrhythms and metric modulation. Meanwhile, he recorded his first two albums as leader for Blue Note label, '' Life Time'' (1964) and ''

Spring Spring(s) may refer to: Common uses * Spring (season), a season of the year * Spring (device), a mechanical device that stores energy * Spring (hydrology), a natural source of water * Spring (mathematics), a geometric surface in the shape of a h ...

'' (1965). He also recorded as a sideman for the label including, in 1964, '' Out to Lunch!'' with

Eric Dolphy Eric Allan Dolphy Jr. (June 20, 1928 – June 29, 1964) was an American jazz alto saxophonist, bass clarinetist and flautist. On a few occasions, he also played the clarinet and piccolo. Dolphy was one of several multi-instrumentalists to ga ...

and '' Point of Departure'' with Andrew Hill. In 1969, he formed a trio, the Tony Williams Lifetime, with John McLaughlin on guitar and Larry Young on organ. Lifetime was a pioneering band of the fusion movement. Their first album was ''Emergency!''. After the departures of McLaughlin and bassist

Jack Bruce John Symon Asher Bruce (14 May 1943 – 25 October 2014) was a Scottish bassist, singer-songwriter, musician and composer. He gained popularity as the primary lead vocalist and ‍bassist ‍of British rock band Cream. After the group disband ...

, who had joined the group for its second album, and several more releases, Lifetime disbanded. In 1975, Williams put together a band he called "The New Tony Williams Lifetime", featuring bassist Tony Newton, pianist

Alan Pasqua Alan Pasqua (born June 28, 1952) is an American rock and jazz pianist. He studied at Indiana University and the New England Conservatory of Music. His album ''Standards'' with drummer Peter Erskine was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2008. As a ...

, and English guitarist

Allan Holdsworth Allan Holdsworth (6 August 1946 – 15 April 2017) was a British jazz fusion and progressive rock guitarist and composer. Holdsworth was known for his esoteric and idiosyncratic usage of advanced music theory concepts, especially with resp ...

, which recorded two albums for

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony. It was founded on January 15, 1889, evolving from the A ...

, '' Believe It'' and '' Million Dollar Legs''. In mid-1976, Williams was a part of a reunion with his colleagues from the Miles Davis band: keyboardist

Herbie Hancock Herbert Jeffrey Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an American jazz pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, and composer. Hancock started his career with trumpeter Donald Byrd's group. He shortly thereafter joined the Miles Davis Quintet, where he hel ...

, bassist

Ron Carter Ronald Levin Carter (born May 4, 1937) is an American jazz double bassist. His appearances on 2,221 recording sessions make him the most-recorded jazz bassist in history. He has won three Grammy awards, and is also a cellist who has recorded nu ...

, and saxophonist

Wayne Shorter Wayne Shorter (born August 25, 1933) is an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Shorter came to prominence in the late 1950s as a member of, and eventually primary composer for, Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. In the 1960s, he joined Miles D ...

. Davis was in the midst of a six-year hiatus and was "replaced" by

Freddie Hubbard Frederick Dewayne Hubbard (April 7, 1938 – December 29, 2008) was an American jazz trumpeter. He played bebop, hard bop, and post-bop styles from the early 1960s onwards. His unmistakable and influential tone contributed to new perspectives ...

. The record was later released as '' V.S.O.P''. The group toured for several years and a series of live albums were released under the name "V.S.O.P." or " V.S.O.P.: The Quintet". In 1979, Williams, McLaughlin and bassist

Jaco Pastorius John Francis Anthony "Jaco" Pastorius III (; December 1, 1951 – September 21, 1987) was an American jazz bassist, composer and producer. He recorded albums as a solo artist and band leader and was a member of Weather Report from 1976 to 1981. ...

united for a one-time performance at the Havana Jazz Festival. This trio came to be known as the Trio of Doom, and a recording of their performance (along with some studio tracks recorded in New York shortly thereafter) was released in 2007. It opens with a powerful drum improvisation by Williams, followed by McLaughlin's "Dark Prince" and Pastorius' "Continuum", Williams's original composition "Para Oriente" and McLaughlin's "Are You the One?" Williams and Pastorius had also played together on the Herbie Hancock track "Good Question" from his 1978 album ''

Sunlight Sunlight is a portion of the electromagnetic radiation given off by the Sun, in particular infrared, visible, and ultraviolet light. On Earth, sunlight is scattered and filtered through Earth's atmosphere, and is obvious as daylight when ...

''. With the group

Fuse One Fuse One was a group of jazz musicians who collaborated for two albums released on CTI Records and one album released on GNP Crescendo Records. Allmusic Discography/ref> The albums ''Fuse One'' and ''Silk'' were produced by Creed Taylor. The first ...

, Williams released an album in 1980. In 1985, he returned to Blue Note and the result was a series of recordings for the label beginning with ''Foreign Intrigue'', which featured the playing of pianist Mulgrew Miller and trumpeter

Wallace Roney Wallace Roney (May 25, 1960 – March 31, 2020) was an American jazz ( hard bop and post-bop) trumpeter. He has won 1 Grammy award and has two nominations. Roney took lessons from Clark Terry and Dizzy Gillespie and studied with Miles Davis fr ...

. Later that year he formed a quintet with Miller, Roney, saxophonist Bill Pierce, and bassist

Charnett Moffett Charnett Moffett (June 10, 1967 – April 11, 2022) was an American jazz bassist. Moffett began playing bass in the family band, touring the Far East in 1975 at the age of eight. In the mid-1980s, he played with Wynton Marsalis and Branford Mar ...

(later Ira Coleman). This band played Williams's compositions almost exclusively. Williams also played drums for the band

Public Image Limited In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the ''Öffentlichk ...

, fronted by

John Lydon John Joseph Lydon (; born 31 January 1956), also known by his former stage name Johnny Rotten, is an English singer and songwriter. He was the lead singer of the late-1970s punk rock, punk band the Sex Pistols, which lasted from 1975 until 197 ...

(a.k.a. Johnny Rotten of the

Sex Pistols The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band formed in London in 1975. Although their initial career lasted just two and a half years, they were one of the most groundbreaking acts in the history of popular music. They were responsible for ...

), on their release '' Album/Cassette/Compact Disc'' (1986, the album title varied depending on the format). He played on the songs "FFF", "

Rise Rise or RISE may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional entities * '' Rise: The Vieneo Province'', an internet-based virtual world * Rise FM, a fictional radio station in the video game ''Grand Theft Auto 3'' * Rise Kujikawa, a vide ...

" (a modest hit), and "

Home A home, or domicile, is a space used as a permanent or semi-permanent residence for one or many humans, and sometimes various companion animals. It is a fully or semi sheltered space and can have both interior and exterior aspects to it. ...

". Bass guitarist

Bill Laswell William Otis Laswell (born February 12, 1955) is an American bass guitarist, record producer, and record label owner. He has been involved in thousands of recordings with many collaborators from all over the world. His music draws from funk, ...

co-wrote those three songs with Lydon. The other drummer on that album was

Ginger Baker Peter Edward "Ginger" Baker (19 August 1939 – 6 October 2019) was an English drummer. His work in the 1960s and 1970s earned him the reputation of "rock's first superstar drummer", for a style that melded jazz and African rhythms and pi ...

. On February 20, 1997, Williams checked into Seton Medical Center in Daly City, California, suffering from stomach pain. Three days later, while recuperating from gall bladder surgery, he died of a heart attack. Williams was 51 years old.

Personal life

Williams lived and taught in the

San Francisco Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, often referred to as simply the Bay Area, is a populous region surrounding the San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun Bay estuaries in Northern California. The Bay Area is defined by the Association of Bay Area G ...

until his death from a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...

following routine

gallbladder In vertebrates, the gallbladder, also known as the cholecyst, is a small hollow organ where bile is stored and concentrated before it is released into the small intestine. In humans, the pear-shaped gallbladder lies beneath the liver, although ...

surgery. One of his final recordings was ''

The Last Wave ''The Last Wave'' (also released, in the US, as ''Black Rain'') is a 1977 Australian mystery drama film directed by Peter Weir.''Variety'' film review; 16 November 1977, p. 21. It is about a white solicitor in Sydney whose seemingly normal lif ...

'' by the trio known as Arcana, a release organized by Bill Laswell.

Discography

As leader/co-leader

* '' Life Time'' ( Blue Note, 1964) * ''

'' (Blue Note, 1966) – recorded in 1965 * '' Emergency!'' ( Verve, 1969) * ''

Turn It Over ''Turn It Over'' is the second album by the American jazz fusion group the Tony Williams Lifetime, released in 1970 via Polydor Records. It was rereleased by Verve Records in 1997, as part of ''Spectrum: The Anthology''. Williams is again joined b ...

'' (Verve, 1970) * '' Ego'' (Polydor, 1971) * ''The Old Bum's Rush'' (Polydor, 1972) * '' Believe It'' (Columbia, 1975) * '' Million Dollar Legs'' (Columbia, 1976) * ''

The Joy of Flying ''The Joy of Flying'' is a jazz fusion album by Tony Williams. It was recorded at the end of The Tony Williams Lifetime years, and is considered his first solo album since 1966. It includes three duets, two with Mahavishnu Orchestra keyboardist J ...

'' (Columbia, 1979) * ''Play or Die'' with Tom Grant and

Patrick O'Hearn Patrick John O'Hearn (born September 6, 1954) is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, and recording artist. Known primarily as a bass guitarist and keyboardist, O'Hearn came to prominence with Frank Zappa and co-founded the early 1980s ...

(P.S. Productions, 1980) * ''Foreign Intrigue'' (Blue Note, 1985) * ''Civilization'' (Blue Note, 1987) – recorded in 1986 * ''Angel Street'' (Blue Note, 1988) * ''Native Heart'' (Blue Note, 1990) – recorded in 1989 * ''The Story of Neptune'' (Blue Note, 1992) – recorded in 1991 * ''Tokyo Live'' (Blue Note, 1993) CD– live recorded in 1992 * ''

A Tribute to Miles ''A Tribute to Miles'' is a tribute album recorded by the then surviving members of the Miles Davis "Second Great" Quintet: pianist Herbie Hancock, saxophonist Wayne Shorter, bassist Ron Carter and drummer Tony Williams. Taking the Miles rol ...

'' with

(

Qwest Qwest Communications International, Inc. was a United States telecommunications carrier. Qwest provided local service in 14 western and midwestern U.S. states: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dako ...

/ Reprise/ Warner Bros., 1994) * ''Wilderness'' (Ark 21, 1996) – recorded in 1995 * ''Young at Heart'' (Columbia, 1996) Compilation * '' Lifetime: The Collection'' (Columbia, 1992) CD– combined '' Believe It'' (1975) and '' Million Dollar Legs'' (1976) Posthumous releases * ''Live at The Village Gate'' (Hi Hat, 2017) – live recorded in 1976 * ''Live Tokyo 1978'' (Hi Hat, 2018) – live recorded in 1978

As group

The Great Jazz Trio
With

Hank Jones Henry Jones Jr. (July 31, 1918 – May 16, 2010) was an American jazz pianist, bandleader, arranger, and composer. Critics and musicians described Jones as eloquent, lyrical, and impeccable. In 1989, The National Endowment for the Arts honored ...

and

* ''

I'm Old Fashioned "I'm Old Fashioned" is a 1942 song composed by Jerome Kern, with lyrics written by Johnny Mercer. It was written for the film '' You Were Never Lovelier'' (1942), where it was introduced by Nan Wynn who dubbed for Rita Hayworth as part of a ...

'' (East Wind, 1976) with Sadao Watanabe * '' Love for Sale'' (East Wind, 1976) * ''

The Great Jazz Trio at the Village Vanguard ''The Great Jazz Trio at the Village Vanguard'' is a live album by the Great Jazz Trio. The Great Jazz Trio is pianist Hank Jones, bassist Ron Carter and drummer Tony Williams, recorded in 1977 for the Japanese East Wind label.The Great Jazz Trio at the Village Vanguard Vol. 2 ''The Great Jazz Trio at the Village Vanguard Vol. 2'' is a live album by the Great Jazz Trio – pianist Hank Jones, bassist Ron Carter and drummer Tony Williams – recorded in 1977 for the Japanese East Wind label.Kindness Joy Love & Happiness'' (East Wind, 1977) * ''Bird of Paradise'' (Flying Disk, 1977) with Sadao Watanabe * '' Milestones'' (East Wind, 1978) * ''

New Wine in Old Bottles ''New Wine in Old Bottles'' is an album by saxophonist Jackie McLean with the Great Jazz Trio; pianist Hank Jones, bassist Ron Carter and drummer Tony Williams, recorded in 1978 for the Japanese East Wind label.Jackie McLean John Lenwood "Jackie" McLean (May 17, 1931 – March 31, 2006) was an American jazz alto saxophonist, composer, bandleader, and educator, and is one of the few musicians to be elected to the ''DownBeat'' Hall of Fame in the year of their deat ...

* ''

Direct from L.A. ''Direct from L.A.'' is an album by the Great Jazz Trio featuring pianist Hank Jones, bassist Ron Carter and drummer Tony Williams, recorded using direct metal mastering in 1977 for the Japanese East Wind label.Carnaval Carnival is a Catholic Christian festive season that occurs before the liturgical season of Lent. The main events typically occur during February or early March, during the period historically known as Shrovetide (or Pre-Lent). Carnival ty ...

'' (

Galaxy A galaxy is a system of stars, stellar remnants, interstellar gas, dust, dark matter, bound together by gravity. The word is derived from the Greek ' (), literally 'milky', a reference to the Milky Way galaxy that contains the Solar System ...

, 1978) with Sadao Watanabe * ''The Great Tokyo Meeting'' (East Wind, 1978) * ''

The Great Jazz Trio at the Village Vanguard Again ''The Great Jazz Trio at the Village Vanguard Again'' is a live album by the Great Jazz Trio – pianist Hank Jones, bassist Ron Carter and drummer Tony Williams – recorded in 1977 for the Japanese East Wind label but not released until 2000. ...

'' (East Wind, 2000) – recorded in 1977. posthumous release. Trio of Doom
With

and John McLaughlin * ''Trio of Doom'' (Columbia Legacy, 2007) – recorded in 1979. posthumous release. Arcana
With Derek Bailey and

*''

'' ( DIW, 1996) – recorded in 1995 * ''

Arc of the Testimony ''Arc of the Testimony'' is the second and final album by the American jazz fusion band Arcana. It was released on bassist Bill Laswell's Axiom label on October 14, 1997. Unlike the trio configuration on the first album, this project features a sp ...

'' also with

Pharoah Sanders Pharoah Sanders (born Ferrell Lee Sanders; October 13, 1940 – September 24, 2022) was an American jazz saxophonist. Known for his overblowing, harmonic, and multiphonic techniques on the saxophone, as well as his use of " sheets of sound", ...

(Axiom/

Island An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An isla ...

, 1997) – posthumous release

As sideman

With

Chet Baker Chesney Henry "Chet" Baker Jr. (December 23, 1929 – May 13, 1988) was an American jazz trumpeter and vocalist. He is known for major innovations in cool jazz that led him to be nicknamed the "Prince of Cool". Baker earned much attention and ...

*'' You Can't Go Home Again'' (Horizon, 1977) *''

Chet Baker / Wolfgang Lackerschmid ''Chet Baker / Wolfgang Lackerschmid'' is an album by trumpeter Chet Baker and vibraphonist Wolfgang Lackerschmid with guitarist Larry Coryell, bassist Buster Williams and drummer Tony Williams which was recorded in 1979 and first released on th ...

'' (Sandra Music Productions, 1980) with

Wolfgang Lackerschmid Wolfgang Lackerschmid (born 19 September 1956 in Tegernsee) is a German jazz musician, bandleader and composer. His main instrument is the vibraphone, but he also plays many other percussion instruments. Lackerschmid grew up in Ehingen and now li ...

– recorded in 1979 *'' The Best Thing for You'' (A&M, 1989) – recorded in 1977 With

* ''

Third Plane ''Third Plane'' is an album by jazz bassist Ron Carter, released on the Milestone label in 1977. It features performances by Carter, Herbie Hancock and Tony Williams. A second selection of five tracks recorded by the trio during the same day's ...

'' (Milestone, 1978) * ''

1 + 3 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length&nb ...

'' (JVC, 1979) – live recorded in 1978 *''

Parade A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats, or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually celebrations of s ...

'' (Milestone, 1980) – recorded in 1979 * ''

Carnaval Carnival is a Catholic Christian festive season that occurs before the liturgical season of Lent. The main events typically occur during February or early March, during the period historically known as Shrovetide (or Pre-Lent). Carnival ty ...

'' (Galaxy, 1983) – live recorded in 1978 *'' Etudes'' (Elektra/Musician, 1983) – recorded in 1982 With

* ''

Seven Steps to Heaven 7 is a number, numeral, and glyph. 7 or seven may also refer to: * AD 7, the seventh year of the AD era * 7 BC, the seventh year before the AD era * The month of July Music Artists * Seven (Swiss singer) (born 1978), a Swiss recording artist ...

'' (

Columbia Columbia may refer to: * Columbia (personification), the historical female national personification of the United States, and a poetic name for America Places North America Natural features * Columbia Plateau, a geologic and geographic region i ...

, 1963) * ''

Miles Davis in Europe ''Miles Davis in Europe'' is a live album by Miles Davis, released in 1964. It was the first full album by the first incarnation of the " Second Quintet" featuring George Coleman, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter and Tony Williams, whose first recor ...

'' (Columbia, 1963) * '' Four & More'' (Columbia, 1964) * ''

My Funny Valentine "My Funny Valentine" is a show tune from the 1937 Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart coming of age musical '' Babes in Arms'' in which it was introduced by teenaged star Mitzi Green. The song became a popular jazz standard, appearing on over 1300 ...

'' (Columbia, 1964) * ''

Miles in Berlin ''Miles in Berlin'' is an album recorded on September 25, 1964, by the Miles Davis Quintet at the Berliner Philharmonie, Berlin, Germany. It was released in the United States on CD in 2005 and marks the first recorded work of what is commonly ...

'' (CBS, 1964) * '' E.S.P.'' (Columbia, 1965) * '' Miles Smiles'' (Columbia, 1966) * '' Sorcerer'' (Columbia, 1967) * '' Nefertiti'' (Columbia, 1967) * '' Miles in the Sky'' (Columbia, 1968) * ''

Filles de Kilimanjaro ' ( French for ''Girls of Kilimanjaro'') is a studio album by American jazz trumpeter Miles Davis. It was recorded in June and September 1968, and released on Columbia Records. It was released in the United Kingdom by the company's subsidiary Colu ...

'' (Columbia, 1968) * ''

Miles in Tokyo ''Miles in Tokyo'' is a live album recorded on July 14, 1964, by the Miles Davis Quintet at the Tokyo Kōsei Nenkin Kaikan, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan. It was released in the United States on CD in 2005 and is the first recording of Davis in Japan. ...

'' (CBS/Sony, 1969) – recorded in 1964 * '' In a Silent Way'' (Columbia, 1969) * '' Water Babies'' (Columbia, 1976) – recorded in 1967-68 * ''

Circle in the Round ''Circle in the Round'' is a 1979 compilation album by jazz musician Miles Davis. It compiled outtakes from sessions across fifteen years of Davis's career that, with one exception, had been previously unreleased. All of its tracks have since been ...

'' (Columbia, 1979) – recorded in 1967-68 * '' Directions'' (Columbia, 1981) – recorded in 1967-68 * ''

The Complete Live at the Plugged Nickel 1965 ''The Complete Live at the Plugged Nickel 1965'' is a compact disc box set of the Miles Davis Quintet, recorded on December 22 and 23, 1965. First released in Japan in March 1992 by Sony Records as a 7 disc set (catalogue SRCS 5766~5772), it wa ...

'' (Columbia Legacy, 1995) – recorded in 1965 * '' Miles Davis & Gil Evans: The Complete Columbia Studio Recordings'' – four takes of "Falling Water" (Columbia Legacy, 1996) – recorded in 1968 * '' Live in Europe 1967: The Bootleg Series Vol. 1'' (Columbia Legacy, 2012) *'' Miles Davis at Newport 1955-1975: The Bootleg Series Vol. 4'' (Columbia Legacy, 2015) With

Tommy Flanagan Thomas Lee Flanagan (March 16, 1930 – November 16, 2001) was an American jazz pianist and composer. He grew up in Detroit, initially influenced by such pianists as Art Tatum, Teddy Wilson, and Nat King Cole, and then by bebop musicians. ...

* ''

The Master Trio ''The Master Trio'' is an album by jazz pianist Tommy Flanagan, bassist Ron Carter and drummer Tony Williams. Background Pianist Tommy Flanagan and bassist Ron Carter had recorded together numerous times since 1960.Iverson, Etha"Magic Numbers 2 ...

'' (Baybridge, 1983) * '' Blues in the Closet'' (Baybridge, 1983) With

* ''

My Point of View ''My Point of View'' is the second album by pianist Herbie Hancock. It was released in 1963 on Blue Note Records as BLP 4126 and BST 84126. Musicians featured are trumpeter Donald Byrd, trombonist Grachan Moncur III, tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley ...

'' (Blue Note, 1963) * ''

Empyrean Isles ''Empyrean Isles'' is the fourth studio album by American jazz pianist Herbie Hancock, recorded in 1964 for Blue Note Records. It features Hancock with his Miles Davis bandmates, bassist Ron Carter and drummer Tony Williams, along with trumpeter ...

'' (Blue Note, 1964) * '' Maiden Voyage'' (Blue Note, 1965) * '' V.S.O.P.'' (Columbia, 1977) – recorded in 1976 * '' V.S.O.P.: The Quintet'' (Columbia, 1977) * '' V.S.O.P.: Tempest in the Colosseum'' (CBS/Sony, 1977) * '' Herbie Hancock Trio'' (CBS/Sony, 1977) * ''

'' (Columbia, 1978) * '' V.S.O.P.: Live Under the Sky'' (CBS/Sony, 1979) * '' Mr. Hands'' (Columbia, 1980) * '' Herbie Hancock Trio'' (Columbia, 1982) – recorded in 1981 * ''

Quartet In music, a quartet or quartette (, , , , ) is an ensemble of four singers or instrumental performers; or a musical composition for four voices and instruments. Classical String quartet In classical music, one of the most common combinations o ...

'' (CBS/Sony, 1982) * '' One Night with Blue Note Preserved'' (Blue Note, 1985) * '' ''Round Midnight'' (soundtrack)'' (Columbia, 1986) – recorded in 1985 * '' Future 2 Future'' (Transparent Music, 2001) With

* ''

One Step Beyond One Step Beyond may refer to: Music * ''One Step Beyond'' (Dungeon album) or the title song, 2004 * ''One Step Beyond'' (Jackie McLean album), 1963 * '' One Step Beyond...'', an album by Madness, or the title song (see below), 1979 * ''One Step ...

'' (Blue Note, 1964) – recorded in 1963 * ''

Vertigo Vertigo is a condition where a person has the sensation of movement or of surrounding objects moving when they are not. Often it feels like a spinning or swaying movement. This may be associated with nausea, vomiting, sweating, or difficulties w ...

'' (Blue Note, 1980) – recorded in 1959-63 With Grachan Moncur III * ''

Evolution Evolution is change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. These characteristics are the expressions of genes, which are passed on from parent to offspring during reproduction. Variation ...

'' (Blue Note, 1964) – recorded in 1963 * ''

Some Other Stuff ''Some Other Stuff'' is the second album by American trombonist Grachan Moncur III recorded in 1964 and released on the Blue Note label in 1965.

'' (Blue Note, 1965) – recorded in 1964 With

Sonny Rollins Walter Theodore "Sonny" Rollins (born September 7, 1930) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist who is widely recognized as one of the most important and influential jazz musicians. In a seven-decade career, he has recorded over sixty albums as a ...

* '' Easy Living'' (Milestone, 1977) * '' Don't Stop the Carnival'' (Milestone, 1978) * '' No Problem'' (Milestone, 1981) With McCoy Tyner * ''

Supertrios ''Supertrios'' is a 1977 album by jazz pianist McCoy Tyner, his eleventh to be released on the Milestone label. It was recorded in April 1977 and features performances by Tyner with two rhythm sections: bassist Ron Carter and drummer Tony Wi ...

'' (Milestone, 1977) * ''

Passion Dance ''Passion Dance'' is a 1978 live album by the jazz pianist McCoy Tyner, his fourteenth release on the Milestone label. It was recorded in July 1978 at the Live Under the Sky festival in Tokyo, Japan and features predominantly solo performances ...

(Milestone, 1978) * '' Counterpoints'' (Milestone, 2004) – recorded in 1978 With others *

Geri Allen Geri Antoinette Allen (June 12, 1957 – June 27, 2017) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and educator. In addition to her career as a performer and bandleader, Allen was also an associate professor of music at the University of Pittsburgh ...

, '' Twenty One'' (Blue Note, 1994) * George Cables, ''

Phantom of the City ''Phantom of the City'' is an album by pianist George Cables recorded in 1985 and released on the Contemporary label.

'' (Contemporary, 1985) * Stanley Clarke, '' Stanley Clarke'' (Nemperor, 1974) *

, '' Out to Lunch!'' (Blue Note, 1964) *

Kenny Dorham McKinley Howard "Kenny" Dorham (August 30, 1924 – December 5, 1972) was an American jazz trumpeter, singer, and composer. Dorham's talent is frequently lauded by critics and other musicians, but he never received the kind of attention or public ...

, ''

Una Mas ''Una Mas'', titled ''Una Mas (One More Time)'' on the front cover, is a jazz album by trumpeter Kenny Dorham and his quintet, released in 1963 on Blue Note as BLP 4127 and BST 84127. The album would be the next-to-last studio session led by the ...

'' (Blue Note, 1963) * Gil Evans, '' There Comes a Time'' (RCA, 1976) – recorded in 1975 *

Hal Galper Harold Galper (born April 18, 1938) is an American jazz pianist, composer, arranger, bandleader, educator, and writer. Biography He was born in Salem, Massachusetts, United States. Galper studied classical piano as a boy, but switched to jazz w ...

, '' Now Hear This'' (Enja, 1977) *

Stan Getz Stanley Getz (February 2, 1927 – June 6, 1991) was an American jazz saxophonist. Playing primarily the tenor saxophone, Getz was known as "The Sound" because of his warm, lyrical tone, with his prime influence being the wispy, mellow timbre ...

, '' Captain Marvel'' (Columbia, 1972) *

Dexter Gordon Dexter Gordon (February 27, 1923 – April 25, 1990) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, composer, bandleader, and actor. He was among the most influential early bebop musicians, which included other greats such as Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gi ...

, '' The Other Side of Round Midnight'' (Blue Note, 1986) – recorded in 1985 * Jonas Hellborg and the Soldier String Quartet, ''The Word'' (Axiom, 1991) *

Joe Henderson Joe Henderson (April 24, 1937 – June 30, 2001) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. In a career spanning more than four decades, Henderson played with many of the leading American players of his day and recorded for several prominent l ...

, ''

Relaxin' at Camarillo "Relaxin' at Camarillo" is a composition by jazz saxophonist Charlie Parker. It is inspired by his six-month stay in Camarillo State Hospital in Ventura County, California, after serving a prison term for arson and resisting arrest. The tune is a ...

'' (Contemporary, 1981) – recorded in 1979 * Andrew Hill, '' Point of Departure'' (Blue Note, 1965) – recorded in 1964 * Terumasa Hino, ''May Dance'' (Flying Disk, 1977) *

, ''

Atavachron ''Atavachron'' is the fourth studio album by guitarist Allan Holdsworth, released in 1986 through Enigma Records (United States) and JMS–Cream Records (Europe).Patterson, John W"Atavachron - Allan Holdsworth" ''AllMusic''. RhythmOne. Retrieved ...

'' – Looking Glass (Enigma, 1986) * Charles Lloyd, '' Of Course, Of Course'' (Columbia, 1965) * Michael Mantler, ''Movies'' (Watt, 1978) *

Ray Manzarek Raymond Daniel Manzarek Jr. (né Manczarek; February 12, 1939 – May 20, 2013) was an American keyboardist. He is best known as a member of the Doors, co-founding the band with singer and lyricist Jim Morrison in 1965. Manzarek was induc ...

, '' The Golden Scarab'' (Mercury, 1973) *

Branford Marsalis Branford Marsalis (born August 26, 1960) is an American saxophonist, composer, and bandleader. While primarily known for his work in jazz as the leader of the Branford Marsalis Quartet, he also performs frequently as a soloist with classical ens ...

, ''Renaissance'' (Columbia, 1987) *

Wynton Marsalis Wynton Learson Marsalis (born October 18, 1961) is an American trumpeter, composer, teacher, and artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center. He has promoted classical and jazz music, often to young audiences. Marsalis has won nine Grammy Award ...

, ''

'' (Columbia, 1981) * John McLaughlin, ''

Electric Guitarist ''Electric Guitarist'' is the fourth solo album by guitarist John McLaughlin, released in 1978 through Columbia Records originally on vinyl; a remastered CD was issued in 1990 as part of the Columbia Jazz Contemporary Masters series.

'' (Columbia, 1978) *

Marcus Miller William Henry Marcus Miller Jr. (born June 14, 1959) is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known for his work as a bassist. He has worked with trumpeter Miles Davis, pianist Herbie Hancock, singer Luther Vandros ...

, ''

The Sun Don't Lie ''The Sun Don't Lie'' is an album by Marcus Miller, released in 1993 on PRA Records. The album rose to No. 10 on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart. The album "is dedicated to the memory of Miles Davis." Overview ''The Sun Don't Lie'' was Gramm ...

'' (PRA, 1993) * Mulgrew Miller, ''

The Countdown ''The Countdown'' is the fifth studio album by American jazz pianist Mulgrew Miller. The album was released in 1988 by Landmark Records. For this record Miller teamed with Ron Carter on bass, Joe Henderson Joe Henderson (April 24, 1937 &n ...

'' (Landmark, 1989) – recorded in 1988 *

Yoko Ono Yoko Ono ( ; ja, 小野洋子, Ono Yōko, usually spelled in katakana ; born February 18, 1933) is a Japanese multimedia artist, singer, songwriter, and peace activist. Her work also encompasses performance art and filmmaking. Ono grew up i ...

, ''

Starpeace ''Starpeace'' is a 1985 concept album by Yoko Ono, designed to spread a message of peace around the world as an opposition to Ronald Reagan's "Star Wars" missile defense system. As with most Ono albums, it did not chart extensively but the sing ...

'' (PolyGram, 1985) *

Michel Petrucciani Michel Petrucciani (; ; 28 December 1962 – 6 January 1999) was a French jazz pianist. From birth he had osteogenesis imperfecta, a genetic disease that causes brittle bones and, in his case, short stature. He became one of the most accomplish ...

, ''Marvellous'' (Dreyfus, 1994) * Pop Workshop, ''Song For The Pterodactyl'' (Grammofonverket, 1974) *

, ''

Album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records c ...

'' (Virgin, 1985) * Don Pullen, '' New Beginnings'' (Blue Note, 1988) *

, ''

Fuchsia Swing Song ''Fuchsia Swing Song'' is the debut album by American saxophonist Sam Rivers recorded in 1964 and released on the Blue Note label.

'' (Blue Note, 1964) *

, '' Verses'' (Muse, 1987) *

Carlos Santana Carlos Humberto Santana Barragán (; born July 20, 1947) is an American guitarist who rose to fame in the late 1960s and early 1970s with his band Santana, which pioneered a fusion of Rock and roll and Latin American jazz. Its sound feature ...

,'' The Swing of Delight'' (Columbia, 1980) *

Travis Shook Travis Shook (born March 10, 1969) is a jazz pianist who made his eponymous Columbia Records debut in a quartet that included Tony Williams and Bunky Green. He was born in Oroville, California. He received much critical acclaim for this first ...

, ''Travis Shook'' (Columbia, 1993) *

, ''

The Soothsayer ''The Soothsayer'' is the seventh album by Wayne Shorter, recorded in 1965, but not released on Blue Note until 1979.Weather Report Weather Report was an American jazz fusion band active from 1970 to 1986. The band was founded in 1970 by Austrian virtuoso keyboardist Joe Zawinul, American saxophonist Wayne Shorter, Czech bassist Miroslav Vitouš, American drummer and vocalis ...

, '' Mr. Gone'' (Columbia, 1978)

References

Bibliography

Colin_Larkin Colin Larkin (born 1949) is a British writer and entrepreneur. He founded, and was the editor-in-chief of, the '' Encyclopedia of Popular Music'', described by '' The Times'' as "the standard against which all others must be judged". Along w ...

(ed.) (1992)
The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music, 1st ed., pg. 2699
'; * Thom Holmes (2006)
American Popular Music: Jazz, pg. 216
';

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Tony 1945 births 1997 deaths 20th-century American drummers African-American jazz musicians American jazz drummers American male drummers American musicians of Chinese descent American people of Portuguese descent Arcana (American band) members Blue Note Records artists Grammy Award winners Hard bop drummers Jazz fusion drummers Jazz musicians from Illinois Jazz musicians from Massachusetts American male jazz musicians Miles Davis Quintet members Musicians from Boston Musicians from Chicago Post-bop drummers The Tony Williams Lifetime members Trio of Doom members V.S.O.P. (group) members 20th-century American male musicians Modal jazz drummers African-American drummers