Rudy Williams (September 21, 1909 – August 30, 1954) was an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a majo ...

alto saxophonist. He was born in

Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the List of municipalities in New Jersey, most populous City (New Jersey), city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat, seat of Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County and the second largest city within the New Yo ...

, United States. His birth year has been cited as 1917 and 1919, among others. Nicknamed 'Looney', Williams started on saxophone at age twelve, and concentrated on alto, though he was also capable on baritone and tenor sax. He became a member of the Savoy Sultans in 1937 and recorded frequently with the group. In the 1940s, he played with Hot Lips Page, Luis Russell,

Chris Columbus Christopher Columbus was an explorer born in Genoa, Italy. Christopher Columbus or Chris Columbus may also refer to: People * Chris Columbus (musician) (1902–2002), American jazz drummer * Chris Columbus (filmmaker) (born 1958), American dire ...

, and John Kirby, and led his own bands in Boston and New York City later in the decade. He played with Tadd Dameron in 1948, and after more time as a bandleader in Boston in the early 1950s, he played with

Illinois Jacquet Jean-Baptiste "Illinois" Jacquet (October 30, 1922 – July 22, 2004) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, best remembered for his solo on "Flying Home", critically recognized as the first R&B saxophone solo. Although he was a pioneer of t ...

and

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in California. As a member of

Oscar Pettiford Oscar Pettiford (September 30, 1922 – September 8, 1960) was an American jazz double bassist, cellist and composer. He was one of the earliest musicians to work in the bebop idiom. Biography Pettiford was born in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, United ...

's band, he toured East Asia in the 1950s. Williams also recorded with Howard McGhee, Dud Bascomb, Don Byas,

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, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Eddie Vinson, Bennie Green, and Johnny Hodges. He never recorded as a bandleader. After his death,

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wrote a memorial piece, "Eulogy for Rudy Williams", then recorded it for Savoy. The liner notes of the Savoy album state Williams died by drowning in 1954, in Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

Discography

As sideman

* Charlie Christian, ''After Hours'' (Vogue, 1982) * Al Cooper, ''Jump Steady'' (Affinity, 1983) * Tadd Dameron, ''The Tadd Dameron Band'' (Jazzland, 1962) * Johnny Hodges, '' The Blues'' (Norgran, 1955) * J. J. Johnson, Howard McGhee, Oscar Pettiford, ''Jazz South Pacific'' (Regent, 1956) * Fats Navarro, ''Fats Navarro Featured With The Tadd Dameron Quintet'' (Jazzland, 1961)

References

Rudy Williams Rudy Williams may refer to: *Rudy Williams (saxophonist) (1919-1954), American jazz saxophonist *Rudy Williams (footballer) Rudy Alberto Williams (born 25 August 1965) is a retired Honduras, Honduran Association football, football Defender (asso ...

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the dat ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Rudy 1909 births 1954 deaths American jazz saxophonists American male saxophonists 20th-century American saxophonists 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians Savoy Sultans members