Stu Williamson (May 14, 1933 – October 1, 1991) 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. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

trumpeter and valve trombonist. Born in

Brattleboro, Vermont Brattleboro (), originally Brattleborough, is a New England town, town in Windham County, Vermont, United States, located about north of the Massachusetts state line at the confluence of Vermont's West River (Vermont), West River and the Connec ...

, Williamson was the younger brother of jazz pianist

Claude Williamson Claude Berkeley Williamson (November 18, 1926 – July 16, 2016) was an American jazz pianist. Williamson was born in Brattleboro, Vermont, United States. He studied at the New England Conservatory of Music before moving to jazz, influenced ma ...

. In 1949, he moved to Los Angeles, where he worked with

Stan Kenton Stanley Newcomb Kenton (December 15, 1911 – August 25, 1979) was an American popular music and jazz artist. As a pianist, composer, arranger and band leader, he led an innovative and influential jazz orchestra for almost four decades. Though ...

Woody Herman Woodrow Charles Herman (May 16, 1913 – October 29, 1987) 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. Its roo ...

Billy May Edward William May Jr. (November 10, 1916 – January 22, 2004) was an American composer, arranger and trumpeter. He composed film and television music for ''The Green Hornet (TV series), The Green Hornet'' (1966), ''The Mod Squad (TV series), T ...

Charlie Barnet Charles Daly Barnet (October 26, 1913 – September 4, 1991) was an American jazz saxophonist, composer, and bandleader. His major recordings were "Nagasaki", "Skyliner", "Cherokee", "The Wrong Idea", "Scotch and Soda", "In a Mizz", and "South ...

, and

Shelly Manne Sheldon "Shelly" Manne (June 11, 1920 – September 26, 1984) was an American jazz drummer. Most frequently associated with West Coast jazz, he was known for his versatility and also played in a number of other styles, including Dixieland, ...

. He worked often as a

session musician A session musician (also known as studio musician or backing musician) is a musician hired to perform in a recording session or a live performance. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a reco ...

until his retirement in 1968. He battled drug addiction for much of his life and died in Studio City, California in 1991.

Discography

As leader

* 1955.01 - ''Stu Williamson Plays'' (Bethlehem, 1956) Originally titled ''Sapphire.'' Reissued in cd in 2013 by Solid Records Jap. * 1956.01 - ''Stu Williamson'' (Bethlehem, 1956) Originally titled ''Pee Jay -'' Reissued in cd in 2013 by Solid Records Jap''.'', and Fresh sound Records as ''The Trumpet Artistry Of Stu Williamson'' * 1957.07 - ''A Jazz Band Ball'' (Mode, 1957) - issued under

Jack Sheldon Beryl Cyril "Jack" Sheldon Jr. (November 30, 1931 – December 27, 2019) was an American jazz trumpeter, singer, and actor. He performed on ''The Merv Griffin Show'' and participated in episodes of the educational music television series ''Scho ...

's name - Originally titled ''Revel Without a Pause,'' Stu Williamson plays valve trombone. *

As sideman or guest

With

Pepper Adams Park Frederick "Pepper" Adams III (October 8, 1930 – September 10, 1986) was an American jazz baritone saxophonist and composer. He composed 42 pieces, was the leader on eighteen albums spanning 28 years, and participated in 600 sessions as a s ...

*'' Pepper Adams Quintet'' (Mode, 1956) With

Clifford Brown Clifford Benjamin Brown (October 30, 1930 – June 26, 1956) was an American jazz trumpeter, pianist and composer. He died at the age of 25 in a car crash, leaving behind four years' worth of recordings. His compositions "Sandu", "Joy Sprin ...

's All Stars *'' Jazz Messages'' *'' Jazz Immortal'' (Pacific Jazz, 1956) With

Benny Carter Bennett Lester Carter (August 8, 1907 – July 12, 2003) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, trumpeter, composer, arranger, and bandleader. With Johnny Hodges, he was a pioneer on the alto saxophone. From the beginning of his career ...

*'' Aspects'' (United Artists, 1959) With

Terry Gibbs Terry Gibbs (born Julius Gubenko; October 13, 1924) is an American jazz vibraphonist and band leader. He has performed or recorded with Tommy Dorsey, Chubby Jackson,Theroux, Gary"Gibbs, Terry".''Grove Music Online''. Oxford University Press. R ...

* ''Dream Band'' recorded 1959 (Contemporary, 1986) * ''The Dream Band, Vol. 2: The Sundown Sessions'' recorded 1959 (Contemporary, 1987) * ''Dream Band, Vol. 3: Flying Home'' recorded 1959 (Contemporary, 1988) * ''The Exciting Terry Gibbs Big Band'' (Verve, 1961); reissued as ''Dream Band, Vol. 4: Main Stem'' (Contemporary, 1990) With

Dizzy Gillespie John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie ( ; October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, educator and singer. He was a trumpet virtuoso and improvisation, improviser, building on the virtuosic style of Roy El ...

*''

The New Continent ''The New Continent'' is an album by trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie's Big Band featuring performances arranged and composed by Lalo Schifrin and conducted by Benny Carter. It was produced by Quincy Jones in 1962 and released on the Limelight label.

'' (Limelight, 1962) With Elmo Hope *'' The Elmo Hope Quintet featuring Harold Land'' (Pacific Jazz, 1957) With

*''

This Modern World ''This Modern World'' is a weekly satirical comic strip by cartoonist and political commentator Tom Tomorrow (real name Dan Perkins) that covers current events from a left-wing point of view. Published continuously for more than 30 years, ''This ...

'' (Capitol, 1953) *'' Kenton Showcase'' (Capitol, 1954) *''

The Kenton Era ''The Kenton Era'' is a compilation album by pianist and bandleader Stan Kenton featuring recordings from 1940 to 1954 which was originally released in two limited edition box sets, as fifteen 7 inch 45 rpm discs and four 12 inch LPs, on Capitol ...

'' (Capitol, 1940–54,

955 Year 955 ( CMLV) was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * August 10 – Battle of Lechfeld: King Otto I ("the Great") defeats the Hungarians (also known as Magyars) near Augsburg (Germa ...

*'' Contemporary Concepts'' (Capitol, 1955) *'' The Innovations Orchestra'' (Capitol, 1950-51

997 Year 997 ( CMXCVII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Japan * 1 February: Empress Teishi gives birth to Princess Shushi - she is the first child of the emperor, but because of the power stru ...

With Mark Murphy * ''

Playing the Field ''Playing the Field'' is a BBC television drama series following the lives of the Castlefield Blues, a fictitious female football team from South Yorkshire. Outline Inspired by Pete Davies's book ''I Lost My Heart to the Belles'' – which was ...

'' (Capitol, 1960) With

*'' Swinging Sounds'' (Contemporary, 1956) *'' More Swinging Sounds'' (Contemporary, 1956) *'' Concerto for Clarinet & Combo'' (Contemporary, 1957) *'' The Gambit'' (Contemporary, 1958) *''

Manne–That's Gershwin! ''Manne–That's Gershwin!'' is an album by drummer Shelly Manne featuring music by George Gershwin, recorded in 1965 and released on the Capitol Records, Capitol label.

'' (Capitol, 1965) With

Jack Montrose Jack Montrose (December 30, 1928 – February 7, 2006) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and arranger. After attending college in Los Angeles, he worked with Jerry Gray and then Art Pepper. Montrose also did arrangements for Clifford Brown. ...

*'' Arranged by Montrose'' (Pacific Jazz, 1954) With

Lennie Niehaus Leonard Niehaus (June 1, 1929 – May 28, 2020) was an American alto saxophonist, composer and arranger on the West Coast jazz scene. He played with the Stan Kenton, Stan Kenton Orchestra and served as one of Kenton's primary staff arrangers. He ...

* ''Volume 1: The Quintets'' (Contemporary, 1955) * ''Volume 2: The Octet, No. 1'' (Contemporary, 1955) * ''Volume 3: The Octet, No. 2'' (Contemporary, 1956) * ''Volume 4: The Quintets and Strings'' (Contemporary, 1956) * ''Volume 5: The Sextet '' (Contemporary, 1957) With

Shorty Rogers Milton "Shorty" Rogers (born Milton Rajonsky; April 14, 1924 – November 7, 1994) was an American jazz musician, one of the principal creators of West Coast jazz. He played trumpet and flugelhorn and was in demand for his skills as an arra ...

*'' An Invisible Orchard'' (RCA Victor, 1961

With

Pete Rugolo Pietro Rugolo (December 25, 1915 – October 16, 2011), known professionally as Pete Rugolo, was an American jazz composer, arranger, and record producer. Life and career Rugolo was born in San Piero Patti, Sicily. His family emigrated to the ...

*'' The Music from Richard Diamond'' (EmArcy, 1959) With

Howard Rumsey Howard Rumsey (November 7, 1917 – July 15, 2015) was an American jazz double-bassist known for his leadership of the Lighthouse All-Stars in the 1950s. Biography Born in Brawley, California, United States, Rumsey first began playing the piano ...

's Lighthouse All Stars *''Lighthouse All Stars vol. 6'' (Contemporary, 1955) *''In the Solo Spotlight'' (Contemporary, 1955) With

Bud Shank Clifford Everett "Bud" Shank Jr. (May 27, 1926 – April 2, 2009) was an American alto saxophonist and flautist. He rose to prominence in the early 1950s playing lead alto and flute in Stan Kenton's Innovations in Modern Music Orchestra and thro ...

*'' Strings & Trombones'' (Pacific Jazz, 1955) With

Zoot Sims John Haley "Zoot" Sims (October 29, 1925 – March 23, 1985) was an American jazz saxophonist, playing mainly tenor but also alto (and, later, soprano) saxophone. He first gained attention in the "Four Brothers" sax section of Woody Herman's big ...

*''

Quintet A quintet is a group containing five members. It is commonly associated with musical groups, such as a string quintet, or a group of five singers, but can be applied to any situation where five similar or related objects are considered a single ...

'' (Prestige, 1955) reissue Good Old Zoot (Status, 1965) (Prestige, 1970) With Duane Tatro *''Jazz for Moderns'' (Contemporary, 1956)

References

1933 births 1991 deaths American jazz trombonists American male trombonists American jazz trumpeters American male trumpeters American session musicians Musicians from Vermont People from Brattleboro, Vermont 20th-century American trombonists 20th-century American trumpeters 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians {{US-jazz-trombonist-stub