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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZWILLIAMS, Mary Lou
(b Mary Elfrieda Scruggs, 8 May '10, Atlanta GA; d 28 May '81) Pianist, composer. Grew up in Pittsburgh; played by ear in public at six, worked in carnival and vaudeville at 13. Married reedman John Williams (b 13 April '05, Memphis) from the carnival; she played in his band '27; he left to join Terrence Holder's band, she hired Jimmie Lunceford to replace him, joined him in Holder's band '29: by then Andy Kirk had been elected to run it. She wrote arrangements 'Froggy Bottom', 'Walkin' And Swingin' ', 'Little Joe From Chicago' etc. for Kirk, also played piano with the band '31-42. Williams played with Cootie Williams, Earl Hines '40s; she wrote 'Camel Hop' and 'Roll 'Em' '37 for Benny Goodman, had her own small band '42 with second husband Shorty Baker; her work for Duke Ellington included 'Trumpets No End'. She played her own Zodiac Suite at NY Town Hall Dec. '45 with orchestra (that recording later on a VJC CD; the New York Philharmonic played it '46). Always an individual stylist, she was influenced late '40s by Dizzy Gillespie and Bud Powell; co-wrote, recorded 'In The Land Of Oo-Bla-Dee' '49 on King (vocal by Pancho Hagood; Gillespie later recorded it), 'Satchel-Mouth Baby' '47 on Asch (became 'Pretty Eyed Baby', a hit for Frankie Laine and Jo Stafford '51). She played briefly for Goodman '48; spent '52-4 in Europe; left music for a while: entered the Catholic Church and formed a foundation for helping musicians with personal problems. Returned to play at Newport with Gillespie '57 (LP on Verve); played St Martin de Porres for trio and voices at Monterey '65, recorded it for her own Mary Records; Praise The Lord In Many Voices performed at Carnegie Hall '67 (LP on Avant Garde); the Vatican commissioned her third mass '69 as Music For Peace, recorded on Mary as Mary Lou's Mass, also re-written for the Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre. Always innovative, she was also among the most consistent of swingers. A personal friend of Thelonious Monk, she infuenced his tunes: his 'Hackensack' seems to be derived from her '44 arrangement of 'Lady Be Good', and 'Rhythm-a-ning' from two bars of her 'Walkin' and Swingin' '. There was no end to her curiosity and to her sympathy for other musicians; when the duo Embraced '77 (on Pablo) was made with Cecil Taylor it is said that there was hostility in the background, but one doubts that it was hers.. A trio version of Zodiac Suite '45 appeared on a Smithsonian Folkways CD with bassist Al Lucas, drummer Jack 'The Bear' Parker; Roll 'Em '44 with the same trio was on Audiophile. Black Christ Of The Andes and Zoning '74 were on Mary: Zoning is a series of solo, duo, trio and quartet tracks reissued on Smithsonian Folkways CD. Trio Free Spirits '75 on Steeplechase has Buster Williams on bass, Mickey Roker on drums; My Mama Pinned A Rose On Me and Montreux Jazz Festival 1978 were on Pablo; Albums on Chiaroscuro included Buddy Tate And His Buddies, duo Live At The Cookery with Brian Torff on bass, solo From The Heart (also on Storyville); other collections have |