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My Presentation is on the piano great...

Introduction!

Mary Lou Williams was one of the most famous female jazz pianists. She is known worldwide for her work with Big Bandleaders like Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington and Miles Davis. She was also even nominated for music’s highest award; a Grammy. She work was truly inspirational to those whom heard her melodic and intriguing musical styling.

<- This is Count Basie, whom is another famous name that Mary Lou Williams had composed for.

This is Duke Ellington, just one of the many famous Big Band Era artist that Mary Lou had worked with. ->

Mary Lou Williams (born. Mary Elfrieda Scruggs) was born in Atlanta, Georgia on May, 8, 1910. Williams grew up in the neighbourhood of East Liberty in the east end of Pittsburgh. Mary Lou also came from a large family of 10 children.

She was often fondly known as the little piano girl from East Liberty with the incredible memory.

In 1927, Williams married saxophonist John Williams, the musically gifted duo when on and join bassist Andy Kirk's band The Twelve Clouds of Joy.

This is a band photo of Andy Kirk's

The Twelve Clouds Of Joy

“Harmonies packed with gentle motion and given a firm but flexible grounding, dispensed by a hard-blowing ensemble in tonal gusts that had the effect of repeated blasts of fresh air.”

This is what Jazz writer Allen Lowe had to say about Mary Lou when she was writing for Andy Kirks’ Band.

In 1942, Williams had divorced John Williams after leaving Andy Kirk and Twelve Clouds of Joy Big Band. Mary Lou then married trumpeter Shorty Baker, who was also another member of Kirk’s band. Shorty Baker was soon hired by famed Duke Ellington, who in turn hired Williams to work as an arranger with the band.

She was able to get her own weekly radio show on New York’s WNEW station in 1945 on a weekly basis, called the Mary Lou Williams Piano Workshop. This was definitely a media and social breakthrough for an African-American, much less a woman at the time.

in 1952 she relocated to Europe after accepting an invitation to perform in England. She stayed there until 1954 and upon returning to the United States took a sabbatical from music altogether. During this time, Williams underwent a spiritual awakening

This “holy and religious” awaking heavily influenced her music after her two yearlong musical sabbatical. She returned to music with full force in 1957.

In the 1960s, Williams composed and performed almost entirely religious music, but Mary Lou did continue contribute various forms of music to the renowned orchestras of Woody Herman, Benny Goodman, and Count Basie

In 1971, Williams performed her religious piece; Mary Lou’s Mass on the Dick Cavett show. Also in the early 1970s, Williams lent her support to Dr. Billy Taylor’s Jazz mobile program in Harlem. In 1977, Williams performed at Carnegie Hall in New York with pianist Cecil Taylor. In 1980, she accepted a teaching position at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina

Sadly, in the following year, Williams died of bladder cancer on May 28th, 1981. Williams was buried at the Roman Catholic, Calvary Cemetery in her native Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Conclusion

Mary Lou Williams was quite the piece of work. Mary Lou introduced a provocative and notorious new jazz styling of bebop and swing music and that soon became the norm and an international hit. She was strong willed; undeniable talented and her legacy and style have forever changed the way music, whether it is today and might be in the future.

“Mary Lou Williams is perpetually contemporary. Her writing and performing have always been a little ahead throughout her career. Her music retains, and maintains, a standard of quality that is timeless. She is like soul on soul.” – Duke Ellington

By: Khadija Mohamed

I hope you enjoyed it.

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Williams

Isn't not how you play, its how you play it

- Mary Lou Williams

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