Jessica Williams Essentials
Playlist - 14 Songs
Lauded for her authoritative touch and a prolific musical output that ran the gamut from poetically spacious to fiercely swinging, Baltimore native Jessica Williams distinguished herself among a formidable field of jazz pianists of her time. Classically trained at Peabody, Williams, who died in March 2022 at the age of 73, gained unimpeachable old-school jazz cred through associations with Philly Joe Jones, Eddie Harris, Charlie Rouse and Leroy Vinnegar. Her two-volume Live at Yoshi’s with Ray Drummond and Victor Lewis is the very model of modern straight-ahead trio playing. Late in her career she recorded solo piano extensively for the Origin label, resulting in the captivating Songs of Earth, Songs for a New Century, Touch, The Art of the Piano and Billy’s Theme: A Tribute to Dr. Billy Taylor. Her writing was consistently fresh, her interpretations of Coltrane, Mingus, Monk and other pioneers always incisive.
Apple Music
Featured Artists
Jessica Williams Essentials features Jessica Williams, Jessica J Williams, pianist and composer, Jessica J Williams and more