John B. Williams

JOHN B. WILLIAMS:  BASICALLY SPEAKING

I was born at an early age in the Bronx, New York and lived on Sugar Hill in Harlem as the only son in a middle class family, surrounded by beautiful, talented women and beautiful music. Music was a staple inside and outside of our home and drifting through the back windows of our apartment every afternoon during my pre-teen period was the repetitious saxophone sounds of Sonny Rollins, practicing, practicing, and practicing.  I learned from him that practicing was a lifestyle, as important as breathing if you were serious about your instrument and your music.

My history as a professional bassist spans over 30 years. Known to my intimates and associates as simply John B., I think of myself as a man of strength and character, innovative and experimental; a multifaceted artist of over six feet.

It all began with Jackie and Joyce (my sisters) who inspired me to play drums and piano.  Mother favored the piano, it wasn't so noisy, but she bought me my first drum set when I was 12. As a teen growing up in New York I played drums at community functions and the piano in a neighborhood jazz group called "The Jazz Deciples," which won the Amateur Night contest at the famed Apollo Theater in Harlem three weeks in a row. Another sister, June, convinced our mother that I should study Ballet, (she majored in Ballet at the High school of Performing Arts in New York) to get me off the streets (there went my tough image.) But Ballet increased my exposure to modern dance, the Ballet music of Igor Stravinsky, Aaron Copeland, and Leonard Bernstein as well as Broadway Musical Theater.  (Thanks June.) One more sister, Jean (now you know 1 have four sisters,) introduced me to the Bass. Jean had played the bass in her High School Orchestra, so we had one in the house.

Although I quickly became attached to the Bass, when f joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 1960, I went back to playing the drums because I got the opportunity to earn extra money playing on weekends.

However, the bass and I were meant to be. An overabundance of drummers slowed work opportunities and a shortage of Bass players opened new doors. A $100 Bass I spotted in a pawn shop window was my first investment in what was to become an enriched history of U.S. and foreign concert tours, television, film and now embarking on a solo career. By 1962 my music was influenced by Latin, Carribean, and Rhythm-&-Blues art forms.

Alex Lane gave me my first Bass lessons while I was stationed at Camp LeJune Marine Base, North Carolina. Whenever we didn’t have to pull Guard duty on the weekend, a few of my New York Marine buddies would pile into a car and drive up to the Apple for the weekend, and drive back to the base by Monday for 9AM roll call.

Other than what I got from Alex, I just listened and imitated the great Bass players that I heard on recordings, the radio and in clubs--Paul Chambers, Jimmy Merrit, Wilbure Ware, Charles Mingus, Ron Carter, Bob Cranshaw, Georgr Duvivier, Richard Davis, and Milt Hinton.

In 1964, I began studying Classical Bass with Ron Carter and continued for three years.  Thanks to his strict, no nonsense training, I auditioned for, and got the chance to play with the legendary "Horace Silver Quintet," playing alongside Bennie Maupin, Charles Tolliver and later Randy Brecker and Billy Cobham. That band stayed together for about two years.  Horace taught me so much, especially about playing in tune, getting a groove, and not to waste notes.

I went on to play with Hugh Masakela, Dizzy Gellespie, Leon Thomas, Kenny Burrell, Jon Hendricks, Horace Parlam, Jimmy Smith, Grady Tate, Sir Roland Hanna, and to record with Roy Ayres, Bobby Hutcherson and Harold Land, Johnny Hammond Smith, Count Basie, and Louis Armstrong.

In 1969, adding Classical and electronic sounds to my Bass rhythm, I was recommended to Doc Severinsen, the musical director for `The Tonight Show" starring Johnny Carson. I grooved with Doc and that great band for seven years, four years in New York and three years in Los Angeles where the show had relocated.

In 1972, shortly after relocating to the west coast, Billy Cobham (who had been my soul mate over the years,) called me and asked me to fly back to New York to play on his Landmark recording "Cross-Winds." After Doc granted me a two week leave of absence, I went, joined by George Duke and Gamett Brown, both of whom were living in Los Angeles.

In New York we joined up with Randy Brecker, Michael Brecker, Lee Pastora, and Billy.  The album was a milestone for all of us. Shortly after its release, Billy wanted to take the band on tour, but I chose to stay in L.A. with Doc and “The Tonight Show" and attend school at The International College where I majored in Music History. That decision was a painful turning point in my career.

In 1975, after suffering from talk show burnout, I formed my own band and called it “Expectations." The five-piece band also featured Saxophonist Ernie Watts, Pianist Bill Mays, and later Bobby Lyle, then Milcho Leviev, Guitarist Mitch Foreman, percussionist Steve Forman, drummer Ted Hawk, and sound & special effects engineer Fred Stites. "Expectations" was very innovative and earned rave reviews in such publications as The Music Connection, The Los Angeles Times, Herald Examiner, Downbeat Magazine and The Hollywood Reporter. However, the band's exposure provided individual career advancements and the group eventually dispersed. Thus, I went on doing free-lance work with artist such as: Benny Carter, Louie Bellson, Pearl Bailey, Laine Kazan, and Freddie Hubbard.

In the fall of 1976, I was asked to join the "Nancy Wilson Trio," playing alongside musical director and pianist Michael Wolff and drummer Ralph Penland. That invitation for me began what has now been a 23- year post with Nancy Wilson. Although Michael and Ralph left the trio, and were replaced by pianist LLew Matthews and drummer Roy McCurdy, Michael and I knew we would work together again.

In 1988, we got that chance with the added influence of Funk, Acid Jazz and Hip-Hop forms spinning my Bass, l accepted an invitation from Michael, the musical director of a new talk show, "The Arsenio Hall Shaw," to be part of that great band, "The Possie."  The popular "John B. Williams Poetry Moment" was created for me because my imposing demeanor appeared least likely to recite poetry, specifically tongue-in-cheek poetry. However, I've taken this trademark to another level.

Appearing at such notable L.A. Jazz dubs as Birdland West, Le Cafe, The Cinegrille, At My Place, and Marla Gibb's Jazz and Supper club, where 1 incorporated thought-provoking, poetry and monologs into my music, which came about in part from my collaboration with internationally acclaimed and Obie-Award winning playwright Bradley Rand Smith. That collaboration gave birth to "Jazz Theatre," which is the coming together of two art forms: Theater (and the spoken word) and Jazz. It is an attempt to return theater and music to their roots: as personal and communal enlightening experiences.

As we move into the millennium, I hope "Jazz Theatre" serves as a bridge between cultures, races, art-forms - and the human heart. My love for the acoustic bass and reciting poetry and monologs has provided me with acting opportunities. Back in the mid 1980s, I played myself on the syndicated television series "The Days and Nights Of Molly Dodd," starring Blair Brown and Bill Stepolsky, and more recently in the feature film, "The Tic Code," starring Gregory Hines and Polly Draper,  currently featured in a soon-to-be released feature film written and directed by Polly Draper titled, "The Silver Boulders."

Currently in addition to touring and promoting a live CD co-led by myself and Bennie Maupin titled: "The Maupin / Williams Project Live at Club Rhapsody," and with various other artist including Michael Wolff's band: "Impure Thoughts," Bobby Mato's "Afro-Latin All Stars," 1I! be releasing my first solo CD project titled "Gratitude" which features pianist LLew Matthews, drummer Roy McCurdy and special guest, Nancy Wilson. This CD is scheduled for release in early 2005. I am also continuing to develop my love for "Jazz Theatre" by performing my new production "An Evening with John B. Williams Inside/Out." which is a testament of my very Blessed life and career and how my life's experiences influenced my music. Directed by Bradley Rand Smith, this production will feature monologs and original music performed live on stage, also scheduled for summer of 2005.

I believe that the performing arts hold a unique position in the human story. From the dawn of man, human beings have engaged in the primal need to gather together to tell stories, to share fears, to heal one another, strengthening their bonds as brothers and sisters, and as members of the larger family beyond: the human family. As lofty as it may sound, I believe a key to the celebration and healing of the human soul--and thereby the world community is the joining together and sharing of our common humanity through live music, live theatrical performance and education.

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