Billy Bang (September 20, 1947 – April 11, 2011), born William Vincent Walker, was an American

free jazz Free jazz is an experimental approach to jazz improvisation that developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s when musicians attempted to change or break down jazz conventions, such as regular tempos, tones, and chord changes. Musicians during ...

violinist and composer.

Biography

Bang's family moved to New York City's

Bronx The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...

neighborhood while he was still an infant, and as a child he attended a special school for musicians in nearby

Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street (Manhattan), 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and 110th Street (Manhattan), ...

.Hull, Tom.
Billy Bang Is in the House
,

The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, the ''Voice'' began as a platform for the crea ...

, published October 3, 2005, accessed July 17, 2007. At that school, students were assigned instruments based on their physical size. Bang was fairly small, so he received a violin instead of either of his first choices, the saxophone or the drums. It was around this time that he acquired the nickname of "Billy Bang", derived from a popular cartoon character.Kelsey, Chris. " Billy Bang – Biography,

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

, accessed July 17, 2007. Bang studied the violin until he earned a hardship scholarship to the

Stockbridge School Stockbridge School was a progressive co-educational boarding school for adolescents near the Interlaken section of Stockbridge, Massachusetts and which operated from 1948 to 1976. History The school was founded by the World War II German refug ...

Stockbridge, Massachusetts Stockbridge is a town in Berkshire County in Western Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,018 at the 2020 census. A year-round resort area, Stockbridge is h ...

, at which point he abandoned the instrument because the school did not have a music program.Jung, Fred.
A Fireside Chat With Billy Bang
, AllAboutJazz.com, published November 14, 2003, accessed July 17, 2007. He had difficulty adjusting to life at the school, where he encountered racism and developed confusion about his identity, which he later blamed for his onset of

schizophrenia Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by continuous or relapsing episodes of psychosis. Major symptoms include hallucinations (typically hearing voices), delusions, and disorganized thinking. Other symptoms include social withdra ...

. Bang felt that he had little in common with the largely privileged children at the school, who included Jackie Robinson, Jr. (son of baseball star

Jackie Robinson Jack Roosevelt Robinson (January 31, 1919 – October 24, 1972) was an American professional baseball player who became the first African American to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the modern era. Robinson broke the baseball color line ...

) and Arlo Guthrie, and he struggled to reconcile the disparity between the wealth of the school and the poverty of his home in New York. He left the school after two years and attended a school in the Bronx. He did not graduate, decided not to return to school after receiving his draft papers, and at the age of 18, he was drafted into the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

.Redwine, Nancy.
Big Bang Theory
",

The Santa-Cruz Sentinel The ''Santa Cruz Sentinel'' is a daily newspaper published in Santa Cruz, California, covering Santa Cruz County, California, and owned by Media News Group. Ottaway Community Newspapers, a division of Dow Jones & Company bought the paper in 1982 ...

, published November 11, 2004, accessed July 17, 2007. Bang spent six months in

basic training Military recruit training, commonly known as basic training or boot camp, refers to the initial instruction of new military personnel. It is a physically and psychologically intensive process, which resocializes its subjects for the unique deman ...

and another two weeks learning jungle warfare, arriving in

South Vietnam South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam ( vi, Việt Nam Cộng hòa), was a state in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975, the period when the southern portion of Vietnam was a member of the Western Bloc during part of th ...

just before the

Tet Offensive The Tet Offensive was a major escalation and one of the largest military campaigns of the Vietnam War. It was launched on January 30, 1968 by forces of the Viet Cong (VC) and North Vietnamese People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) against the forces o ...

. Starting out as an

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...

man, he did one tour of combat duty, rising to the rank of

sergeant Sergeant (abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other uni ...

before he mustered out. After Bang returned from the war, his life lacked direction. The job he had held before the army had been filled in his absence. He pursued and then abandoned a law degree, before becoming politically active and falling in with an underground group of revolutionaries. The group recognized Bang's knowledge of weapons from his time in the Army, and they used him to procure firearms for the group during trips to

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

and

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

, buying from pawnshops and other small operators who did not conduct extensive background checks. During one of these trips, Bang spotted three violins hanging at the back of a pawnshop, and he impulsively purchased one. He later joined Sun Ra's band. In 1977, Bang co-founded the

String Trio of New York The String Trio of New York is an American jazz chamber ensemble. The group was founded in 1977, by bassist John Lindberg, violinist Billy Bang, and guitarist James Emery. Though they initially worked on improvisational playing and on their ow ...

(with guitarist James Emery and double bassist John Lindberg). Billy Bang explored his experience in Vietnam in two albums: ''Vietnam: The Aftermath'' (2001) and ''Vietnam: Reflections'' (2005), recorded with a band which included several other veterans of that war. The latter album also features two Vietnamese musicians based in the United States (voice and ''

đàn tranh The ''đàn tranh'' (, ) or ''đàn thập lục''Le, Tuan Hung. Dan Tranh Music of Vietnam : Traditions and Innovations. Melbourne, Tokyo : Australia Asia Foundation, 1998. (hard back); (paperback), page 1 is a plucked zither of Vietnam, bas ...

'' zither). Bang died on April 11, 2011. According to an associate, Bang had had lung cancer. He had been scheduled to perform on the opening day of the Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival on June 10, 2011. He is buried at Woodlawn Cemetery, Bronx, New York.

Discography

As leader

* 1977: ''Black Man's Blues'' (& Survival Ensemble) (Unissued NoBusiness 2011) * 1978: ''New York Collage'' (& Survival Ensemble) (Anima Recs reissued as NoBusiness 2011) * 1979: ''Distinction Without a Difference'' ( hat Hut) * 1979: ''Sweet Space'' (Anima) * 1981: ''

Rainbow Gladiator ''Rainbow Gladiator'' is an album by the American jazz violinist Billy Bang recorded in 1981 and released on the Italian Soul Note label.

'' (

Soul Note Black Saint and Soul Note are two affiliated Italian independent record labels. Since their conception in the 1970s, they have released albums from a variety of influential jazz musicians, particularly in the genre of free jazz. History Black S ...

) * 1981: ''Changing Seasons'' (Bellows) * 1982: '' Invitation'' (Soul Note) * 1982: ''Bangception, Willisau 1982'' (hatOLOGY) * 1982: ''Live at Green Space'' (Anima) * 1983: ''Outline No. 12'' ( Celluloid) * 1983: ''Bangception'' (Hat Hut) * 1984: ''

The Fire from Within ''The Fire from Within'' is an album by the American jazz violinist Billy Bang, recorded in 1984 and released on the Italian Soul Note label.

'' (Soul Note) * 1986: '' Live at Carlos 1'' (Soul Note) * 1991: ''

Valve No. 10 ''Valve No. 10'' is an album by the American jazz violinist Billy Bang recorded in 1988 and released on the Italian Soul Note label.

'' (Soul Note) * 1992: '' A Tribute to Stuff Smith'' (Soul Note) * 1996: ''Spirits Gathering'' ( CIMP) * 1997: ''Bang On!'' ( Justin Time) * 1997: ''Commandment'' (No More) * 1999: ''Big Bang Theory'' (Justin Time) * 2001: ''Vietnam: The Aftermath'' (Justin Time) * 2003: ''Hip Hop Bebop'' (ITM) * 2004: ''Vietnam: Reflections'' (Justin Time) * 2005: ''

Configuration Configuration or configurations may refer to: Computing * Computer configuration or system configuration * Configuration file, a software file used to configure the initial settings for a computer program * Configurator, also known as choice board ...

'' ( Silkheart) with Sirone * 2007: ''Above and Beyond: An Evening in Grand Rapids'' (Justin Time) * 2008: ''Live at the Sunset'', FAB trio (Fonda/Altschul/Bang) (

Marge Marge is a feminine given name, a shortened form of Marjorie, Margot or Margaret (name), Margaret. Notable Marges include: People *Marge (cartoonist) (1904–1993), pen name of Marjorie Henderson Buell, American cartoonist *Marge Anderson (1932� ...

) * 2009: ''Four Seasons - East meets West'' (Heart Lord Studio, Japan) * 2010: ''Prayer for Peace'' (TUM) * 2013: ''Da Bang!'' (TUM) With the

* ''

First String ''First String'' is the debut album by American jazz group the String Trio of New York recorded in 1979 for the Italian Black Saint/Soul Note, Black Saint label.

'' (Black Saint, 1979) * ''

Area Code 212 Area is the quantity that expresses the extent of a region on the plane or on a curved surface. The area of a plane region or ''plane area'' refers to the area of a shape or planar lamina, while '' surface area'' refers to the area of an open s ...

'' (Black Saint, 1980) * ''

Common Goal ''Common Goal'' is the third album by American jazz group the String Trio of New York recorded in 1981 for the Italian Black Saint label.

'' (Black Saint, 1983) * '' Rebirth of a Feeling'' (Black Saint, 1983) * ''

Natural Balance Natural Balance may refer to: * Natural Balance Pet Foods, an American pet food manufacturer * Natural Balance (album) ''Natural Balance'' is the fifth album by American jazz group the String Trio of New York recorded in 1986 for the Italian Blac ...

'' (Black Saint, 1986)

As sideman

With

Ahmed Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah (born Leroy Bland; May 10, 1946) is an American jazz trumpeter who was a prominent member of Sun Ra's band. Biography He began playing the trumpet at age 13 in his native New York City. One of the first groups he performed with wa ...

* ''Tara's Song'' * ''

Traveling the Spaceways ''Traveling the Spaceways'' is an album by trumpeter Ahmed Abdullah. A tribute to his former employer, Sun Ra, it was recorded on February 27, 2004, at Clinton Studios in New York City, and was released later that year by Planet Arts Records. On t ...

'' (Planet Arts, 2004) With

Marilyn Crispell Marilyn Crispell (born March 30, 1947) is an American jazz pianist and composer. Scott Yanow described her as "a powerful player... who has her own way of using space... She is near the top of her field." Jon Pareles of The New York Times wrot ...

* ''

Spirit Music ''Spirit Music'' is a live album by pianist Marilyn Crispell. It was recorded at New York University and Soundscape in New York City in May 1981 and January 1982, and was released in 1983 by Cadence Jazz Records. On the album, Crispell is joined ...

'' (Cadence, 1983) With

Kahil El'Zabar Kahil El'Zabar (born Clifton Blackburn; November 11, 1953) is an American jazz multi-instrumentalist (mainly a Percussion instrument, percussionist) and composer. He regularly records for Delmark Records. Life and work El'Zabar was born in Chica ...

* ''

Big Cliff ''Big Cliff'' is an album by American jazz percussionist Kahil El'Zabar and his Ritual Trio, which also includes saxophonist Ari Brown and bassist Malachi Favors, and the guest appearance of violinist Billy Bang. It was recorded live in 1994 at t ...

'' ( Delmark, 1995) * ''The Power'' (CIMP, 2000) * ''

Spirits Entering ''Spirits Entering'' is an album by percussionist Kahil El'Zabar and violinist Billy Bang. It was recorded during May 1998 at Riverside Studio in Chicago, and was released in 2001 by Delmark Records. Reception In a review for AllMusic, Alex Hende ...

'' (Delmark, 2001) * ''If You Believe...'' (8th Harmonic Breakdown, 2002) * ''

Live at the River East Art Center ''Live at the River East Art Center'' is a live album by Kahil El'Zabar's Ritual Trio, with special guest violinist Billy Bang, that was recorded in Chicago in 2004 and released on the Delmark label.Big M: A Tribute to Malachi Favors'' (Delmark, 2006) With The Group (

, Marion Brown, Bang, Sirone, Fred Hopkins, Andrew Cyrille) * ''

Live Live may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Live!'' (2007 film), 2007 American film * ''Live'' (2014 film), a 2014 Japanese film *'' ''Live'' (Apocalyptica DVD) Music *Live (band), American alternative rock band * List of albums ...

'' (recorded in 1986, issued in 2012 by NoBusiness Records) With William Hooker * ''Joy (Within)!'' (1995) With John Lindberg * '' Dimension 5'' (Black Saint, 1981) With William Parker * '' Through Acceptance of the Mystery Peace'' (Centering, 1980) * '' Scrapbook'' ( Thirsty Ear, 2003) * ''

Wood Flute Songs ''Wood Flute Songs'' (subtitled ''Anthology/Live 2006–2012'') is an eight-CD box set by bassist and composer William Parker which was recorded in California in 2006, Houston in 2007, Geneva and Montreal in 2011and New York in 2009 and 2012, and ...

'' ( AUM Fidelity, 2013) With

World Saxophone Quartet The World Saxophone Quartet is an American jazz ensemble founded in 1977, incorporating elements of free jazz, R&B, funk and South African jazz into their music. The original members were Julius Hemphill (alto and soprano saxophone, flute), ...

* ''

Experience Experience refers to conscious events in general, more specifically to perceptions, or to the practical knowledge and familiarity that is produced by these conscious processes. Understood as a conscious event in the widest sense, experience involv ...

'' (2004)

References

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

''
Billy Bang
bio from

Justin Time Records Justin Time Records is a Canadian record company and independent record label founded in Montreal by Jim West. It was established in 1983 and specialises in jazz and blues. Although Justin Time initially recorded Canadian musicians such as Olive ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bang, Billy 1947 births 2011 deaths American jazz violinists American male violinists United States Army personnel of the Vietnam War Avant-garde jazz composers Avant-garde jazz violinists CIMP artists Free jazz composers Free jazz violinists Musicians from Mobile, Alabama 20th-century American violinists Burials at Woodlawn Cemetery (Bronx, New York) Electric violinists Jazz musicians from Alabama Male jazz composers 20th-century American male musicians String Trio of New York members Justin Time Records artists Deaths from lung cancer in New York (state) United States Army non-commissioned officers NoBusiness Records artists

Biography

Discography

As leader

As sideman

References

External links