Claude Berkeley Williamson (November 18, 1926 – July 16, 2016) was an American jazz pianist.
Williamson was born in
Brattleboro, Vermont
Brattleboro (), originally Brattleborough, is a town in Windham County, Vermont, United States. The most populous municipality abutting Vermont's eastern border with New Hampshire, which is the Connecticut River, Brattleboro is located about ...
, United States. He studied at the
New England Conservatory of Music
The New England Conservatory of Music (NEC) is a private music school in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the oldest independent music conservatory in the United States and among the most prestigious in the world. The conservatory is located on H ...
before moving to jazz, influenced mainly by
Teddy Wilson
Theodore Shaw Wilson (November 24, 1912 – July 31, 1986) was an American jazz pianist. Described by critic Scott Yanow as "the definitive swing pianist", Wilson had a sophisticated, elegant style. His work was featured on the records of many ...
, then by
Al Haig
Alan Warren Haig (July 19, 1922 – November 16, 1982) was an American jazz pianist, best known as one of the pioneers of bebop.
Biography
Haig was born in Newark, New Jersey and raised in nearby Nutley. In 1940, he majored in piano at Obe ...
and Bud Powell. In 1947, he moved to California, working first with
Teddy Edwards
Theodore Marcus Edwards (April 26, 1924 – April 20, 2003) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist.
Biography
Edwards was born in Jackson, Mississippi, United States. He learned to play at a very early age, first on alto saxophone and the ...
, then with
Red Norvo
Red Norvo (born Kenneth Norville; March 31, 1908 – April 6, 1999) was an American musician, one of jazz's early vibraphonists, known as "Mr. Swing". He helped establish the xylophone, marimba, and vibraphone as jazz instruments. His reco ...
in San Francisco, with
Charlie Barnet
Charles Daly Barnet (October 26, 1913 – September 4, 1991) was an American jazz saxophonist, composer, and bandleader.
His major recordings were "Skyliner", " Cherokee", "The Wrong Idea", "Scotch and Soda", "In a Mizz", and "Southland Shuffl ...
in 1949, and with June Christy for two years. Later he worked with
Max Roach
Maxwell Lemuel Roach (January 10, 1924 – August 16, 2007) was an American jazz drummer and composer. A pioneer of bebop, he worked in many other styles of music, and is generally considered one of the most important drummers in history. He work ...
Bud Shank
Clifford Everett "Bud" Shank Jr. (May 27, 1926 – April 2, 2009) was an American alto saxophonist and flautist. He rose to prominence in the early 1950s playing lead alto and flute in Stan Kenton's Innovations in Modern Music Orchestra and thro ...
Conte Candoli
Secondo "Conte" Candoli (July 12, 1927 – December 14, 2001) was an American jazz trumpeter based on the West Coast. He played in the big bands of Woody Herman, Stan Kenton, Benny Goodman, and Dizzy Gillespie, and in Doc Severinsen's NBC Orc ...
and
Howard Rumsey
Howard Rumsey (November 7, 1917 – July 15, 2015) was an American jazz double-bassist known for his leadership of the Lighthouse All-Stars in the 1950s.
Biography
Born in Brawley, California, United States, Rumsey first began playing the piano ...
. In 1956, he became the piano player in the
Bud Shank
Clifford Everett "Bud" Shank Jr. (May 27, 1926 – April 2, 2009) was an American alto saxophonist and flautist. He rose to prominence in the early 1950s playing lead alto and flute in Stan Kenton's Innovations in Modern Music Orchestra and thro ...
quartet. In 1968, he started working as a pianist for
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
, first on ''
The Andy Williams Show
''The Andy Williams Show'' was an American television variety show that ran from 1962 to 1971 (alternating during the summer of 1970 with ''Andy Williams Presents Ray Stevens'')Tim Brooks and Earle Marsh, ''The Complete Directory to Prime Time N ...
'', then for
Sonny and Cher
Sonny & Cher were an American pop and entertainment duo in the 1960s and 1970s, made up of husband and wife Sonny Bono and Cher. The couple started their career in the mid-1960s as R&B backing singers for record producer Phil Spector.
The pair f ...
. In 1978, Williamson went back to the jazz world and released many albums, mainly for Japanese labels, often accompanied by Sam Jones and
Roy Haynes
Roy Owen Haynes (born March 13, 1925) is an American jazz drummer. He is among the most recorded drummers in jazz. In a career lasting over 80 years, he has played swing, bebop, jazz fusion, avant-garde jazz and is considered a pioneer of jaz ...
. In 1995 he made a trio recording for
Fresh Sound Records
Fresh Sound, or Fresh Sound New Talent, is a jazz record label established in Barcelona, Spain, by Jordi Pujol. The label was initially founded as a reissue label.
The catalog includes work by musicians both major and minor that was recorded be ...
at the Jazz Bakery in Los Angeles.
His younger brother was trumpeter
Stu Williamson
Stu Williamson (May 14, 1933 – October 1, 1991) was an American jazz trumpeter and valve trombonist. Born in Brattleboro, Vermont, Williamson was the younger brother of jazz pianist Claude Williamson.
In 1949, he moved to Los Angeles, wh ...
(1933–1991).
He died on July 16, 2016, at the age of 89.
Bethlehem
Bethlehem (; ar, بيت لحم ; he, בֵּית לֶחֶם '' '') is a city in the central West Bank, Palestine, about south of Jerusalem. Its population is approximately 25,000,Amara, 1999p. 18.Brynen, 2000p. 202. and it is the capital o ...
)
* 1956 ''Claude Williamson'' (Bethlehem) (re-released under title ''Have Piano Can't Travel'' by Starday-King Records)
* 1958 ''Claude Williamson Mulls the Mulligan Scene'' (Criterion)
* 1958 ''In Italy'' (Broadway International)
* 1961 ''The Fabulous Claude Williamson Trio'' (3D)
* 1962 ''Theatre Party'' (Contract)
* 1977 ''Stella by Starlight'' (Interplay)
* 1978 ''Blues in Front'' ( Storyville)
* 1979 ''La Fiesta''
* 1981 ''Holography'' (Interplay)
* 1981 ''New Departure'' (Interplay)
* 1981 ''Tribute to Bud'' (
Eastworld
Eastworld is a Japanese jazz and pop music record label owned by EMI Music Japan (former Toshiba-EMI), under Universal Music Group.
Artists
*Minako Honda
*Jennifer Connelly
*Marvin Peterson
*Original Love
*RC Succession
*Sadistic Mika Band
* San ...
)
* 1983 ''Claude Reigns'' (Interplay)
* 1987 ''Live! "The Sermon"'' (Fresh Sound)
* 1988 ''Standards'' (Interplay)
* 1990 ''Memories of West Coast'' (Interplay)
* 1990 ''Standards, Vol. 2'' (Interplay)
* 1991 ''As Time Goes By'' (Interplay)
* 1992 ''South of the Border, West of the Sun'' (
Venus
Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is sometimes called Earth's "sister" or "twin" planet as it is almost as large and has a similar composition. As an interior planet to Earth, Venus (like Mercury) appears in Earth's sky never f ...
)
* 1995 ''Hallucinations'' (VSOP)
* 1995 ''Live at the Jazz Bakery'' (Fresh Sound)
* 2001 ''Collaboration 93'' (Interplay)
* 2002 ''Song for My Father'' (
Venus
Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is sometimes called Earth's "sister" or "twin" planet as it is almost as large and has a similar composition. As an interior planet to Earth, Venus (like Mercury) appears in Earth's sky never f ...
Pony Canyon
, also known by the shorthand form , is a Japanese mass media publishing company founded on October 1, 1966. The company publishes mainly physical home media on compact discs, including music, films and TV shows and video games. It is affi ...
)
* 2006 ''Claude Williamson Trio'' (
EMI
EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British Transnational corporation, transnational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in March 1 ...
)
* 2008 ''Cleopatra's Dream'' (M&I)
With Chet Baker
* ''
Witch Doctor
A witch doctor (also spelled witch-doctor) was originally a type of healer who treated ailments believed to be caused by witchcraft. The term is now more commonly used to refer to healers, particularly in regions which use traditional healing ...
'' (
Contemporary
Contemporary history, in English-language historiography, is a subset of modern history that describes the historical period from approximately 1945 to the present. Contemporary history is either a subset of the late modern period, or it is o ...
, 1953
985
Year 985 ( CMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Europe
* Summer – Henry II (the Wrangler) is restored as duke of Bavaria by Empress Theoph ...
World Pacific
Pacific Jazz Records was a Los Angeles-based record company and label best known for cool jazz or West coast jazz. It was founded in 1952 by producer Richard Bock (1927–1988) and drummer Roy Harte (1924–2003). Harte, in 1954, also co-founded ...
Jam Session featuring Maynard Ferguson
''Jam Session featuring Maynard Ferguson'' is an album by Canadian jazz trumpeter Maynard Ferguson featuring tracks recorded in early 1954 and released on the EmArcy label.EmArcy, 1954)
With
Stan Kenton
Stanley Newcomb Kenton (December 15, 1911 – August 25, 1979) was an American popular music and jazz artist. As a pianist, composer, arranger and band leader, he led an innovative and influential jazz orchestra for almost four decades. Though K ...
Capitol
A capitol, named after the Capitoline Hill in Rome, is usually a legislative building where a legislature meets and makes laws for its respective political entity.
Specific capitols include:
* United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.
* Numerous ...
Kessel Plays Standards
''Kessel Plays Standards'' (subtitled ''Barney Kessel Volume 2'') is an album by guitarist Barney Kessel released on the Contemporary label and featuring eight tracks originally released on the ''Barney Kessel Volume 2'' 10-inch album which were r ...
'' (Contemporary, 1954)
* ''
Music to Listen to Barney Kessel By
''Music to Listen to Barney Kessel By'' is an album by guitarist Barney Kessel recorded at sessions in 1956 and released on the Contemporary Records, Contemporary label.
'' (Contemporary, 1956)
With
Gerry Mulligan
Gerald Joseph Mulligan (April 6, 1927 – January 20, 1996), also known as Jeru, was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, composer and arranger. Though primarily known as one of the leading jazz baritone saxophonists—playing the instrum ...
and
Johnny Hodges
Cornelius "Johnny" Hodges (July 25, 1907 – May 11, 1970) was an American alto saxophonist, best known for solo work with Duke Ellington's big band. He played lead alto in the saxophone section for many years. Hodges was also featured on soprano ...
Ted Curson
Theodore Curson (June 3, 1935 – November 4, 2012) was an American jazz trumpeter.
Life and career
Curson was born in Philadelphia. He became interested in playing trumpet after watching a newspaper salesman play a silver trumpet. Curson's fath ...
Pete Rugolo
Pietro "Pete" Rugolo (December 25, 1915 – October 16, 2011) was an American jazz composer, arranger and record producer.
Life and career
Rugolo was born in San Piero Patti, Sicily. His family emigrated to the United States in 1920 and settle ...
* ''
Introducing Pete Rugolo
''Introducing Pete Rugolo'' is an album by bandleader, composer, arranger and conductor Pete Rugolo featuring performances recorded in 1954 and released on the Columbia label, initially as a 10-inch LP, then with an additional four tracks as a 12- ...
Rugolomania
''Rugolomania'' is an album by composer, arranger and conductor Pete Rugolo, featuring performances recorded in 1954 and 1955 and released on the Columbia label.Minn, MMaynard Ferguson Discographyaccessed October 6, 2016Smith, P. GJulius Watkins ...
958
Year 958 ( CMLVIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Byzantine Empire
* October / November – Battle of Raban: The Byzantines under John Tzimiskes ...
* ''
Rugolo Plays Kenton
''Rugolo Plays Kenton'' (subtitled ''The Pete Rugolo Orchestra Plays Compositions Introduced by Stan Kenton'') is an album by composer, arranger and conductor Pete Rugolo featuring performances of tunes associated with Stan Kenton recorded in 1958 ...
'' (EmArcy, 1958)
* ''
10 Trombones Like 2 Pianos
''10 Trombones Like 2 Pianos'' is an album by composer, arranger and conductor Pete Rugolo featuring performances recorded in 1960 and first released on the Mercury label as part of its audiophile Perfect Presence Sound Series.
Reception
The Al ...
'' (Mercury, 1960)
With
Bud Shank
Clifford Everett "Bud" Shank Jr. (May 27, 1926 – April 2, 2009) was an American alto saxophonist and flautist. He rose to prominence in the early 1950s playing lead alto and flute in Stan Kenton's Innovations in Modern Music Orchestra and thro ...
Pacific Jazz
Pacific Jazz Records was a Los Angeles-based record company and label best known for cool jazz or West coast jazz. It was founded in 1952 by producer Richard Bock (1927–1988) and drummer Roy Harte (1924–2003). Harte, in 1954, also co-founded ...
Bud Shank Plays Tenor
''Bud Shank Plays Tenor'' is an album by saxophonist Bud Shank recorded in late 1957 for the Pacific Jazz label.960
Year 960 ( CMLX) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Byzantine Empire
* Summer – Siege of Chandax: A Byzantine fleet with an expeditionary force (co ...
* ''
Blowin' Country
''Blowin' Country'' is an album by saxophonists Bud Shank and Bob Cooper released on the World Pacific label.
All Music
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 ...