Davey J. Williams (1952,
York, Alabama
York is a city in Sumter County, Alabama, United States. Founded around 1838 after the merging of two communities, Old Anvil and New York Station, the latter a station on a stagecoach line. The rail came through in the 1850s and later, the "New ...
– April 5, 2019) was an American
free improvisation
Free improvisation or free music is improvised music without any rules beyond the logic or inclination of the musician(s) involved. The term can refer to both a technique (employed by any musician in any genre) and as a recognizable genre in it ...
and
avant-garde music
Avant-garde music is music that is considered to be at the forefront of innovation in its field, with the term "avant-garde" implying a critique of existing aesthetic conventions, rejection of the status quo in favor of unique or original eleme ...
guitarist. In addition to his solo work, he was noted for his membership in
Curlew
The curlews () are a group of nine species of birds in the genus ''Numenius'', characterised by their long, slender, downcurved bills and mottled brown plumage. The English name is imitative of the Eurasian curlew's call, but may have been in ...
and his collaborations with
LaDonna Smith
LaDonna Smith (born 1951) is an American avant garde musician from Alabama. She is a violinist, violist, and pianist. Since 1974 she has been performing free improvisational music with musicians such as Davey Williams, Leland Davis, Michael Evans ...
.
Biography
Williams began playing guitar when he was 12. He played in rock bands in high school, and studied with
blues musician
Johnny Shines
John Ned Shines (April 26, 1915 – April 20, 1992) was an American blues singer and guitarist.
Biography
Shines was born in the community of Frayser, in Memphis, Tennessee. He was taught to play the guitar by his mother and spent most of ...
from the late 1960s until 1971. In the early 1970s Williams played in the
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama (informally known as Alabama, UA, or Bama) is a public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of Alabama is the oldest and largest of the publi ...
B Jazz Ensemble and the Salt & Pepper Soul Band. He also started working with
LaDonna Smith
LaDonna Smith (born 1951) is an American avant garde musician from Alabama. She is a violinist, violist, and pianist. Since 1974 she has been performing free improvisational music with musicians such as Davey Williams, Leland Davis, Michael Evans ...
around this time, and founded a musical ensemble and recording project called
Transmuseq. He toured the U.S. and Europe in 1978. In the early 1980s he worked in a blues band called
Trains in Trouble
In rail transport, a train (from Old French , from Latin , "to pull, to draw") is a series of connected vehicles that run along a railway track and Passenger train, transport people or Rail freight transport, freight. Trains are typically pul ...
. In 1986 Williams joined
Curlew
The curlews () are a group of nine species of birds in the genus ''Numenius'', characterised by their long, slender, downcurved bills and mottled brown plumage. The English name is imitative of the Eurasian curlew's call, but may have been in ...
, who released several albums on
Cuneiform Records
Cuneiform Records is a record label in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Founded in 1984, the label releases an mixture of musical styles, all with a Rock in Opposition aesthetic, including progressive jazz, jazz fusion, the Canterbury scene, and electr ...
in the 1990s.
In the 1980s he also worked with
Col. Bruce Hampton and
OK, Nurse, and in the early 1990s played in a
punk rock band called
Fuzzy Sons. Williams played in an improvisational three-piece called Say What?, and worked with
Jim Staley
Jim or JIM may refer to:
* Jim (given name), a given name
* Jim, a diminutive form of the given name James
* Jim, a short form of the given name Jimmy
* OPCW-UN Joint Investigative Mechanism
* ''Jim'' (comics), a series by Jim Woodring
* ''Jim' ...
and
Ikue Mori
(born 17 December 1953), also known as Ikue Ile, is a drummer, electronic musician, composer, and graphic designer. Mori was awarded a "Genius grant" from the MacArthur Foundation in 2022.
Biography
Ikue Mori was born and raised in Japan. She s ...
. Williams appeared live at some 1,500 concerts worldwide.
Williams co-founded ''The Improviser'', a journal of experimental music, in 1981. He also worked as a music critic for the ''
Birmingham News
''The Birmingham News'' is the principal newspaper for Birmingham, Alabama, United States. The paper is owned by Advance Publications and was a daily newspaper from its founding through September 30, 2012. After that day, the ''News'' and its two ...
'' and published freelance criticism elsewhere.
Williams died in
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Birmingham is the seat of Jefferson County, Alabama's most populous county. As of the 2021 census estimates, Birmingham had a population of 197,575, down 1% fr ...
on April 5, 2019, from cancer.
Discography
*''Trans'' with
LaDonna Smith
LaDonna Smith (born 1951) is an American avant garde musician from Alabama. She is a violinist, violist, and pianist. Since 1974 she has been performing free improvisational music with musicians such as Davey Williams, Leland Davis, Michael Evans ...
,
Theodore Bowen
Theodore may refer to:
Places
* Theodore, Alabama, United States
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* Theodore, Saskatchewan, Canada
* Theodore Reservoir, a lake in Saskatche ...
,
Timothy Reed,
Jim Hearon
Jim or JIM may refer to:
* Jim (given name), a given name
* Jim, a diminutive form of the given name James
* Jim, a short form of the given name Jimmy
* OPCW-UN Joint Investigative Mechanism
* ''Jim'' (comics), a series by Jim Woodring
* ''Jim'' ...
,
ransMuseq1977
*Raudelunas Pataphysical Revue
ay Day Bew
Ay, AY or variants, may refer to:
People
* Ay (pharaoh), a pharaoh of the 18th Egyptian dynasty
* Merneferre Ay, a pharaoh of the 13th Egyptian dynasty
* A.Y. (musician) (born 1981), a Tanzanian "bongo flava" artist
* A.Y, stage name of Ayo Ma ...
1979
*''Folk Music'',
LaDonna Smith
LaDonna Smith (born 1951) is an American avant garde musician from Alabama. She is a violinist, violist, and pianist. Since 1974 she has been performing free improvisational music with musicians such as Davey Williams, Leland Davis, Michael Evans ...
,
Ted Bowen,
ransMuseq1978
*''Jewels'' with
Anne LeBaron
Alice Anne LeBaron (b. Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States, May 30, 1953) is a United States composer and harpist.
Anne LeBaron holds a B.A. in music from the University of Alabama (1974), an M.A. in music from the State University of New Yo ...
,
LaDonna Smith
LaDonna Smith (born 1951) is an American avant garde musician from Alabama. She is a violinist, violist, and pianist. Since 1974 she has been performing free improvisational music with musicians such as Davey Williams, Leland Davis, Michael Evans ...
,
ransMuseq1979
*''Two Thousand Statues''
ohn Zorn Ohn is a Burmese name, used by people from Myanmar. Notable people with the name include:
* Daw Ohn (1913–2003), Burmese professor in Pali
* Ohn Gyaw (born 1932), Burmese Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1991 to 1998
* Ohn Kyaing (born 1944), Bu ...
-''The English Channel''
ugene Chadbourne
UGENE is computer software for bioinformatics. It works on personal computer operating systems such as Windows, macOS, or Linux. It is released as free and open-source software, under a GNU General Public License (GPL) version 2.
UGENE helps biolo ...
1977-1978
*School
ohn Zorn Ohn is a Burmese name, used by people from Myanmar. Notable people with the name include:
* Daw Ohn (1913–2003), Burmese professor in Pali
* Ohn Gyaw (born 1932), Burmese Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1991 to 1998
* Ohn Kyaing (born 1944), Bu ...
with
LaDonna Smith
LaDonna Smith (born 1951) is an American avant garde musician from Alabama. She is a violinist, violist, and pianist. Since 1974 she has been performing free improvisational music with musicians such as Davey Williams, Leland Davis, Michael Evans ...
,
Eugene Chadbourne
Eugene Chadbourne (born January 4, 1954) is an American banjoist, guitarist and music critic.
Life and career
Chadbourne was born in Mount Vernon, New York, but grew up in Boulder, Colorado. He started playing guitar when he was eleven or twe ...
arachute1979
*''Velocities'' with
LaDonna Smith
LaDonna Smith (born 1951) is an American avant garde musician from Alabama. She is a violinist, violist, and pianist. Since 1974 she has been performing free improvisational music with musicians such as Davey Williams, Leland Davis, Michael Evans ...
,
Andrea Centazzo
Andrea Centazzo (born 1948) is an Italian-born American composer, percussionist, multimedia artist and record label founder.
Music career
Centazzo was born in Udine, Italy. In the 1970s he played percussion in avant-garde jazz with John Zorn, ...
, 1979
*''Direct Waves'' with
LaDonna Smith
LaDonna Smith (born 1951) is an American avant garde musician from Alabama. She is a violinist, violist, and pianist. Since 1974 she has been performing free improvisational music with musicians such as Davey Williams, Leland Davis, Michael Evans ...
, 1980
*''USA Tour'' with
Andrea Centazzo
Andrea Centazzo (born 1948) is an Italian-born American composer, percussionist, multimedia artist and record label founder.
Music career
Centazzo was born in Udine, Italy. In the 1970s he played percussion in avant-garde jazz with John Zorn, ...
,
LaDonna Smith
LaDonna Smith (born 1951) is an American avant garde musician from Alabama. She is a violinist, violist, and pianist. Since 1974 she has been performing free improvisational music with musicians such as Davey Williams, Leland Davis, Michael Evans ...
,
ctus1980
*Ham Days with Udo Bergner, Herbert Janssen, Torsten Muller,
LaDonna Smith
LaDonna Smith (born 1951) is an American avant garde musician from Alabama. She is a violinist, violist, and pianist. Since 1974 she has been performing free improvisational music with musicians such as Davey Williams, Leland Davis, Michael Evans ...
remuco Records1981
*''Alchemical Rowdies'' with
LaDonna Smith
LaDonna Smith (born 1951) is an American avant garde musician from Alabama. She is a violinist, violist, and pianist. Since 1974 she has been performing free improvisational music with musicians such as Davey Williams, Leland Davis, Michael Evans ...
. Pippin Barnett, Danny Finney,
Paul Watson
Paul Franklin Watson (born December 2, 1950) is a Canadian-American conservation and environmental activist, who founded the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, an anti-poaching and direct action group focused on marine conservation activism. Th ...
,
ransMuseq 1982
*''White Earth Streak'' with
LaDonna Smith
LaDonna Smith (born 1951) is an American avant garde musician from Alabama. She is a violinist, violist, and pianist. Since 1974 she has been performing free improvisational music with musicians such as Davey Williams, Leland Davis, Michael Evans ...
,
Gunter Christmann
Gunter Christmann (23 April 1936 – 19 November 2013) was a German-born Australian painter.
Born in Berlin, Christmann emigrated to Australia in 1959. Regarded as a painter's painter, Christmann has been making abstract and figurative paint ...
,
ransMuseq1983
*Song of Aeropteryx, with
LaDonna Smith, Hal Rammel,
ransMuseq983
*''Criminal Pursuits'', solo guitar improvisations
ransMuseq1985
*''Locales for Ecstasy'' with
LaDonna Smith
LaDonna Smith (born 1951) is an American avant garde musician from Alabama. She is a violinist, violist, and pianist. Since 1974 she has been performing free improvisational music with musicians such as Davey Williams, Leland Davis, Michael Evans ...
, Cinnie Cole,
ransMuseq1987
*''Dix Improvisations'' with LaDonna Smith,
icto 1989
*''Travellers'' with
LaDonna Smith
LaDonna Smith (born 1951) is an American avant garde musician from Alabama. She is a violinist, violist, and pianist. Since 1974 she has been performing free improvisational music with musicians such as Davey Williams, Leland Davis, Michael Evans ...
ransMuseq1990
*''the Aerial #2,'' with
LaDonna Smith
LaDonna Smith (born 1951) is an American avant garde musician from Alabama. She is a violinist, violist, and pianist. Since 1974 she has been performing free improvisational music with musicians such as Davey Williams, Leland Davis, Michael Evans ...
on Sequitor
On, on, or ON may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Music
* On (band), a solo project of Ken Andrews
* ''On'' (EP), a 1993 EP by Aphex Twin
* ''On'' (Echobelly album), 1995
* ''On'' (Gary Glitter album), 2001
* ''On'' (Imperial Teen album), 20 ...
1990
*''Say What!'' with Steve Noble, Oren Marshall, 1992
*''Slide Crazy''
ky Ranch 1992*''Transmutating'' with
LaDonna Smith
LaDonna Smith (born 1951) is an American avant garde musician from Alabama. She is a violinist, violist, and pianist. Since 1974 she has been performing free improvisational music with musicians such as Davey Williams, Leland Davis, Michael Evans ...
,
ransMuseq1993
*''A Confederacy of Dances'', with
LaDonna Smith
LaDonna Smith (born 1951) is an American avant garde musician from Alabama. She is a violinist, violist, and pianist. Since 1974 she has been performing free improvisational music with musicians such as Davey Williams, Leland Davis, Michael Evans ...
instein Records1994
*''Northern Dancer'' with Jim Staley, Ikue Mori, 1996
*''Tarot or Aorta memories of a PRE festival'' with
LaDonna Smith
LaDonna Smith (born 1951) is an American avant garde musician from Alabama. She is a violinist, violist, and pianist. Since 1974 she has been performing free improvisational music with musicians such as Davey Williams, Leland Davis, Michael Evans ...
mackshire1996
*''I Scream''
oldplo-limited edition-atlanta1997
*''Charmed, I'm Sure''
cstatic Peace1997
*Carbon
able of the Elements
Able may refer to:
* Able (1920 automobile), a small French cyclecar
* Able (rocket stage), an upper stage for Vanguard, Atlas, and Thor rockets
* Able (surname)
* ABLE account, a savings plan for people with disabilities
* Able UK, British shi ...
1997
*''Texas Was Delicious'' (Megalon Records, 2000)
*''Humdinger''
Atavistic Records">nowiki/>Atavistic Records">Atavistic_Records.html" ;"title="nowiki/>Atavistic Records">nowiki/>Atavistic Records2001
*''Numb Right'' [Megalon] 2002
*Antenna Road
ransMuseq2008
*''Cooking With Dynamite!'' - Hawk Tubley & The Airtight Chiefs 2011
*''Halcyon Days'' with Andrea Centazzo,
LaDonna Smith
LaDonna Smith (born 1951) is an American avant garde musician from Alabama. She is a violinist, violist, and pianist. Since 1974 she has been performing free improvisational music with musicians such as Davey Williams, Leland Davis, Michael Evans ...
ctus2011
*''Sequana Sessions'' with
LaDonna Smith
LaDonna Smith (born 1951) is an American avant garde musician from Alabama. She is a violinist, violist, and pianist. Since 1974 she has been performing free improvisational music with musicians such as Davey Williams, Leland Davis, Michael Evans ...
ransMuseq2015
*''Fresh Dirt Submergence! Sympatica''
resh Dirt2016
*''More Requia, In Memory of Great Ancestors'' Henry Kaiser
etalanguage2020
References
*
Davey Williams
David Carlous Williams (November 2, 1927 – August 17, 2009) was an American professional baseball player and coach. During his Major League Baseball career, spent entirely with the New York Giants of the National League, the second baseman app ...
at
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 dat ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Davey
1952 births
2019 deaths
American experimental musicians
Curlew (band) members
Avant-garde guitarists
American experimental guitarists
Deaths from cancer in Alabama
Guitarists from Alabama
People from Sumter County, Alabama
Atavistic Records artists
Surrealist artists