Johnny Williams (bass player)

John "Johnny" Williams Jr. (born March 13, 1908 in Memphis (Tennessee) , † October 13, 1998 in New York City ) was an American jazz bassist.

Live and act

Williams first learned the violin , but switched to the tuba during high school . In the early 1930s he was tuba player, eventually bass player in Territory bands in the southern United States. In 1936 he moved to New York, where he took part in recordings of Red Allen (1936/37) and played in the Mills Blue Rhythm Band in 1937/38 . He also recorded with Buster Bailey in late 1938 and worked briefly with Benny Carter . In early 1939 he began working with Billie Holiday ( That's All I Asked Of You ) in the Teddy Wilson Orchestra. He has also given concerts with Frankie Newton at the Café Society . Further recordings were made with Harry James , James P. Johnson , JC Higginbotham , the Port of Harlem Jazzmen , Frankie Newton and Sidney Bechet .

He played in the bands of Coleman Hawkins and Louis Armstrong (1941) in the early 1940s . In the Teddy Wilson sextet he appeared in the Soundie Boogie Woogie Dream (1941). Until the beginning of 1944 he played with Wilson in the Café Society , then with his bandmate Edmond Hall , with whose band he performed at Carnegie Hall in February 1947 . After the Edmond Hall band broke up, he played with Tab Smith in the Savoy Ballroom until 1953 , then with Johnny Hodges (1952-55). In the following years he was no longer active as a full-time musician. In 1968 he toured France with Buddy Tate . He worked with Red Richards frequently in the 1970s . He also toured with Bob Greene's concert program The World of Jelly Roll Morton from 1978 to 1982 and toured with the Harlem Blues and Jazz Band from 1978 to June 1998 before a stroke ended his career.

Web links

• Johnny Williams at Discogs (English)