"interpretation of the entire history of jazz in one piece of music"

November 20, 2024 1:42 AM

April this year saw the premiere of History… by Mary Lou Williams, completed forty years posthumously by composer Anthony Kelley [transcript]. Williams grew up in Pittsburgh, was instrumental shaping the sound of 1940s big bands and later bebop, for instance writing In the Land of Oo-Bla-Dee. She went on to release celebrated solo albums, such as Black Christ of the Andes, and larger compositions, including The Zodiac Suite and Mary Lou's Mass. She was at the height of her fame when she died in 1981, having performed in the White House and taught Mr. Rogers to scat. History… was premiered by the Duke Wind Symphony.
posted by Kattullus (7 comments total)

Mary Lou Williams embodies the history of jazz. She was there at the beginning. I remember being in a record store on Cape Cod and the owner of the store announcing the news of her passing.
posted by DJZouke at 5:06 AM on November 20, 2024 [3 favorites]

My brain isn't working right this morning - is there a timecode for where the Williams piece begins on the Duke video?
posted by queensissy at 10:03 AM on November 20, 2024

The “premiered by the Duke Wind Symphony” link should go to the right timecode, but if not it’s 1:52:00, or thereabouts.
posted by Kattullus at 10:56 AM on November 20, 2024 [1 favorite]

Oh, that was wonderful. Thank you!
posted by queensissy at 11:47 AM on November 20, 2024 [1 favorite]

It doesn't look like this was appreciated on a level commensurate with the sublime nature of the music. Thanks, Kattalus, for posting this: it's truly on another level.
posted by ivanthenotsoterrible at 12:52 PM on November 20, 2024 [2 favorites]

Mod note: The phrase "taught Mr. Roger to scat" has been changed to "taught Mr. Rogers to scat"

Also removed a comment that seemed to have been posted here accidentally.
posted by Brandon Blatcher (staff) at 3:59 PM on December 9, 2024 [1 favorite]

She's in that picture! The... hang on... "A Great Day in Harlem" ... the NYTimes just had a thing about it - as Sonny Rollins is the only living subject of it left - and I kept puzzling over who she was and just now the penny dropped. Jazz is a whole ocean of expression: you think you know the shores and then it turns out you're still far far from it
posted by From Bklyn at 1:12 PM on December 10, 2024 [1 favorite]