BIOGRAPHY
Tony Williams, born Anthony Tillmon Williams on December 12, 1945, was an American jazz drummer, composer, producer and bandleader, best known as a pioneer of jazz fusion and widely regarded as one of the most important and influential jazz drummers to come to prominence in the 1960s.
As a young teenager, Tony Williams studied drums with legendary jazz drummer and educator, Alan Dawson. By the time Williams was sixteen he was working with saxophonist Sam Rivers. Tony became a household name by the time he was seventeen — jazz trumpeter, Miles Davis, hired Tony to play drums in his ensemble — one of the greatest, if not THE greatest, Miles Davis quintets of all time.
Williams was known for his impeccable timekeeping, use of polyrhythms and metric modulation, percussive accentuation, and the precise execution of his signature Single-Stroke Roll. It was his inventive approach to the drums that truly helped redefine the role of the drummer in the modern jazz rhythm section. What it came to technique, Tony employed traditional grip primarily when playing straight-head jazz, and matched grip for his more powerful drumming style — like in fusion.
Williams performed and recorded with the likes of Geri Allen, Arcana, Chet Baker, George Cables, Ron Carter, Stanley Clarke, Miles Davis, Eric Dolphy, Kenny Dorham, Gil Evans, Tommy Flanagan, Hal Galper, Stan Getz, Dexter Gordon, Herbie Hancock, Jonas Hellborg, Joe Henderson, Andrew Hill, Terumasa Hino, Allan Holdsworth, Hank Jones, Charles Lloyd, Michael Mantler, Ray Manzarek, Branford Marsalis, Wynton Marsalis, John McLaughlin, Jackie McLean, Marcus Miller, Mulgrew Miller, Grachan Moncur III, Jaco Pastorious, Michel Petrucciani, Pop Workshop, Public Image Limited, Don Pullen, Sam Rivers, Sonny Rollins, Wallace Roney, Travis Shook, Wayne Shorter, McCoy Tyner, and Weather Report.
Tony Williams died of a heart attack (following routine gall bladder surgery) in San Francisco on February 23, 1997; he was 51.
I really think that the drums are as poetic and romantic as any instrument.
PHOTOS
VIDEOS
DISCOGRAPHY
As a sideman, Tony Williams recorded with the likes of Geri Allen, Arcana, Chet Baker, George Cables, Ron Carter, Stanley Clarke, Miles Davis, Eric Dolphy, Kenny Dorham, Gil Evans, Tommy Flanagan, Hal Galper, Stan Getz, Dexter Gordon, Herbie Hancock, Jonas Hellborg, Joe Henderson, Andrew Hill, Terumasa Hino, Allan Holdsworth, Hank Jones, Charles Lloyd, Michael Mantler, Ray Manzarek, Branford Marsalis, Wynton Marsalis, John McLaughlin, Jackie McLean, Marcus Miller, Mulgrew Miller, Grachan Moncur III, Jaco Pastorious, Michel Petrucciani, Pop Workshop, Public Image Limited, Don Pullen, Sam Rivers, Sonny Rollins, Wallace Roney, Travis Shook, Wayne Shorter, McCoy Tyner, and Weather Report.
As a band leader, Tony Williams' albums include:
- 1964: Life Time (Blue Note)
- 1965: Spring (Blue Note)
- 1969: Emergency! (Polydor)
- 1970: Turn It Over (Verve)
- 1971: Ego (Polydor)
- 1972: The Old Bum's Rush (Polydor)
- 1975: Believe It (Columbia)
- 1975/1976 The Collection (Columbia)
- 1976: Million Dollar Legs (Columbia)
- 1979: The Joy of Flying (Columbia)
- 1980: Play or Die (P.S. Productions) — Tom Grant and Patrick O'Hearn
- 1982: Third Plane (Carrere) — Ron Carter and Herbie Hancock
- 1985: Foreign Intrigue (Blue Note)
- 1986: Civilization (Blue Note)
- 1986/1988: Angel Street (Blue Note)
- 1989: Native Heart (Blue Note)
- 1991: The Story of Neptune (Blue Note)
- 1992: Tokyo Live (Blue Note)
- 1993: Unmasked (Atlantic)
- 1996: Wilderness (Ark 21)
- 1996: Young at Heart (Columbia)
GEAR
Although Tony Williams used a variety of drums and cymbals throughout his career, he was primarily seen/heard playing Gretsch drums with Remo CS black dot drumheads (top and bottom) on the tom toms. He used the Remo CS drumhead for the batter head on his snare drum, but later opted for a coated head. Zildjian cymbals were also part of his signature sound.
In 1991, Tony was the first artist to have a Zildjian make him a signature Artist Series drumstick.
Early in his career, Williams used a Premier drumkit and Paiste cymbals. Towards the end of his life, Williams endorsed DW (Drum Workshop) drums.