mlw
Mary Lou Williams
Mary Lou Williams (born Mary Elfrieda Scruggs; May 8, 1910 – May 28, 1981) was an American jazz pianist, arranger, and composer. She wrote hundreds of compositions and arrangements and recorded more than one hundred records (in 78, 45, and LP versions). Williams wrote and arranged for Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman, and she was friend, mentor, and teacher to Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Tadd Dameron, Bud Powell, and Dizzy Gillespie.
American jazz pianist Mary Lou Williams (1910 - 1981) in concert with JC Heard and His Orchestra, 1st September 1949. (Photo by Graphic House/Archive Photos/Getty Images)
Jazz helped Mary Lou Williams stay alive -- but after several draining decades as a musician, she quit the scene. When she returned, she claimed her true power as one of jazz’s fiercest advocates.
Jazz composer and pianist Mary Lou Williams is photographed in 1950.
Andy Kirk And His Orchestra, including Mary Lou Williams (sitting at the piano), pose for a studio group portrait in 1940. Williams toured with Kirk's band before settling in New York.
