Jeff Williams | |
---|---|
Birth name | Jeffrey Lawrence Williams |
Born | Mount Vernon, Ohio, U.S. | July 6, 1950
Genres | Jazz |
Occupation(s) | Musician, composer, educator |
Instrument | Drums |
Years active | 1960s–present |
Labels | Whirlwind |
Website | willfulmusic |
Jeffrey Lawrence Williams (born July 6, 1950) is an American jazz drummer, composer, and educator.
Williams was born in Mount Vernon, Ohio, on July 6, 1950. [1] He grew up in Oberlin, Ohio. [1] His mother was a singer in the 1960s. [1] Williams began playing the drums, self-taught, at the age of seven and played professionally from his mid-teens. [1] From 1968, "he studied arranging and composition at the Berklee School of Music". [1]
Williams played for a short time with various musicians in New York in 1971, joined pianist Marc Copland's band, and played for the first time with saxophonist Lee Konitz in 1972. [1] He continued to work with Konitz on and off into the 2000s. [1] Williams played with saxophonist Stan Getz at the end of 1972 and into early 1973, before joining the band Lookout Farm, led by Dave Liebman and Richie Beirach. [1] Williams was also the drummer in pianist Beirach's trio for recordings in the mid-1970s. [1]
Williams was part of the band Interplay, formed by bassist Anthony Cox and pianist Peter Madsen in the mid-1980s. [2] This trio performed with Getz in 1987. [2] Some of Williams's compositions were played on the albums Coalescence and Jazzblues. [2] The former title was also the name of Williams's group from 1991 to 1996. [1] The following year, "he formed the trio Circadian Rhythms with Tony Malaby and Michael Formanek. He also formed another trio, Left-handed Compliment, with the alto saxophonist John O'Gallagher and Madsen (on Hammond organ)". [1]
Williams has taught at the Royal Academy of Music [3] and the Birmingham Conservatoire. [4] He is married to the American author Lionel Shriver. [5]
With Richard Beirach
With Paul Bley
With Ethan Iverson
With Lee Konitz
With Dave Liebman