Mary Lou Williams
is probably the most influential woman in the
history of jazz.
She taught herself to play piano as a child and began touring as a teenager.
Her contemporaries include everyone from Duke Ellington to Sun Ra to Thelonious Monk.
Whether composing and arranging for big bands, bebop groups or even sacred music and Catholic masses, Williams was always original.
Pianist Geri Allen is one of the most accomplished women in jazz today.
history of jazz.
She taught herself to play piano as a child and began touring as a teenager.
Her contemporaries include everyone from Duke Ellington to Sun Ra to Thelonious Monk.
Whether composing and arranging for big bands, bebop groups or even sacred music and Catholic masses, Williams was always original.
Shirley Scott was the queen of the Hammond
B-3 organ.
B-3 organ.
As a youth, she played piano and trumpet, but her career as a musician blossomed when she started playing the B-3.
Scott was powerful, especially for her size, but her style also employed control and subtlety, even when working with a large ensemble.
"Roll 'Em" was composed by Mary Lou
Williams.
Williams.
Not only is she a noted composer and performer, but she's also an educator, teaching at the University of Michigan.
She shares her deep knowledge and passion for exploring African-American culture within her work.
She also led the Mary Lou Williams Collective, celebrating the music of the legendary jazz artist.
"The Gathering" is so full of life, it's liable to lift the spirit of anyone who listens to it.
"The Gathering" is so full of life, it's liable to lift the spirit of anyone who listens to it.
