This is a terrific example of stride piano blues. Mary Lou Williams plays a wonderful solo blues at age 70. Her accomplished style of combining strong right hand blues melodies and her legendary stride piano left hand are showcased in this recording.
Mary Lou Williams was born in Atlanta Georgia in 1910. She was a jazz and blues piano player, composer, and arranger. In her long career, she recorded and arranged hundreds of songs. She also wrote music and arranged for Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman. Some of her close friends included Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, Tadd Dameron, Dizzy Gillespie and many more great musicians.
Although Mary Lou Williams never took piano lessons, she learned how to play all by herself. She was extremely gifted as a child and very motivated to learn. At the age of 6 she was already earning money playing the piano. By the time she reached 14 she was performing with Duke Ellington and became well known as a professional musician throughout Atlanta. Her remarkable skill at the keyboard, especially at such an early age, astounded most everyone she met, including Louis Armstrong. Her career lasted over seventy years, and she has left a huge repertoire of recordings as well as memories for the many people who got to hear her perform at music events and festivals. She was truly an inspiration to many upcoming artists.
Some Mary Lou Williams Recordings
From the Heart
Mary Lou’s Mass
Black Christ of the Andes
The First Lady of the Piano
The Zodiac Suite
Roll ‘Em
more on Mary Lou Williams
