Rudy Williams (saxophonist)
Rudolph Williams (September 21, 1909[1] – August 30, 1954) was an American jazz alto saxophonist.[2]
He was born in Newark, New Jersey, United States.[1] His birth year has been cited as 1917[3] and 1919, among others. Nicknamed 'Looney',[4] Williams started on saxophone at age twelve, and concentrated on alto, though he was also capable on baritone and tenor sax. He became a member of the Savoy Sultans in 1937 and recorded frequently with the group.[1] In the 1940s, he played with Hot Lips Page, Luis Russell, Chris Columbus, and John Kirby, and led his own bands in Boston and New York City later in the decade.[1] He played with Tadd Dameron in 1948, and after more time as a bandleader in Boston in the early 1950s, he played with Illinois Jacquet and Gene Ammons in California.[1] As a member of Oscar Pettiford's band, he toured East Asia in the 1950s.[1] Williams also recorded with Howard McGhee, Dud Bascomb, Don Byas, Babs Gonzales, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Eddie Vinson, Bennie Green, and Johnny Hodges.[1] He never recorded as a bandleader.
Williams drowned while swimming in Hyannis, Massachusetts on August 30, 1954. His funeral was held in Newark and his pallbearers included Dizzy Gillespie, Pat Jenkins, and Babs Gonzales. He was interred in Fairmount Cemetery.[5] Charles Mingus wrote a memorial piece, "Eulogy for Rudy Williams", then recorded it for Savoy. [6]
Discography
[edit]As sideman
[edit]- Charlie Christian, After Hours (Vogue, 1982)
- Al Cooper, Jump Steady (Affinity, 1983)
- Tadd Dameron, The Tadd Dameron Band (Jazzland, 1962)
- Johnny Hodges, The Blues (Norgran, 1955)
- J. J. Johnson, Howard McGhee, Oscar Pettiford, Jazz South Pacific (Regent, 1956)
- Fats Navarro, Fats Navarro Featured With The Tadd Dameron Quintet (Jazzland, 1961)
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 2698. ISBN 0-85112-939-0.
- ^ Feather, Leonard; Gitler, Ira (2007). The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz. Oxford University Press. p. 699. ISBN 978-0-19-507418-5.
- ^ "Rudy Williams Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
- ^ Rye, Howard (2001). "Williams, Rudy". In Sadie, Stanley; Tyrrell, John (eds.). The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians (2nd ed.). London: Macmillan Publishers. ISBN 978-1-56159-239-5.
- ^ "Noted musicians weep at 'Rudy' Williams rites". Washington Afro American. September 7, 1954. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
- ^ "Rudy Williams Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
References
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