Nancy Wilson and Buster Williams in excelsis

[Larry Kart]

Just picked up an LP of "The Sound of Nancy Wilson" (Capitol) from 1968 -- Jimmy Jones arrangements, played by a top-drawer LA studio big band (e.g. trumpets: John Audino, Bobby Bryant, Pete Candoli, Harry Edison, Clyde Reasinger). But what really got to me, aside from Wilson herself, who is in corruscating form, is the prominent-in-the-mix bass work of Buster Williams on most tracks; Carol Kaye steps in on electric bass for some semi-R&B tracks). Functioning more or less as a separate section of the ensemble, Williams is inspired. Here is "When the Sun Comes Out" -- a song Wilson was born to sing -- with obligato by Benny Carter. Williams is not as clearly heard in this clip as he is on the LP, but it's probably enough to give you the idea:

[mikeweil]

It was on CD as a twofer with "Nancy":

Sounds interesting, Larry ....

[mjzee]

You forced me to look up the word "corruscating."

[Larry Kart]

I believe that "Nancy" is much more of a pop-soul effort. I also picked up an LP of Wilson's "Easy" from 1968, again with Jimmy Jones charts and Williams on bass I'm pretty sure. It's much more beat up than my copy of "The Sound of..." and thus Williams contribution is not as clear, but it's also a good one.

On the LP of "The Sound of" Williams is well to left in a broad but realistic stereo spread and as clear as a bell. Further, prominent as he is, his sound is not amplified. It's like buttah. And his choice of notes! I say this BTW as someone who previously has felt that in latter days at least Williams' playing has become rather narcissistic at times. Not here.

[JSngry]

I used to avoid Nancy Wilson albums...now they kind of intrigue me, some of them do. People were on those records, some people were.

Oliver, Buster, Shelley, and...Lockjaw!

[Teasing the Korean]

I absolutely cannot stand stereo records where the bass is placed on one side. It should always be dead center in any kind of rhythm/groove-based music. I wonder if this session ever received a dedicated mono mix, although the late date makes me suspect that if there were any mono pressings, they were folds.

I generally like Nancy Wilson and over the years have accumulated probably 20 LPs, mostly mono, mostly mint, and none for more than a dollar.

One thing that annoys me about Nancy Wilson is that she is frequently lazy with complicated melodic lines and simplifies them under some misguided notion of "reinventing" them, or being "jazzy." At some point, a line is crossed between interpretation and doing it wrong.

[crisp]

Bear Family should do a Nancy Wilson set, her discography is so disorganised, but unfortunately they are looking the wrong way.

Corruscating is a word that people get wrong so often (assuming it means "excoriating") that it's nice to see it used correctly.

[Bill Nelson]

Happened to find an interview with Nancy Wilson's pianist and sometime music director Ronnell Bright, who was with her from 1963-66.

At the time of this interview (DownBeat, Feb. 5, 1970), Bright was done touring and seemed ready to tell all about the singers he'd played for.

On Nancy Wilson: "She's a charming lady with a very appealing voice, as warm as Nat, but she's not a jazz singer or a creative singer. I watched her grow from a sweet, humble talent to an over-assured person. She thinks she's a musician and tells conductors her opinions but she hasn't the experience or musical training to do that. Her talent lies in finding her own way. It's foolish for singers to talk to men who have studied 12 or 15 years about matters that they, the singers, don't understand."

To give you some RB creds, in 1958 he replaced Jimmy Jones in Sarah Vaughan's trio. And it's him playing piano on 'After Hours at the London House', with Richard Davis and Roy Haynes completing the trio.

About Sassy: "Of all the singers I've played for, Sarah is unquestionably the greatest -- the only one who can claim the very highest standards of musicianship. She could tell you to move from F# to E in the middle of a ten-note chord and she'd always be right."

[Cali]

Loves me some Buster Williams!