Larry Kart Posted August 14, 2016 Report Share Posted August 14, 2016 Apparently he's more or less vanished into academia (teaching at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, hasn't appeared on a record since 2001) but tonight I was listening to Williams on Larry Willis' "A Tribute To Someone" (AudioQuest) from 2000, with Curtis Fuller, John Stubblefield, David Williams, and Ben Riley, and Williams could really play -- a whole lot more than any of the so-called "young lions" who come to mind. A genuine story-teller. His bio says that he plays drums, too, now.http://www.tomwilliamsnet.com BTW, that Willis record, a tribute to Herbie Hancock, is a good one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Posted August 14, 2016 Report Share Posted August 14, 2016 Very interesting. Was headed downstairs to grab a couple Belden CDs (thanks again Larry) and will also grab "A Tribute ..." plus my Tom Williams CD on Criss Cross. I linked through to his site ... his Freddie Hubbard story is something else. Man, time flies ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidewinder Posted August 14, 2016 Report Share Posted August 14, 2016 (edited) 9 hours ago, Eric said: ... his Freddie Hubbard story is something else. No kidding ! That must have been around the time of that 'Live at Fat Tuesday's' 2CD set, which is pretty unhinged in places well. Edited August 14, 2016 by sidewinder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soulpope Posted August 14, 2016 Report Share Posted August 14, 2016 The Willis + Wiliams + Riley combo is excellent .... btw superb audio qualitiy .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr jazz Posted August 14, 2016 Report Share Posted August 14, 2016 I've seen Williams a few times with his quartet and with various Jimmy Heath incarnations. A fine player and yes, he plays drums and he ain't bad. He told me once he would rather be a drummer than a trumpet player. I haven't seen him around DC lately. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HolgerFreimutSchrick Posted August 14, 2016 Report Share Posted August 14, 2016 His bio is here now: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Williams_(Trompeter) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertrand Posted August 14, 2016 Report Share Posted August 14, 2016 Tom plays in DC but not as much as I would want. He is outstanding. In May, he was a sideman on the Miles Davis 90th birthday concert under the leadership of bassist Herman Burney that took place as part of the Smithsonian concert series that I help organize called Take 5. His solo on Blue in Green was amazing. Bertrand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Kart Posted August 15, 2016 Author Report Share Posted August 15, 2016 Thanks, Bertrand. Good news that Williams is out there playing, and that he is outstanding. My impression from the Larry Willis album I mentioned (from 2000) and from earlier recorded work of his I've run across was that he was well on his way to being outstanding, but 2000 is a good while ago. I suspect that there are more than few players of Williams' age or thereabouts who made a bit of name for themselves at one point but have since vanished from all but local radar screens while continuing to grow artistically. It would be nice if he got another chance to record. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertrand Posted August 15, 2016 Report Share Posted August 15, 2016 He is also a HUGE Rodney Dangerfield fan!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Friedman Posted August 15, 2016 Report Share Posted August 15, 2016 Tom Williams sounds awfully good on this CD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Kart Posted August 15, 2016 Author Report Share Posted August 15, 2016 18 hours ago, bertrand said: He is also a HUGE Rodney Dangerfield fan!!! Here's an interview I did with Rodney in 1980 (click on the "view story jump" button at the end of each page if you want to read the whole thing):http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1980/07/20/page/144/article/night-scene Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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