Remembering Mary Lou Williams (1920-1981)

Mary Lou Williams: A Jazz Pioneer

Mary Lou Williams (1910–1981) was one of the most innovative and influential figures in jazz history. A pianist, composer, arranger, and mentor, she played a pivotal role in shaping the sound of jazz from the 1920s through the 1980s. Her career spanned multiple jazz eras—from swing and bebop to avant-garde and sacred jazz—making her one of the few musicians to successfully evolve with the genre’s changes.

Best Sheet Music download from our Library.

Beyond her technical mastery, Williams was a trailblazer for women in jazz, a field dominated by men. She composed hundreds of pieces, arranged for legends like Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman, and mentored future stars like Thelonious Monk, Dizzy Gillespie, and Charlie Parker.

This article explores her life, musical style, harmonic innovations, key works, legacy, and media resources.

---

Biography

Early Life (1910–1920s)

Born Mary Elfrieda Scruggs on May 8, 1910, in Atlanta, Georgia, Williams was a child prodigy. She taught herself piano by ear at age three and began performing publicly by six. Her family moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where she was exposed to ragtime and stride piano.

By her teens, she was playing professionally under the name “Mary Lou Burleigh” (later Williams). In 1925, at just 15, she joined saxophonist John Williams’ band, the Synco Jazzers, and later married him.

Kansas City and the Swing Era (1930s–1940s)

In the 1930s, Williams became the star pianist and arranger for Andy Kirk and His Twelve Clouds of Joy, a prominent Kansas City swing band. Her arrangements, such as “Walkin’ and Swingin’” (1936), showcased her harmonic sophistication and rhythmic drive.

During this time, she also wrote for Duke Ellington (“Trumpets No End,” 1946) and Benny Goodman (“Lonely Moments,” 1940). Her compositions blended blues, boogie-woogie, and classical influences.

Browse in the Library:

Bebop and Mentorship (1940s–1950s)

In the 1940s, Williams moved to New York and became a central figure in the emerging bebop scene. She hosted late-night jam sessions in her apartment, where young musicians like Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Thelonious Monk honed their craft.

Her composition “In the Land of Oo-Bla-Dee” (1949) was one of the first jazz tunes to incorporate bebop’s complex harmonies. She also recorded groundbreaking piano works like “Zodiac Suite” (1945), a 12-part composition inspired by astrological signs.

Please, subscribe to our Library.

If you are already a subscriber, please, check our NEW SCORES’ page every month for new sheet music. THANK YOU!

Spiritual Jazz and Later Years (1950s–1981)

After converting to Catholicism in the 1950s, Williams composed sacred jazz works, including “Black Christ of the Andes” (1963) and “Mary Lou’s Mass” (1969). She also taught at Duke University and continued performing until her death on May 28, 1981.

---

Musical Style and Innovations

Piano Technique and Licks

Williams was a master of:

• Stride piano (left-hand basslines with right-hand melodies)
• Boogie-woogie (blues-based, percussive piano)
• Bebop harmony (chromaticism, extended chords)

Her solos often featured:

• Blues-inflected licks (sliding notes, bent tones)
• Dense chord voicings (close-position harmonies)
• Polyrhythmic improvisation (layering different rhythms)

Harmonic Approach

Williams was ahead of her time harmonically:

• Modal jazz experiments (preceding Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue)
• Reharmonization of standards (adding substitute chords)
• Classical influences (fugues, contrapuntal lines in Zodiac Suite

---

Influences and Legacy

Influences on Her Music

• James P. Johnson (stride piano)
• Fats Waller (humor and swing)
• Art Tatum (virtuosic technique)
• Duke Ellington (orchestral arranging)

Her Influence on Others

• Thelonious Monk (adopted her dissonant harmonies)
• Bud Powell (learned bebop phrasing from her)
• Dizzy Gillespie (credited her with shaping modern jazz)

Legacy

• First woman to be a major jazz composer/arranger
• Bridged early jazz, bebop, and avant-garde
• Paved the way for women in jazz (e.g., Marian McPartland, Hiromi Uehara)

---

Key Works

Compositions

1. “Walkin’ and Swingin’” (1936) – A swing-era classic.
2. “Zodiac Suite” (1945) – A 12-movement jazz-classical fusion.
3. “In the Land of Oo-Bla-Dee” (1949) – Early bebop experimentation.
4. “Black Christ of the Andes” (1963) – Sacred jazz masterpiece.
5. “Mary Lou’s Mass” (1969) – Jazz liturgy performed at the Vatican.

Notable Recordings

• Mary Lou Williams Trio (1953)
• Zodiac Suite (1945, re-recorded in 1965)
• Free Spirits (1976, with Cecil Taylor)

---

Filmography and Documentaries

• “Mary Lou Williams: The Lady Who Swings the Band” (2015) – A documentary on her life.
• “Jazz on a Summer’s Day” (1960) – Features her performance at Newport Jazz Festival.

Videos of Famous Works

1. Mary Lou Williams – “Walkin’ and Swingin’”
2. Zodiac Suite: “Aries”
3. In the Land of Oo-Bla-Dee

---

Discography (Select Albums)

• The Asch Recordings 1944–1947 (Folkways)
• Zodiac Suite (1945, reissued on Smithsonian Folkways)
• Mary Lou’s Mass (1975, Mary Records)
• Free Spirits (1976, SteepleChase)

---

Mary Lou Williams was a visionary whose contributions to jazz spanned six decades. Her ability to adapt to new styles while maintaining her unique voice makes her one of the most important figures in music history. From swing to sacred jazz, her work remains a testament to creativity, resilience, and innovation.

For jazz enthusiasts, studying her compositions and arrangements offers a masterclass in harmony, rhythm, and improvisation. Her legacy continues to inspire new generations of musicians, ensuring that her music lives on.

Mary Lou Williams – The Man I Love

Montreux 1978, produced by Norman Granz.

Mary Lou Williams Trio – Baby Man