Pianist
James Williams channeled the gospel and R&B influences of his youth to forge a soulful, deeply expressive approach to contemporary jazz. A gifted soloist and accompanist, he was also a respected producer and educator. Born in Memphis on March 8, 1951,
Williams began piano lessons at age 13. A fan of
Ray Charles,
Stevie Wonder, and
Ramsey Lewis, he spent six years as the organist with Memphis' Eastern Star Baptist Church before studying music education at Memphis State University. After befriending fellow pianists
Mulgrew Miller and
Donald Brown,
Williams turned his focus to jazz, drawing influence from
Hank Jones,
Ahmad Jamal, and local legend
Phineas Newborn. At just 22
Williams joined the faculty of Boston's Berklee School of Music, additionally backing touring jazz dignitaries like
Milt Jackson,
Art Farmer, and
Sonny Stitt in groups led by colleague
Alan Dawson. During his five years at Berklee, the pianist also developed his compositional skills, and in 1977 issued his first LP as a leader, the Zim label release Flying Colors.
Williams joined
Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers the following year, completing a lineup that included a young
Wynton Marsalis. This iteration of
Blakey's long-running group cut no fewer than ten LPs over the next four years. Upon exiting the Jazz Messengers
Williams settled in New York City, where he collaborated with
Dizzy Gillespie,
Freddie Hubbard, and
Kenny Burrell in addition to leading his own projects, among them his vocal/instrumental combo Intensive Care Unit, a group featuring saxophonist
Bill Pierce, bassist
Christian McBride, and drummer
Tony Reedus. In 1987
Williams reunited with
Blakey and bassist
Ray Brown in the Magical Trio. Later incarnations included drummers
Elvin Jones and
Jeff "Tain" Watts. He also founded his own production firm, Finas Sound, and with
Miller and
Brown launched the Contemporary Piano Ensemble, a group dedicated to preserving and promoting the music of
Phineas Newborn. In 1999 William Paterson University named
Williams its director of jazz studies; he remained with the school until he was diagnosed with the liver cancer that claimed his life on July 20, 2004. ~ Jason Ankeny