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Trumpeter Tom Williams


Larry Kart

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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.

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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 ...

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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. 

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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.

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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.

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