Buster Williams facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Buster Williams
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Williams at Victoria during the 2016 Oslo Jazzfestival
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Charles Anthony Williams |
| Born | April 17, 1942 Camden, New Jersey |
| Genres | Jazz, jazz fusion |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Double bass |
| Years active | 1959–present |
Charles Anthony "Buster" Williams (born April 17, 1942) is a famous American jazz musician. He plays the double bass, which is a very large string instrument. Buster Williams is known for playing with many great artists. He was a key member of pianist Herbie Hancock's band in the early 1970s. He also played with guitarist Larry Coryell and the band Sphere. Many singers, like Nancy Wilson, loved having him play with them.
Contents
Meet Buster Williams
Early Life and Musical Start
Buster Williams grew up surrounded by music. His father, Charles Anthony Williams Sr., was a musician who played many instruments. Their home in Camden, New Jersey, often had band rehearsals. This meant Buster heard jazz music from a very young age. He was inspired to play the bass after hearing a song called Star Dust. This song was played by another famous bassist, Oscar Pettiford. Buster started playing the bass when he was a young teenager.
He got his first professional music job while still in junior high school. He filled in for his dad one evening. Later, Buster practiced with Sam Dockery, who played in Jimmy Heath's band. In 1959, Buster's dad gave him a chance to lead his own band for a show. Buster hired Sam Reed to help him get into Jimmy Heath's band. The plan worked! Soon after, Jimmy Heath hired Buster to play in his band.
After graduating from Camden High School in 1960, Buster got a big opportunity. He played with jazz legends Gene Ammons and Sonny Stitt. He toured with them for about a year, from 1960 to 1961. He made his first two recordings with this group in August 1961. These albums were Dig Him! and Boss Tenors.
Learning and Growing as a Musician
Buster Williams also went to Combs College of Music in Philadelphia. There, he learned important skills like composing music, understanding music theory, and harmony. His teacher, Dr. Roland Wiggins, taught him a lot.
Playing with Famous Singers
In 1961, singer Dakota Staton hired Buster after hearing him play. After that, he played with Betty Carter in 1962 and Sarah Vaughan in 1963. Sarah Vaughan took him on his first tour in Europe. In 1964, Buster started a long partnership with Nancy Wilson. He recorded several albums with her and moved to Los Angeles. Throughout his career, Buster played with many other great vocalists. These included Shirley Horn, Carmen McRae, and Helen Merrill.
Life on the West Coast
Living on the West Coast made it easier for Buster to tour and record with Nancy Wilson. He also played with The Jazz Crusaders. He recorded five albums with them. During this time, Buster was often the first choice to fill in for the famous bassist Ray Brown. He played with Kenny Dorham and recorded with the Harold Land/Bobby Hutcherson quintet. He even worked with Miles Davis for several months in 1967.
Joining Herbie Hancock's Band
In 1968, Buster Williams moved to New York City. He continued to work steadily, playing with artists like Art Blakey and Herbie Mann. He also recorded for major labels like Atlantic and Blue Note. He played with McCoy Tyner, Dexter Gordon, and Stanley Turrentine.
Having played with Herbie Hancock before, Buster became a regular member of Hancock's Mwandishi Sextet. This group recorded three albums for Warner Bros. and one for Columbia. The Mwandishi Sextet explored new electronic sounds in jazz. Buster played both acoustic and electric bass in this group.
Leading His Own Music
Buster Williams released his first album as a band leader in 1975. It was called Pinnacle. He then led several more recording sessions. He also played with Ron Carter, who was known for playing the piccolo bass. From the 1970s onwards, Buster worked steadily as a sideman. He played with Mary Lou Williams, Kenny Barron, and Larry Coryell.
For 18 years, between 1980 and 1998, Buster only made one record as a leader. This was Something More in 1989. It featured Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, and Al Foster. This album included five original songs by Buster Williams. He still performs with a group called "Buster Williams' Something More."
Starting in 1998, Buster began releasing more albums as a leader. A notable one was Griot Libertè in 2004. This album was recorded by the legendary engineer Rudy Van Gelder.
More Collaborations and Awards
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Buster Williams was nominated for a Grammy Award for his work on the album Love For Sale. He played on this album with Hank Jones and Tony Williams. He also continued to tour with Herbie Hancock in the 1980s and 1990s. He even performed at a Grammy Awards ceremony with Hancock.
In 1982, Buster formed two important groups. One was the Timeless All-Stars, a six-person band. The other was Sphere, which included Kenny Barron and Ben Riley. Sphere started as a tribute to Thelonious Monk. Their first recording was made on the day Monk passed away, February 17, 1982. Later, Sphere also played their own songs and other jazz classics.
Recent Work
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From 2010 to 2014, Buster Williams toured with Sonny Fortune, Mike Stern, and Jimmy Cobb. Their group was called "4 Generations of Miles." This name came from a 2002 concert that featured musicians from different eras of Miles Davis's bands.
Buster Williams also started the Buster Williams School of Music. This grew from a summer class he taught in 2012. In 2013, he created his own non-profit group to continue this work. His band "Something More" performed at jazz festivals in 2014.
Film and TV Appearances
Buster Williams has worked on several film soundtracks and TV commercials. He played on the soundtrack for the 1969 film Mackenna's Gold, working with Quincy Jones. He also reunited with Ron Carter for the 1981 film Le Choix des Armes. In the 1990s, he worked on the film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me and Spike Lee's film Clockers.
Buster has appeared on television many times. He played five of his own songs with Branford Marsalis' band on The Tonight Show. He also appeared on The Andy Williams Show with Nancy Wilson. He was on The Joan Rivers Show with Bill Cosby and Sesame Street with Joe Williams. In 2004, Buster appeared as himself in the Steven Spielberg film The Terminal. He played in a jazz quartet in the movie. In 2019, a documentary film about his life was released, called Buster Williams, From Bass to Infinity.
Personal Life
Buster Williams married Veronica in 1965. They met in junior high school. As of 2014, they live in Camden. In 1972, Buster and his wife started practicing Nichiren Buddhist chanting. They continued this practice as members of Soka Gakkai International. His 2004 album Griot Libertè was inspired by his wife's recovery from a serious health issue.
Awards and Honors
Besides his Grammy nomination, Buster Williams has received other important awards. He was given a grant for composition from the National Endowment for the Arts. He also received a fellowship grant from the New York Foundation for the Arts in 1991. Other organizations have also recognized his contributions to music.
His Instrument
Buster Williams plays a special double bass. It is a copy of an old instrument made in the late 1800s. He uses specific strings and a special pickup to make his sound. He also uses a Polytone Mini-Brute bass amplifier.
Discography
As leader
- Pinnacle (Muse, 1975)
- Crystal Reflections (Muse, 1976)
- Tokudo (Denon, 1978)
- Heartbeat (Muse, 1978)
- Dreams Come True (Buddah, 1980)
- Two as One with Kenny Barron (Red, 1987) – live rec. 1986
- Something More (In+Out, 1989)
- Somewhere Along the Way (TCB, 1998)
- Lost in a Memory (TCB, 1999)
- Live at the Montreux Jazz Festival 1999 (TCB, 2001) – live rec. 1999
- Houdini (Sirocco Jazz Ltd., 2001)
- Joined at the Hip (TCB, 2002) – rec. 1998
- Griot Libertè (HighNote, 2004)
- 65 Roses (BluePort Jazz, 2008) – rec. 2006
- Buster Williams Live Volume 1 (Buster Williams, 2008)
- Audacity (Smoke Sessions, 2018)
- Unalome (Smoke Sessions, 2023)
As sideman
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With Geri Allen
With Gene Ammons
With Roy Ayers
With Angelo Badalamenti
With Chet Baker
With Kenny Barron
With Sathima Bea Benjamin
With Art Blakey
With Ron Carter
With Cyrus Chestnut
With Norman Connors
With Larry Coryell
With Sonny Fortune
With Benny Golson
With Dexter Gordon
With Herbie Hancock
With Billy Hart
With Eddie Henderson
With Buck Hill
With Shirley Horn
With Bobby Hutcherson
With Abdullah Ibrahim
With The Jazz Crusaders
With Steve Kuhn
With Harold Land
With Harold Mabern
With John McNeil
With Meeco
With Frank Morgan
With Houston Person
With Wallace Roney
With Jimmy Rowles
With Hilton Ruiz
With Woody Shaw
With Sphere
With Buddy Terry
With The Timeless All Stars
With Steve Turre
With Stanley Turrentine
With McCoy Tyner
With Michal Urbaniak
With Cedar Walton
With Mary Lou Williams
With Nancy Wilson
With Denny Zeitlin
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With Others
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Images for kids
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Williams at Victoria during the 2016 Oslo Jazzfestival
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At BIM Amsterdam as a member of the Wallace Roney Quintet, 2015
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Williams performing in 2008.
See also
In Spanish: Buster Williams para niños
