Fess Williams
Stanley " Fess " Williams ( born April 10, 1894 in Danville (Kentucky), † December 17, 1975 in New York City ) was an American jazz musician (clarinet, alto saxophone) and bandleader who in the 1920s to the 1940s was popular.
Life and work
Fess Williams, whose other nickname was also a professor, comes from a musical family; his nephew was Charles Mingus. In his childhood, he learned violin, moved in his youth to the clarinet and then studied at the Tuskegee University. Soon after the end of his training, he founded his first band, with which he appeared from 1919 to 1923 in Cincinnati before moving Chicago and played with Ollie Powers. In 1923 he formed a new band, with whom he played in vaudeville troupe Dave and Tressie. Together with the army in 1924 he came to New York; there, he first headed a trio in Albany (New York) and had a band in Rosemont Ballroom.
In 1926 Williams its formation Fess Williams and his Royal Flush Orchestra, with which he was successful until 1930. The Royal Flush Orchestra played the then popular hot jazz, toured mostly in Harlem's Savoy Ballroom and took a series of record on the label Victor, Vocalion, Gennett, Okeh, Brunswick, Champion and Harmony. In his orchestras played later known musicians such as Harry Carney, Jimmy Harrison, Hank Duncan and Bud Scott.
End of 1928, Williams went to Chicago to there from time to time to rule by Dave Peyton orchestra that played on the shelf Theatre. He called the group Fess Williams and His Joy Boys, and took with her two record sides for Vocalion on, " Dixie Stomp " and " Drifting and Dreaming". In his absence, the Royal Flush Orchestra continued to exist; In 1929 he returned to New York in 1930 and made final recordings with the orchestra.
Among his most famous compositions were " Friction", "Here 'Tis " and "Hot Town", which was his biggest success. After the dissolution of the Royal Flush Orchestra Fess Williams remained active as a bandleader, his music fell into obscurity but increasingly, even if he still further occurred in the 1940s with his own bands. He can also be heard on recordings of Sammy Price and Ruben Reeves.
The Town Hall Concert 1962
In appearance Fess Williams then entered again in 1962, when his nephew Charles Mingus invited him as a musician to his legendary Town Hall concert to open the second half of the concert. However, Williams contributions are not included on the eponymous album The Complete Town Hall Concert.