MARY LOU WILLIAMS – 1945-1947 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1050 (1999) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Most of the musicians heard on this fourth installment in the Classics Mary Lou Williams chronology are women. During the second half of the 1940s, this was considered unusual and innovative. Female musicians, with the exception of carefully coiffed vocalists and the occasional pianist, were generally regarded by the public, by the entertainment industry, and by most male musicians as curious anomalies and were not taken very seriously. Mary Lou Williams always preferred to surround herself with musical minds possessing artistic acumen commensurate with her own highly developed musical intellect. The first four tracks were recorded for the Continental label in 1945 with guitarist Mary Osborne, bassist Bea Taylor, and percussionists Margie Hyams and Bridget O'Flynn, a fascinating duo who took turns either handling the vibraphone or the drums. This little group sounds perfectly up to date, pleasantly newfangled on "Rumba Rebop," a reference to that new style that in 1945 was already becoming known instead as bebop. "D.D.T." fairly bristles with angular modern changes. There is also a sweet vocal by Mary Osborne on "He's Funny That Way." Mary Lou Williams recorded six delightful piano solos for the Disc label on February 16, 1946. Taken in sequential order, they form a sort of self-portrait containing most every aspect of this artist's musical identity: her background as an indispensable component in Kansas City's thriving jazz scene; her genius as arranger for Andy Kirk, Louis Armstrong, Earl Hines, Benny Goodman, and Duke Ellington; her vital participation in the emergence of early modern jazz -- all of this is reflected in her personal piano reveries. Nine titles recorded for Victor during the summer and autumn of 1946 constitute bop-inflected chamber jazz of the highest order. Included here are three fascinating experiments on boogie themes, a structure based on a theme by Dvorák, several original inventions, and another sentimental vocal from Mary Osborne. In 1947, ten males known as the Milton Orent-Frank Roth Orchestra recorded two very boppish sides for the Disc label under the direction of Williams, a big-band arrangement of her "Lonely Moments" and the catchy "Whistle Blues." Another session for Disc featured trumpeter Kenny Dorham, bassist Grachan Moncur II, and guitarist John H. Smith, Jr. On "Mary Lou," the men sing in unison: "Mary Lou -- we love you -- we thank you." The flip side, a harmonically advanced study entitled "Kool," is an example of Williams composing in a marvelously eccentric bop style worthy of Thelonious Monk. What a treat to hear Kenny Dorham in an intimate small-group setting at this stage of his career. This fascinating compilation closes with two sides recorded by an all-female quartet for the Mercury label late in 1947 but left unissued for some reason until many years later. Here, then, is an excellent survey of Mary Lou Williams' innovative musical accomplishments in the years immediately following the Second World War. arwulf arwulf
Tracklist :
1    Mary Lou Williams Girl Stars–    Rumba Rebop 2:49
Written By – Wilson
2    Mary Lou Williams Girl Stars–    Blues At Mary Lou's 2:49
Written-By – Feather
3    Mary Lou Williams Girl Stars–    D.D.T. 2:48
Written-By – Feather
4    Mary Lou Williams Girl Stars–    (She's) He's Funny That Way 2:49
Vocals – Mary Osborne
Written-By – Moret, Whiting
5    Mary Lou Williams–    How High The Moon 2:09
Written-By – Lewis
6    Mary Lou Williams–    The Man I Love 2:20
Written-By – Gershwin
7    Mary Lou Williams–    Cloudy / What's Your Story Morning Glory    2:15
8    Mary Lou Williams–    Blue Skies
Written-By – Berlin
9    Mary Lou Williams–    These Foolish Things Remind Me Of You 2:19
Written-By – Strackey
10    Mary Lou Williams–    Lonely Moments    2:26
11    Mary Lou Williams Girl Stars–    Fifth Dimension    2:49
12    Mary Lou Williams Girl Stars–    Harmony Grits    3:09
13    Mary Lou Williams Girl Stars–    It Must Be True 3:03
Vocals – Mary Osborne
Written-By – Clifford, Arnheim, Barris
14    Mary Lou Williams Girl Stars–    Boogie Misterioso    2:45
15    Mary Lou Williams Girl Stars–    Conversation (Jump Caprice) 2:47
Written-By – Feather
16    Mary Lou Williams Trio–    Humoresque 2:38
Written-By – Dvorak
17    Mary Lou Williams Trio–    Waltz Boogie    2:35
18    Mary Lou Williams Trio–    All God's Children Got Rhythm 2:42
Written-By – Kaper, Kahn, Jurmann
19    Mary Lou Williams Trio–    Hesitation Boogie    2:41
20    Milton Orent-Frank Roth Orchestra–    Lonely Moments    2:53
21    Milton Orent-Frank Roth Orchestra–    Whistle Blues    2:54
22    Mary Lou Williams–    Mary Lou 2:15
Written-By – Lyman, Wagner, Robinson
23    Mary Lou Williams–    Kool    2:41
24    Mary Lou Williams–    Just An Idea    3:05
25    Mary Lou Williams–    Just You, Just Me 3:04
Written-By – Greer, Klages
Credits :    
Bass – Bea Taylor (tracks: 1 to 4), Grachan Moncur (tracks: 22, 23), June Rotenberg (tracks: 11 to 19, 24, 25), Milton Orent (tracks: 20, 21)
Conductor – Mary Lou Williams (tracks: 20, 21)
Drums – Bridget O'Flynn (tracks: 3, 4, 16 to 19, 24, 25), Jack Parker (tracks: 20, 21), Margie Hyams (tracks: 1, 2), Rose Gottesman (tracks: 11 to 15)
Guitar – John H. Smith, Jr. (tracks: 22, 23), Mary Osborne (tracks: 1 to 4, 11 to 15, 24, 25)
Piano – Frank Roth (tracks: 20, 21), Mary Lou Williams (tracks: 1 to 19, 22 to 24)
Saxophone – Allan Feldman (tracks: 20, 21), Martin Glaser (2) (tracks: 20, 21), Maurice Lopez (tracks: 20, 21), Orlando "Musa Kalee" Wright (tracks: 20, 21)
Trumpet – Edward Sadowski (tracks: 20, 21), Irving Kusting (tracks: 20, 21), Kenny Dorham (tracks: 22, 23), Leon Schwartz (tracks: 20, 21)
Written-By – Williams (tracks: 7, 10 to 12, 14, 17, 19 to 21, 23, 24)

MARY LOU WILLIAMS – 1949-1951 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1260 (2002) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Always in sync with progressive developments in jazz music, pianist, composer, arranger, and bandleader Mary Lou Williams turns out to have made more records during the 1940s and '50s than most people ever realized. Thanks to the Classics Chronological Series, listeners are now able to follow her career session by session throughout these eventful and transitional years. The fifth installment of her complete recorded works in chronological order opens with a fascinating pair of angular studies in chamber bop. Recorded for the King label on March 18, 1949, these tracks feature the most dramatically modern-sounding band that Mary Lou Williams had ever assembled. With a front line of trumpeter Idrees Sulieman, Alan Feldman on clarinet and alto sax, and pre-Eric Dolphy bass clarinetist Martin Glaser backed by Williams, guitarist Mundell Lowe, bassist George Duvivier, and drummer Denzil de Costa Best, "Tisherome" and "Knowledge" are bracing examples of a bop logic that is strikingly adventuresome. The flip sides are topical bop scat novelties featuring vocalist Kenny "Pancho" Hagood. On January 3, 1950, the rhythm section met again to wax four more sides for King. Here the material consisted of jazz standards with Williams at times playing organ or piano or both instruments simultaneously -- during "Bye Bye Blues" she operates the organ with her left hand, piano with her right. On March 7, 1951, the Mary Lou Williams Trio cut ten sides for the Atlantic record company for release on the new LP format. This session turned out to be decidedly cool and nonchalant -- even old "Pagliacci" becomes irresistibly hip. This excellent survey of vintage early modern jazz concludes with five sides cut for the Circle label in June of 1951. The first of these, a carefully devised bop love song sung by the Dave Lambert Singers, features Elbert "Skippy" Williams on bass clarinet. The remaining tracks, recorded four days later, are delightfully cool studies for Billy Taylor's string bass, Willie "Bobo" Correa's conga drums, and the creatively inspired piano of Mary Lou Williams. arwulf arwulf
Tracklist :
1    Mary Lou Williams With Orchestra–    Tisherome    2:49
2    Mary Lou Williams With Orchestra–    Knowledge    2:26
3    Mary Lou Williams With Orchestra–    Oo-Bla-Dee    2:44
Vocals – Kenny Hagood
4    Mary Lou Williams With Orchestra–    Shorty Boo    2:53
Vocals – Kenny Hagood
5    Mary Lou Williams–    Bye Bye Blues    2:48
6    Mary Lou Williams–    Moonglow    2:29
7    Mary Lou Williams–    Willow Weep For Me    2:56
8    Mary Lou Williams–    I'm In The Mood For Love    2:33
9    Mary Lou Williams Trio–    Opus Z    2:54
10    Mary Lou Williams Trio–    The Surrey With The Fringe On Top    2:28
11    Mary Lou Williams Trio–    My First Date With You    3:12
12    Mary Lou Williams Trio–    Pagliacci    2:44
13    Mary Lou Williams Trio–    'S Wonderful    2:51
14    Mary Lou Williams Trio–    From This Moment On    3:39
15    Mary Lou Williams Trio–    You're The Cream In My Coffee    2:52
16    Mary Lou Williams Trio–    Mary's Waltz    3:25
17    Mary Lou Williams Trio–    Would I Love You    3:04
18    Mary Lou Williams Trio–    In The Purple Grotto    3:04
19    Mary Lou Williams–    Walking 2:37
Vocals – Dave Lambert Singers
20    Mary Lou Williams And Her Modern Music–    The Sheik Of Araby    2:45
21    Mary Lou Williams–    When Dreams Come True    2:51
22    Mary Lou Williams–    Bobo    2:50
23    Mary Lou Williams–    Kool    2:24
Credits :    
Bass – Billy Taylor Sr. (tracks: 19 to 23), Carl Pruitt (tracks: 9 to 18), George Duvivier (tracks: 1 to 8)
Bass Clarinet – Elbert "Skippy" Williams (tracks: 19), Martin Glaser (tracks: 1 to 4)
Bongos – Willie "Bobo" Correa (tracks: 20 to 23)
Clarinet, Alto Saxophone – Allan Feldman (tracks: 1 to 4)
Drums – Al Walker (tracks: 19), Bill Clark (tracks: 9 to 18), Denzil Best (tracks: 1 to 8)
Guitar – Mundell Lowe (tracks: 1 to 8)
Organ – Mary Lou Williams (tracks: 5, 6)
Piano – Mary Lou Williams (tracks: 1 to 4, 7 to 23)
Trumpet – Idrees Sulieman (tracks: 1 to 4)