Mary Lou Williams: The Lady Who Swings the Band

Director Carol Bash recounts the life of jazz pianist Mary Lou Williams (1910-1981) through the voice of Alfre Woodard, who reads from interviews, letters, and manuscripts. Williams grew up in Kansas City, where she began her career by playing stride and boogie woogie. Her mother and grandmother, who lacked the same sort of creative outlets, worked as washerwomen and drank to excess, so Williams left home at 14. In Pittsburgh, she became known as "The Little Piano Girl of East Liberty." On the circuit she met and married saxophonist John Williams, and although she disclosed affairs with Ben Webster and other players, her marriage would come to an end. Her membership in Andy Kirk's band not only brought her to a wider audience but also added arranger and composer to her accomplishments. She also wrote for other bandleaders, including Benny Goodman, for whom she composed "Roll 'Em." After she left Kirk's band, Williams headed to New York, where she found plenty of work but never broke into the more lucrative Hollywood market since she wasn't interested in using her looks to sell her music. When bebop became the mode du jour, she composed for artists like Dizzy Gillespie and even performed at Carnegie Hall, but record deals proved elusive. Williams dealt with the disappointment by turning towards non-secular composition and musical instruction. Throughout the film, Terri Lyne Carrington, Geri Allen, Esperanza Spalding, and other musicians bring some of Williams's vibrant compositions to life. A fine portrait of a comparatively unknown jazz titan, this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (K. Fennessy)