Tony Williams

[Thomas Pridgen]

rest in power...legend

maybe you wanna just talk about hows he's inspired you
tony was a great guy and musician im sure your own personal memories
please post pictures, video, or whatever you like
this thread is a dedication page...

[poogie bell]

When his Joy of Flying album came out (No CD's then :-0)I saw him play in ny..@ The Bottom Line......i think i was 18 or 19 @ the time
with his band form that record all i can is i was in aw of this man.......

it was like god was playing the drums right in front of me!!!!!! i will
remember that night for the res of my life

thats my Tony story...

peace
Poogie

[michael barsimanto]

my whole world revolved around Mr Tony Williams from the age of 13 till , well now i guess . of course not like in the days
when all i did was practice 12 hours a day and transcribed EMERGENCY and wore out every groove off every record i had with TONY on it . it's that simple , really .
i'll have to wax some more when i really have the time ( time , tony time ) but for now lets us all bow with the upmost respect and appreciation for one of the biggist trees in the forest.......................mr TW , RIP
lata
michael barsimanto
ps , my man brandon owens and i

[Nick Costa]

A profoundly influential figure in my development, and, I suspect, many of the rest of us.

I didn't get to see him until 1978, at Live Under The Sky in Tokyo. Then it was 4 nights in a row, with many 5 different bands. The first night was his electric band of the time -- with Bill Cobham as a guest. Tony played his butt of the first set. He brought Billy out the second set. They played a tune or two with the band and Billy simply burnt down the stage.

The rest of the week, Tony played with McCoy Tyner, the Great Jazz trio, Herbie Hancock, and Watanabe Sadao. I was in heaven.

After moving to the DC area in the mid 90's, A lot of then rare European Tony video (stuff now easily found on You Tube) came into my hands, and I was able to see the younger Tony, with Miles, Stan Getz, Lifetime....whoa!

He left us us way too soon.

And he left several very large footprints.

[Ryan Krieger]

you know, when i listen to tony williams, the hairs on my body stand up and i get all these goose bumps. another phenomenon is that he never sounds dated, ever! no one used dynamics the way he did. its like watching the best suspense film you've ever seen. all that miles stuff....i'll pick one just for the sake of clarity - e.s.p. there are moments where you can just feel the air in that room compressing and expanding just by him hitting the snare alone. time itself starts and stops at his choosing. man i swear i get totally spooked out! there are so many incredible drummers doing incredible things today , but i don't think anyone today can create the space, power, and magic that tony williams created.

[Bruce Royal]

The first recording I heard Tony on was Miles' "Seven Steps to Heaven". I never heard anyone swing like that, and was hooked on that ride pattern he played. So smooth, flawless, and the bombs he would drop at will. Elvin does it also, but Tony..... I first saw Tony with his electric band at Blues Alley at home in DC in the early to mid 80's, and my jaw dropped!! That much beauty and passion played on an instrument blew my mind! Then I heard Wynton with Tony doin' Sister Cheryl, I literally cried. The beauty, the passion, and the tears come back when I think about it. Back in '06, I was honored to do a hit with Kenny Drew, Jr.'s trio in Ormond Beach, Fla at the N.E. Florida Jazz Festival, Anthony Chatman was on upright, and Vincent Gardner sat in for several tunes, and one of the tunes we played was "Seven Steps", and I could feel Tony's prescence! It was like I wasn't playing anymore, and couldn't see myself, but it was Tony's spirit, and I had to submit to it, and it scared me, and I was in awe. Tony is a big influence in what I do because of what he played physically, came from what was inside him spiritually.

[Roger "Kemp" BIWANDU]

I have to say that I to became a Tony's fan because I'm so into Tain and Vinnie, when those Guys talk about their hero, Tony was always mentioned with VERY HIGH praise, I like the idea to check the influences of your influence # 1, it's like history, you have to go to the source...

Since then I understood a lot of stuff played by Vinnie, Tain, and of course by Tony who is an INCREDIBLE and ENDLESS source of inspiration, so much musical idea, it's crazy !!!

May his soul rest in peace.