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Mary Lou Williams
THE NEXT 100 YEARS
Virginia Mayhew
Quartet
In late 2009, jazz saxophonistcomposer-arranger Virginia
Mayhew and Italian jazz
pianist Tony Pancella were
considering various female
jazz musicians on whom to
focus for an upcoming Women
In Jazz festival. At some point
Tony realized that 2010 was
the 100th anniversary of Mary
Lou Williams birth, and this
project began.
During the course of her
research, Virginia was introduced to the executor of
Mary Lou’s estate, Father
Peter O’Brien, who offered invaluable information and
music suggestions, and made
arrangements for Virginia to
have full access to the Mary
Lou Williams Collection at
Rutgers’ Institute of Jazz
Studies. The Jazz Institute has
many of Mary Lou’s hand-
written charts and arrangements, which were so inspiring
that Virginia decided to undertake an even bigger project,
“Mary Lou WIlliams: The Next
100 Years.” The project was
recorded in December 2010
and features trombonist
Wycliffe Gordon, Ed Cherry on
guitar, Harvie S on bass, and
Andy Watson on drums. The
CD will be released on the
Renma Recordings label in
Spring, 2011.
“Although I was aware that
Mary Lou Williams was a wellrespected jazz musician,”
o f f e r e d Vi r g i n i a , “ I w a s
surprised by the depth and
breadth of her career — composing and arranging for Andy
Kirk and the Clouds of Joy in
the 30’s, arranging for Duke
Ellington and Benny Goodman,
recording with tenor
giant Don Byas, and
mentoring such Jazz
giants as Monk, Bud
Powell, Dizzy
Gillespie and Bird
(Charlie Parker), and
all that in addition
to leading her own
groups. She covered
every major style
from Stride Piano to
Big Band to Bebop and even
touched on Free Jazz. There’s
so much to be explored in her
music, from an arranger’s
point of view, that I knew I had
to do a bigger project than
just a few arrangements for a
single gig.”
“The response to this project
has been very enthusiastic,"
says Virginia. "I'm already
thinking of volume II!”
Funding for this project is
provided by generous Jazz
fans. To date, enough money
has been raised for the studio
recording, but more money is
needed for packaging, promotion and touring. Please
help us complete this great
tribute to Mary Lou Williams.
Thank you, Mary Lou Williams,
and Happy 100th Birthday!”
Photo credits: Mary Lou Williams, cover and top left ©William P. Gottlieb/Ira and Leonore S. Gershwin Fund Collection, Music Division,
Library of Congress .Virginia Mayhew, bottom right ©Molly Feire-Hirsch.
MARY LOU WILLIAMS
Jazz Legend • Bandleader • Pianist • Composer • Arranger
Mary Lou Williams (May 8, 1910 – May 28, 1981) was
an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger. Williams
wrote hundreds of compositions and arrangements, and
recorded more than one hundred records. Williams wrote and
arranged for such famed bandleaders as Duke Ellington and
Benny Goodman, and she was friend, mentor, and teacher to
Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker, and Dizzy Gillespie.
Jazz historians long ago concluded that Mary Lou Williams was
the most important female jazz musician to emerge in the first
three decades of jazz. William's multidimensional talents as an
instrumentalist, arranger, and composer made her a star from
her earliest days and, over the long haul, one of Jazz’s most
beloved and treasured icons.
Very near the end of her life, Mary Lou reflected, “I did it,
didn’t I?” Yes, you did Mary Lou, and the wonderful things you
did will no doubt keep being done by inspired musicians for
centuries to come!
VIRGINIA MAYHEW
Group Leader • Saxophonist • Composer • Arranger
Saxophonist-composer-arranger Virginia Mayhew has been an
active participant in the New York jazz scene since 1987. In the
course of her career, Virginia has worked with such renowned
artists as Earl "Fatha" Hines, Frank Zappa, James Brown, Al Grey,
Junior Mance, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Doc Cheatam, Joe Williams,
Leon Parker, Clark Terry, Kenny Barron, Chico O'Farrill, Ingrid
Jensen, Claudio Roditi, Nnenna Freelon, and many others.
Virginia has appeared as a leader in most of New York City’s top
jazz venues, as well as performed extensively throughout the
United States, Europe, the Newly Independent States, Bermuda,
Australia, the Caribbean and Southeast Asia. She has traveled
twice as a representative of the United States as a Jazz Ambassador, has 6 CDs under her own name, and many with others.
In addition to leading her own groups, Virginia is the musical
director for the Duke Ellington Legacy Band and Duke Ellington
Legacy Big Band. More info at: www.VirginiaMayhew.com.
Photo credits: Mary Lou Williams, top: ©William P. Gottlieb/Ira and Leonore S. Gershwin Fund Collection, Music Division, Library of Congress .Virginia Mayhew, bottom: ©Ulysses Beato .
RECORDING
“Mary Lou Williams - The Next 100 Years” (Renma Recordings, 2011) is a
spirited tribute to legendary Jazz pianist, composer and arranger Mary Lou
Williams in honor of the 100th anniversary of her birth (2010).
The CD features fresh Mayhew-arrangements of eight Mary Lou Williams
tunes and two new tunes composed by Virginia. The quartet features Virginia
on tenor saxophone, blues-tinged Dizzy-alum Ed Cherry on guitar, veteran
bassist Harvie S, seasoned drummer Andy Watson and special guest trombonist
Wycliffe Gordon.
“...wonderful musically...
Mary Lou would be most pleased.”
—Father Peter F. O’Brien
Mary Lou Williams’ manager, long-time friend and director of the
Mary Lou Williams Foundation
•••
Mary Lou Williams Photo Credit: William P. Gottlieb/Ira and Leonore S. Gershwin Fund Collection, Music Division, Library of Congress.
HIGH RESOLUTION PHOTOS
VIRGINIA MAYHEW
©Ulysses Beato, 300 dpi CMYK TIFF
Download File:
GinnyPRCMYKRet300dpi.tiff
VIRGINIA MAYHEW
©George Kopp, 300 dpi RGB JPG
Download File:
Virginia_Mayhew_Studio.jpg
VIRGINIA MAYHEW QUARTET (left to right) Andy Watson, Ed Cherry, Virginia
Mayhew, Harvie S. ©Tom Contrino, 300 dpi JPG, Download: VM_BandPhoto.jpg
BOOKING & MANAGEMENT
The Virginia Mayhew Quartet, “Mary Lou Williams - The Next 100 Years”, is available for
performance worldwide. Please contact us to schedule a performance!
Contact:
Jay Nachowitz
Preferred Artists
914-441-1476 or [email protected]
Primary Websites:
Virginia Mayhew
www.virginiamayhew.com
Renma Recordings
www.renmarecordings.com
Duke Ellington Legacy
www.dukeellingtonlegacy.com
Additional Resources & Links:
MARY LOU WILLIAMS
The Mary Lou Williams Foundation
Mary Lou Williams Rutgers’ Institute of Jazz Studies
MUSICIANS
Ed Cherry (guitar)
Andy Watson (drums)
PHOTOGRAPHERS
William Gottlieb, Paul Aresu, Ulysses Beato,
Tom Contrino, Molly Feire-Hirsch
GRAPHIC DESIGN/DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY
Veenix,LLC USA