Tony Williams

[AgroJJunk]

i cant believe it took THIS long for a Tony Williams thread.
the guy's the best
n'uff said.

The Tony Williams page on DrummerWorld (http://www.drummerworld.com/drummers/Tony_Williams.html)

[finnhiggins]

i cant believe it took THIS long for a Tony Williams thread.
the guy's the best
n'uff said.

Yup. Maybe that's why there's no thread?

[Superlow]

No, I agree with Finn, It's a given with Tony Williams talent. I think the body of his work tends to be remembered as being somewhat differnent and off kilter, which is not a bad thing. He was so ahead of his time at such a young age. I personally enjoy his work on Miles in the Sky, ESP, and In a silent way. He also has pretty great stuff with Herbie Hancock as well.

[darkcherryfade]

Well now there is a thread, so no worries. Tony is amazing and everyone who cares even a slight bit about drumming owes it to themselves to hear some of his work.

[finnhiggins]

No, I agree with Finn, It's a given with Tony Williams talent. I think the body of his work tends to be remembered as being somewhat differnent and off kilter, which is not a bad thing.

Definitely. There's not many drummers who've been on the forefront of new music in the way that Tony was with his first Lifetime record. We tend to follow rather than leading most of the time, which is one of the reasons Tony was such a great player - he was a leader even from his earliest recordings with Miles.

Good call on the recordings. I like Miles Smiles quite a lot as well. Never was a big fan of Four & More though for some reason, couldn't get into it. ESP and Miles Smiles really do it for me.

I really should listen to some of his more recent recordings though, I don't think I've listened to anything newer than 1980 or so in any depth.

[cactusman]

i heart tony williams

[theduke86]

Tony Williams is one of the greatest players in history, and is my personal favorite drummer. He had his playing and individual style completely together by age 16-17. Incredible.

[fly]

Tony is such a influential cat. Man it seems like all the modern cats who have some really heavy s*** happening have all checked out like tony to the max. I look at Tony as someone like Miles u know, someone who was always changing and trying new things, he was seriously dangerous. Lets not forget about his compositions either I mean he was much more than just a drummer.

[thedrumthing86]

to be honest, i think since tony elvin, and mayb dejohnette, there hasn't been any1 who has really changed the way people think bout playing the drums like they did. Mayb some of the free jazz guys too but thats a little different in my opinion.

[Peter J]

After looking at the list of everyone's favorite drummers I thought it would be sacrilegious not to have the late great Tony Williams listed. Tony's sense of time and placement- I believe are unequaled-- not to mention the commitment in his playing--For those not familiar with his work I highly recommend his album "Believe It' -it kills


Keep the Faith

[fly]

man there has already been like 3 tony threads

[Jarek Witkowski]

Tony Williams is one of my favorite drummers.
I like his work with Miles Davis.
I do not mean Tony Williams is better than Steve Gadd.
I like their playing both the same.
Well, he was very important for Jazz world.

[TOMANO]

His work with Miles perfectly reflected the revolutionary nature of the music. Tony was a searcher who used his instrument to seek a higher ground. His work in the Lifetime is outrageous and innovative and remarkable. Tony raised the bar that sets the standard for musicality for drummers and conviction for composers.

[DrewSchultz88]

I just got the Lifetime Collection CD. Protos Cosmos is amazing...
He's definitely one of the best players ever.

[Gary]

Oh yeah. So happy to read people writing of him in this way. To me one of the great greats of all time. A true artist, visionary and poet. One of them comes along like him (if we're lucky) once in a lifetime.



Gary Husband

[Drummer Karl]

Oh yeah. So happy to read people writing of him in this way. To me one of the great greats of all time. A true artist, visionary and poet. One of them comes along like him (if we're lucky) once in a lifetime.



Gary Husband

Hihi...Gary...you can just write good of him. lol...He is just amazing and awesome and great!
I love his playing...his style...Yes, he is gone much too early...:-(

[theduke86]

Just an update- http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002MHERI/sr=8-1/qid=1142213216/ref=pd_bbs_1/104-8029977-2332738?%5Fencoding=UTF8
Everyone go get this album. Best Tony EVER.

[harryconway]

Arcana - "The Last Wave" and "Arc of the Testimony". Two of his last works and killer shred.

[stumprrp]

im listening to the Four and More with miles, and i thought metal was fast, THIS IS NUTS

[foursticks]

Tony Williams deserves all the credit he gets, I love Agitation by Miles Davis, great solo....

[stumprrp]

i listened to that same cd over again in aw of how good the playing is, lol, how fast is the freakin swing 350? how they go from the slow classy stuff to the fast madness is intense.

[tambian89]

Anyone ever see the open handed hihat thing he does. Basically he plays the hihat in an open handed position, and then he move the stick up and down, and hits both sides of the hats int he process. It's really cool.

- Marc

[foursticks]

Just bought 'Seven Steps To Heaven' where he only drums on a few tracks, but he's on the title song and I just can't get enough of it. its so damn catchy and has such a great solo. you can always tell when tony's playing......

[berlioz]

Just bought 'Seven Steps To Heaven' where he only drums on a few tracks, but he's on the title song and I just can't get enough of it. its so damn catchy and has such a great solo. you can always tell when tony's playing......

Yes some very mature drumming for a young Tony Williams, if memory serves me correct he was only 17 when he recorded this.. some beautiful phrasing.

here is the solo

[darkcherryfade]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rc4Ev2jCS5w&search=Tony%20Williams




When it comes right down to it, this is what drumming is all about to me.

[Stu_Strib]

someone needs to post a buch of sound clips like that guy over in the Steve Gadd thread did!

[theduke86]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rc4Ev2jCS5w&search=Tony%20Williams




When it comes right down to it, this is what drumming is all about to me.
Crappy sound aside, this is AWESOME DRUMMING. God, Tony rules.
I have a new appreciation for Tony Williams. I transcribed the solo from Mr. Spock off of "Believe It" and it's a mother. There's two killer hard flam licks in there. One is flam accents between the high tom and snare in 16ths at 160 bpm. The other one is swiss triplets between the toms which isn't as hard but sounds so cool. There's also a hard BD pattern under a snare drum accented line. That's kicking my butt. I think the hardest are those damned flam accents though... It's impossible to hold for me over 150 bpm. Lucky it's only for one bar, I can pull it off sometimes. Man, Tony rules.

[darkcherryfade]

Crappy sound aside, this is AWESOME DRUMMING. God, Tony rules.
I have a new appreciation for Tony Williams. I transcribed the solo from Mr. Spock off of "Believe It" and it's a mother. There's two killer hard flam licks in there. One is flam accents between the high tom and snare in 16ths at 160 bpm. The other one is swiss triplets between the toms which isn't as hard but sounds so cool. There's also a hard BD pattern under a snare drum accented line. That's kicking my butt. I think the hardest are those damned flam accents though... It's impossible to hold for me over 150 bpm. Lucky it's only for one bar, I can pull it off sometimes. Man, Tony rules.


Y'know, somehow I've never really ended up practicing flams, and I was thinking yesterday about whether or not to start incorporating them, and hearing Tony use them finally convinced me I should.

[theduke86]

I hear that. Tony makes rudiments sound so cool.

[bigbeatbenny]

Another great albulm with Tony Williams that many people havent heard is one he made with Eric Dolphy called Out to Lunch.

[mattsmith]

Another great albulm with Tony Williams that many people havent heard is one he made with Eric Dolphy called Out to Lunch.
I agree. Out to Lunch is a great album. Tony Williams compliments Bobby Hutcherson's vibes so well. And Freddie Hubbard was so creative when he was playing in the avant garde style as a kind of outside member of the Coltrane-Dolphy music family.

[LinearDrummer]

Man Dude was the King of flams....I've just started really checkin out his stuff and the power and speed is incredible...especially that signature ride....

Funny thing is when I see Steve Smith play I now realize those licks he uses are alot of hybrid-type Tony Willams chops...

[Bobhead]

All of Tony's Blue note stuff in the 60's is great. The 70's stuff has great drumming, though i didn't get into the music as much. Personally, when "Foreign Intrigue" came out I was impacted in a huge way. I love all of his solo stuff in the 80's and 90's the best ( I wish that they were still in print. I can't believe that they aren't. I'm always checking Ebay.) and a close second is anthing with him and Ron Carter and Herbie H.
It such a big inspiration for a drummer to writing so many originals put them out with a great band and so much success as he had. He really took his music to new levels and pushed himself further each time. He also raised up some young great players in his band (aka Art Blakley).
I feel blessed to have heard him live!! I had him sign some albums at that time, but I don't have them anymore. DOH! Well, I'm not really into autographs myself.

[rendezvous_drummer]

Tony Williams is amazing! Honestly I don't know of a better jazz drummer. "Red Alert" is defintely my favorite song of tony williams drumming. it just sounds........so damn cool.

[Bobhead]

Tony Williams is amazing! Honestly I don't know of a better jazz drummer. "Red Alert" is defintely my favorite song of tony williams drumming. it just sounds........so damn cool.
Is Red Alert off of the Angel Street??
I don't have the LP anymore, and I don't think its in print on CD. I'm going to keep checking EBay.

[rendezvous_drummer]

Red Alert is on this site on tony williams page. I've been listening to this song for the past 30 minutes now.

[rendezvous_drummer]

Oh and it's from the Album "Believe it" i think.

[Loge]

Is Red Alert off of the Angel Street??
I don't have the LP anymore, and I don't think its in print on CD. I'm going to keep checking EBay.

Was just listening to the 'Angel Street" cd the other day. It's out of print?!!! Can't believe it! I was fortunate to see that lineup of Tony's quintet live a couple of times. Fantastic band. I truly feel blessed. Mulgrew, Bill and Wallace just blast through the fog! I was always impressed by the way Tony approached his late compositions. Think about it. Here's a guy who had honestly earned his reputation as one of the greatest (if not maybe THE greatest) drummers in history, but was himself disatisfied with his lack of understanding as regards musical theory and academic training in composition. So what does he do? He goes back to school and works hard. Forgot who his composition professor was, but it was a person of note and great reputation. The results were 'Angel Street', "Native Heart' (my favorite), 'Wilderness' et al. A stunning career, indeed.

It's often said that people remember where they were, and what they were doing, when they hear the news of some momentous event (like Kennedy being killed, or more recently, 911). I remember hearing of Tony's untimely death on a late afternoon broadcast on NPR. I just couldn't believe it. I still can't.

[theduke86]

Red Alert is on the Lifetime album "Believe It".
Which, coincidentally, is one of my favorite albums of all time. Can't say the same for Million Dollar Legs.

[Loge]

Red Alert is on the Lifetime album "Believe It".
Which, coincidentally, is one of my favorite albums of all time. Can't say the same for Million Dollar Legs.

Agree completely, Duke. The song, "Fred" is from another planet. Some of A. Holdsworth's best work. As for MDL, yeah - please, Tony.....no disco - and especially, no singing!!

[Bobhead]

Red Alert is on the Lifetime album "Believe It".
Which, coincidentally, is one of my favorite albums of all time. Can't say the same for Million Dollar Legs.
I was thinking about the song 'Red Mask' on Angel street. I haven't heard it in a long time.

I'm not 100% on if its out of print, though I believe some of his are.

[jamsjr44]

I just got his DVD from 1989 from Jazz Legends.com and it is incredible. You want to see someone who basically taught himself how to play and aspired to the level he was at is amazing. The songs are great and his playing is some of the best Jazz drumming I have ever heard.

[Womble]

I've just noticed a beautiful moment in the first Tony Williams vid, http://drummerworld.com/Videos/tonywilliams1.html, at 02:11, where Tony starts throwing stuff down and Wayne Shorter reacts instantly to give him the space to be heard; you can see him on the edge of playing a note a number of times but holds himself back. It's a great illustration of why it bothers me when band members don't give each other any room.

Either that or he's belching.

[capnrusty]

I've just noticed a beautiful moment in the first Tony Williams vid, http://drummerworld.com/Videos/tonywilliams1.html, at 02:11, where Tony starts throwing stuff down and Wayne Shorter reacts instantly to give him the space to be heard; you can see him on the edge of playing a note a number of times but holds himself back. It's a great illustration of why it bothers me when band members don't give each other any room.

Either that or he's belching.


Wow, that was really cool. I never really noticed that before. Thank you for pointing that out.

[dawg]

check out "agitation" with miles davis,the opening solo...just great! i also love "snake oil" from the new lifetime with allan holdsworth. plays that one heavy with a rock drummers' vibe. that guy was so original so intense,he's probably my favorite drummer still.also the live"a tribute to miles davis is good too.alan dawson certainly helped hone his God given abilities and he was a great drummer in his own right...

[Superlow]

I just got his DVD from 1989 from Jazz Legends.com and it is incredible. You want to see someone who basically taught himself how to play and aspired to the level he was at is amazing. The songs are great and his playing is some of the best Jazz drumming I have ever heard.

I though Alan Dawson had a lot to do with his formal musical training?

[jamndrummer]

I though Alan Dawson had a lot to do with his formal musical training? by Superlow

That is correct! There may even be information about it in one of Dawsons books he taught out of.


http://www.pas.org/About/HOF/dawson.cfm

You can read some valuable information in this article.

[LinearDrummer]

I though Alan Dawson had a lot to do with his formal musical training?

Yeah my teacher is a BIG fan of Tony and he has just started me doing some exercises from that Alan Dawson book...

I really never payed alot of attention to him but seems like alot of the guys I dig like Greg, Dennis and Steve ALL give Tony mad props...so I decided to start checking him out and he really is incredible....

I've only just begun to discover his talent....

[Superlow]

Yeah my teacher is a BIG fan of Tony and he has just started me doing some exercises from that Alan Dawson book...

I really never payed alot of attention to him but seems like alot of the guys I dig like Greg, Dennis and Steve ALL give Tony mad props...so I decided to start checking him out and he really is incredible....

I've only just begun to discover his talent....

Well it's a beautiful thing, the man played with so much power and originality. I love his work with Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock. If you can get to the more avantegaurd stuff then you will most likely enjoy his solo work as well.

[dawg]

alan dawson's book is great...with 2 cd's of him teaching as recorded by a student(who also plays the examples in the book.) especially the "rudimental ritual" about a 10 minute workout of various rudiments over a samba ostinato.great workout even if you can't play it fast(which alan does,then he demonstrates with BRUSHES!) he also talks a little about tony and how he approaches the drums. he was a truly gifted teacher and drummer.

[Ian Ballard]

I was lucky enough to see him in clinic just months before he passed away.

He began the clinic with a double-stroke roll that he continued for a good 5 minutes, changing the rate, the dynamics.... then moved onto the rest of the kit piece by piece.. he didn't stop for 45 minutes. He was very arrogant and dodged question about other drummers, proclaiming "I'M TONY WILLIAMS.. they (Chambers, Colaiuta, Simon Phillips, etc) got that stuff from ME". Totally turned off my drum teacher at the time... but I loved it.

The man played with the same confidence he carried in life. Not only did my ears ring for days, due to the sheer power of his playing, but he changed my outlook on music forever.

I seriously cried when I read in Time magazine that he died. I had to get behind my kit and get those emotions out.

The most intelligent drummer... every note being 100% intentional and crisp.

Nobody ever played the drums like that and nobody ever will again.

Period.

[dawg]

i love tony's playing,VERY intense and true to himself. the way he used swiss army triplets,polyryhtymic figures,flams...the whole nine yards. certainly an innovator. to those new to drums that want to hear something different and exciting,get ahold of some miles davis' cd's with tony and the tony williams' lifetime and new lifetime cd's. he could also do the rock thing with the best of em'.but there did seem to be a bit of bitterness or insecurity in his attitude,but BR was arrogant like that so maybe that's the price of genius.

[syoshii]

Tony's Blue Note albums in the '80s and '90s just like Angel Street and Civilization have been out of print since his tragic death, but now good news! Mosaic Records is going to release 3CD-set of Tony which contains all those studio albums of this period!!

http://www.mosaicrecords.com/prodinfo.asp?number=MS-024

[mattsmith]

Tony's Blue Note albums in the '80s and '90s just like Angel Street and Civilization have been out of print since his tragic death, but now good news! Mosaic Records is going to release 3CD-set of Tony which contains all those studio albums of this period!!

http://www.mosaicrecords.com/prodinfo.asp?number=MS-024
This is great news. This period constituted some of his best work. Foreign Intrigue was a top flight effort that featured some of Wallace Roney and Mulgrew Miller's best playing. Then the quintet with Charnett Moffett probably topped that. Mosaic always puts out monster compilations, and the enclosed booklets are superb.

[syoshii]

This is great news. This period constituted some of his best work. Foreign Intrigue was a top flight effort that featured some of Wallace Roney and Mulgrew Miller's best playing. Then the quintet with Charnett Moffett probably topped that. Mosaic always puts out monster compilations, and the enclosed booklets are superb.

True, that band was just awesome!!
I hope Tony's New York Live video to be reissued too on DVD. That video is a killer!!!

[RudimentalDrummer]

Tony Williams...why yes, this guy is my Drumming Instructor's Idol. My Instructor try to play many of his style and my Instructor name is also call - Tony ...kekeke !

Tony Williams is a great drummer

[thombo]

The last time I saw Tony live was at a very small club in San Francisco, about he size of a cracker box, well at least it felt that way: I got to sit right in front of his kit, I could actually reach out and touch it , it was that close. Tony was wearing a gold shiny jump suit to match has yellow kit. Muscial drumming at it's best , smooth as silk: I still to this day can hardly
believe that I was able to sit so close to the master of bop, in a classic smoke filled dark jazz club, the kind you see in the movies where the band stand is the floor.

[dawg]

thombo,being a tony fan and never getting to see him, i understand he played quite LOUD live is that correct?

[Ian Ballard]

thombo,being a tony fan and never getting to see him, i understand he played quite LOUD live is that correct?

He blew my hair back a couple of times, just playing a single-stroke roll crescendo.

So yeah... but I would call it POWER, not "loudness".

There is a difference.

[HardcoreLogo]

This months ModernDrummer features part 1 of a series they are doing on Tony. The Style and Analysis portion offers insight into the different aspects of his playing style, and some cool transcribed highlights as well...........

[rendezvous_drummer]

Yea I saw the series too, and am currently workin on them. Really lookin forward to the 2nd part. I've been listening to ALOT of Tony Williams lately, just workin on his stuff is causin me to sweat. That man, god rest his soul, is definitely one of the greatest drummers ever.

[Synthetik]

I have a lot of Tony William's music. He has a lot of "rocker" in him. He is like a Bonham of jazz. Here's why:

Tony Williams was notoriously hard to impress, that is watching other drummers. He had no appreciation for any drummer that could not vary dynamics and play in the pocket. A lot of rock drummers have a tendency to do that.

Tony summoned a lot of power, but it was all in context of dynamic contrasts, not just loudness all the time, or for loudness sake. He did once say (paraphrasing) "Drums are meant to be hit."

He had that screaming yellow gretsch kit with tightly tuned remo cs black dots on top and bottom. He coaxed tonality, depth, power and variable dynamics from those drums. But he also knew how to bring on the thunder. He had a formidable signiture sound.

Listening to Tony Williams is also an easy introduction for rockers into jazz- because his force is easy to recognize.

[thombo]

thombo,being a tony fan and never getting to see him, i understand he played quite LOUD live is that correct?

Hey Dawg, SUP?.... no can't say he was loud....I'm a drummer too...a piano player might
think so though. But no, not really, just smooth and musical.

Later

Thombo

[rendezvous_drummer]

He was loud. Louder than other jazz musicians that's for sure. He also played with aggression too! I was listening to this album, "My Funny Valentine live in New York" I think it was or something like that, and I remember hearing a story behind that show. Miles Davis told his band that they won't be gettin paid for that gig, which obviously angered Tony Williams and the rest. I could totally sense his aggression, and that album, is now one of my favorite albums of all time. Amazing.

[foursticks]

Does anyone know any other albums apart from 'Seven Steps to Heaven' that hes appeared on with Miles Davis, which aren't live albums?

[Synthetik]

I don't know for sure, but Tony seemed to be in touch with Afro-cuban rythms as well. Some of the rythms he played were cyclic, tribal and yes...aggressive.

[dawg]

ESP and sketches of spain are 2 that come to mind...i realize my last question regarding tony's volume playing live may have sounded dumb,but i just wanted confirmation by drummers that saw him live regarding his volume (and or power?) that what i heard in his later years on his live albums(like tokyo live) was indeed a great representation of his playing.thanks.

[dawg]

rendezvous, i read that too in miles autobiography...i believe that was when the live album "four and more" was recorded. it may have been re-released under another title.miles also said if tony was mad at anybody in the band, he wouldn't support them during their solo! i highly recommend that book for jazzbos, i've read it twice,it's an honest and fascinating look at miles the man and his great bands.it's hard to put down.

[syoshii]

Does anyone know any other albums apart from 'Seven Steps to Heaven' that hes appeared on with Miles Davis, which aren't live albums?

As for studio recording, Tony also appeared on ESP, Miles Smiles, Sorcerer, Nefertiti, Miles in the Sky, Filles de Kilimanjaro and In a Silent Way. As for live album, he appeared on In Europe, My Funny Valentine, Four & More, Miles In Tokyo, Miles In Berlin and The Complete Live at the Plugged Nickel (box set). Later, My Funny Valentine and Four & More were coupled together and released as a full-concert 2CD album in US only titled The Complete Concert 1964.

[Butch Axsmith]

During 59/60 My lesson with Alan Dawson was followed by Tony Williams
lesson. Alan would ask Tony to come in and we would play
together . Tony would say "does that sound even?" If we said
NO ;;;;; He would say "GOOD'" HE meant it''''''''
Tony was really doing his very musical ''concept;' of his teacher Alan
Dawson and only scratched the surface;;;;;;;......
I miss them both////
Butch Axsmith

[Pocketman]

The bottom line is that Tony was one one of the greatest drummers ever. You could recognize him by his playing, drum sound and his fearless approach. The guy had great technique and always played with a lot of attitude.

I would go to Blues Alley in DC to see him and would get there hours early just so I could sit right up front for a good view. God he was incredible.

To anyone unfamiliar with his playing PLEASE do yourself a favor and check him out.

Many of the most famous drummers (Ringo, Peart, Beauford, etc.) always seem to have their detractors or critics (Yeah I respect his playing but it's just not what I'm into,etc.)
But I have yet to hear ANY drummer from any style not dig Tony Williams. He's THAT cool!

[rendezvous_drummer]

I really envy you guys for having the oppurtunity to see Tony Williams. Simple an amazing musician.

[syoshii]

Mosaic Select: Tony Williams just came out!
I bought it from Mosaic direct and enjoyed it very much. Yeah, he is genious!

[ILikeMacs]

Tonys swiss army triplet stuff is what does it for me. unreal. and to think he inspired so many modern greats like Vinnie, Greg and more, what a legend. A fearless drummer who could play at any dynamc or any speed, one of the great early fusion drummers in my opinion.

[tomgrosset]

Tony was a very talented jazz musician and one of my greatest influences. He managed to create a screen of sounds and executed it with such originality. Tony's soloing was very clean and precise, warm and sensitive, and overflowed with emotion. Every jazz musician acknowledges the contributions that he brought to the jazz community.

[vadrum]

my favorite album thus far w/ tony (at least at this point in time) is sam rivers' "fuschia swing song". if you havent checked this album out, do it. particularly if youre an early tony fan. this album was recorded pre lifetime and i think it really shows the height of tony's more straight ahead oriented playing. lots of "mood" solos all over the record, splashing hi hats, etc. fantastic....

any other votes for favourite tony albums?

[drumroll888]

I had the pleasure to be able to study with Tony Williams years ago in San Francisco. It was a dream come true. Tony is my all time hero, both as a drummer and musician. I was so scared to meet him after talking with him on the phone (I couldn't believe I was talking to the Great Tony Williams), but when I finally met him for the first time, he was kind, gracious, and friendly. When it came down to lesson time, he was dead serious. He was one of the great drum ambassodors, because he demanded that the drums were equal to any other instrument in the band, and as a drummer, that you respect the instrument, the history of it, and the music first.

He said to me, "I'm here because I stood on the shoulders of Giants".

Not enough can be said about Tony. The one thing that always makes me smile to this day is not really drum related, but one time, while standing outside of Drum World in San Francisco with Tony, we started talking about American football. He really knew a lot about it. He would talk about the old Quarterbacks he watched back in the day, the great teams and such, and I asked him who his favorite team was.

He said " The San Francisco 49ers, of course".

Being a huge 49er fan myself, I was absolutely beaming.

God Bless Tony Williams.

[jangus]

During 59/60 My lesson with Alan Dawson was followed by Tony Williams
lesson. Alan would ask Tony to come in and we would play
together . Tony would say "does that sound even?" If we said
NO ;;;;; He would say "GOOD'" HE meant it''''''''
Tony was really doing his very musical ''concept;' of his teacher Alan
Dawson and only scratched the surface;;;;;;;......
I miss them both////
Butch Axsmith

I worship you.

Yes, Tony is definitely a musical genius with ideas and technique like no other.

[rendezvous_drummer]

My favorite Tony Williams album has to be 'Believe It'.

[RudimentalDrummer]

Mr.Tony William was well recognised & accredited for his skills and contribution by many Professional Drummers of todays as written in Magazines, in many Drumming DVDs....and especially from many of the lucky people here, who had the priviledge to learn from this GREAT.......

[rendezvous_drummer]

One question. Does anyone know what stick he used? Can't find information on his gear anywhere.

[vadrum]

One question. Does anyone know what stick he used? Can't find information on his gear anywhere.


the zildj. tony williams signature stick of course.. =)

big pretty yellow gretsch drums 22 bd, what looked like 12, 13, 14, 16, and 18 inc toms.

prettiest set of drums ever until he went ronald mcdonald w/ the red rims and lugs.

[rendezvous_drummer]

Ok I didn't know what brand of stick his was and now that I know it's a Zildjian, I probably won't try it out. And I saw an advertisement on his myspace page that he once played DW drums and I knew he played Gretsch, but didn't know what line. Assuming he played Zildjian, did he play constantinoples or K's?

[vadrum]

Ok I didn't know what brand of stick his was and now that I know it's a Zildjian, I probably won't try it out. And I saw an advertisement on his myspace page that he once played DW drums and I knew he played Gretsch, but didn't know what line. Assuming he played Zildjian, did he play constantinoples or K's?

ooops, i got caught...yeah the ronald mcdonald set were his dws. i was soooo surprised to hear he jumped ship from gretsch, btw. when he was playing gretsch, it was before gretsch offered different lines. they only had one, the expensive line.

i believe he just played Ks period. obviously the 60s cymbals were 60s formula ks and i believe he just stuck w/ your run of the mill k brands ever since. i could be mistaken. i have a zildjian "they speak w/ their hands" cd that had his current (@ that time) cymbal lineup and i will check and post back later today.

you dont like zildjian sticks?

i love their brushes.

[foursticks]

On Zildjian's site it says he played a mixture of K's, A custom's and A's. Here's the link, check it out. (http://www.zildjian.com/EN-US/artists/artistDetail.ad2?artistID=2530&genreID=2,4)

[jazzgregg]

Ok I didn't know what brand of stick his was and now that I know it's a Zildjian, I probably won't try it out. And I saw an advertisement on his myspace page that he once played DW drums and I knew he played Gretsch, but didn't know what line. Assuming he played Zildjian, did he play constantinoples or K's?

He played Gretsch up until just before his last recording, 'Young at Heart' where he played an awful sounding (and looking) DW set. Apprently they did those set colours as a joke and Tony dug it and kept it.

His Gretsches before that were everything from Broadkasters back in the 60's to likely USA Custom in the 90's.

As for Tony's cymbals? Heh, yeah, Old K's, many famous ones. In the 60's he used an 18" and a 22".
http://myspace-952.vo.llnwd.net/00896/25/92/896212952_l.jpg

The 70's a 20" and a 22" (at least, sometimes more like another 18")
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e392/ghannad83/tony01.jpg
in the 80's he started using some modern Z's like A's and modern K's and expanded his set up too, I think something like 18" crash, 15" or 16" crash, 22" ride, 18" crash (all in this photo).
http://myspace-738.vo.llnwd.net/00810/83/78/810568738_l.jpg

He also used 15" hats for most of his career too, I think. To my knowledge he never ever played a K Con, just K's and A's with his ride after 1980 being either a modern K or an A of some sort.

edit- don't take Z's site's word, we've been down that road before. Look at pics and videos instead and see for yourself. That said, that setup on Z's site looks pretty close to his last one.
G

[foursticks]

Oh right, fair enough, I'll be more distrusting of Z's site from now on :-)

[rendezvous_drummer]

Thanks for the info. I've never liked Zildjian sticks. They break way too easily, but, I may try out his stick just because it is Tony Williams.

[jazzgregg]

Oh right, fair enough, I'll be more distrusting of Z's site from now on :-)

It isn't that, it's that somewhere on this site, I remember getting into a conversation about how they put up like say, Art Blakey's set up, when half of the stuff they have him listed as using wasn't invented yet. They furthermore say stuff like 'would have used' and so on. Just don't trust everything they put up for dead guys, that's all. They tend to try and cash in on their historical endorsers alot and sometimes (purposefully) mislead you in the process.

G

[foursticks]

Yeah, I know what you mean, no worries. Thanks for the info anyway!

[Pearlrules]

What size of sticks did Tony use back when he was playing with Miles...?

[yammiefan]

He played Gretsch up until just before his last recording, 'Young at Heart' where he played an awful sounding (and looking) DW set. Apprently they did those set colours as a joke and Tony dug it and kept it.

His Gretsches before that were everything from Broadkasters back in the 60's to likely USA Custom in the 90's.

As for Tony's cymbals? Heh, yeah, Old K's, many famous ones. In the 60's he used an 18" and a 22".
http://myspace-952.vo.llnwd.net/00896/25/92/896212952_l.jpg

The 70's a 20" and a 22" (at least, sometimes more like another 18")
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e392/ghannad83/tony01.jpg
in the 80's he started using some modern Z's like A's and modern K's and expanded his set up too, I think something like 18" crash, 15" or 16" crash, 22" ride, 18" crash (all in this photo).
http://myspace-738.vo.llnwd.net/00810/83/78/810568738_l.jpg

He also used 15" hats for most of his career too, I think. To my knowledge he never ever played a K Con, just K's and A's with his ride after 1980 being either a modern K or an A of some sort.

edit- don't take Z's site's word, we've been down that road before. Look at pics and videos instead and see for yourself. That said, that setup on Z's site looks pretty close to his last one.
G

Glad to know I'm not the only one who hated the sound of those DWs Tony played towards the end of his life.

My jazz cherry was popped listening to my dad's lp of "Four and More". The speed, precision and intensity of Tony's ride cymbal floored me. Soon after I had my own copy of "Four and More" and "Miles Smiles" and never looked back. A few years later my dad took me to hear Tony with his jazz quintet and I was floored again: who on earth played with such fire, such clarity, such originality??? The man could peel paint at 30 yards....

Tony's been my drum idol ever since.

[wy yung]

Yup. Maybe that's why there's no thread?


Tony Williams?

The greatest drummer ever to hold the sticks.

That's my opinion anyway.


"Only once in a millenium does one come along as prophetic as this one."
Herbie Hancock. 'Tony Williams'.

[syoshii]

Great news for Tony Williams fans...

http://abstractlogix.com/xcart/product.php?productid=23037

[jangus]

I've been listening to some Seven Steps to Heaven, among other Miles albums with Tony, and I've been trying to recreate some of the things I'm hearing but I just can't do it. I can't ride like him, what is he doing? I heard it was a push-pull technique but I need more information. So can anyone break down Tony's technique?

I don't know if this has been discussed before but this thread needs a bump anyways. Tony Tony Tony. I'm fascinated.

[Steamer]

One of the true masters and innovators.Has inluenced countless generations of players and always had a sense of growth and personal development regarding his approach and playing right up to the tragic end of his life.

Saw him play several times from a small club to large concert halls. Always knocked me out with his level of clarity and intent and aggressive approach. I like the drums played with a degree of serious intent and conviction and Tony was the living model for me of those attribrutes well blending a deep musical approach and swing.

Met him on a ferry trip back from Vancouver Island after a night his quintet played in a small club in Victoria well heading back over to the mainland for another show in Vancouver that evening which I caught too. There he was smoking a big Cuban cigar on the outdoor top sundeck on the ferry and yes folks I seized the moment to meet and speak and thank the man that had truly inspired me for staying on my path and concept as a professional musician right up to even today well past his untimely death.

[Steamer]

Not sure if someone has already provided a link to this but here's some terrific live concert footage around the time period I previously mentioned in my last post:


http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7494448172579095735&hl

[dizkneelande]

wow google vids is a treasure trove

[foursticks]

One of the true masters and innovators.Has inluenced countless generations of players and always had a sense of growth and personal development regarding his approach and playing right up to the tragic end of his life.

Saw him play several times from a small club to large concert halls. Always knocked me out with his level of clarity and intent and aggressive approach. I like the drums played with a degree of serious intent and conviction and Tony was the living model for me of those attribrutes well blending a deep musical approach and swing.

Met him on a ferry trip back from Vancouver Island after a night his quintet played in a small club in Victoria well heading back over to the mainland for another show in Vancouver that evening which I caught too. There he was smoking a big Cuban cigar on the outdoor top sundeck on the ferry and yes folks I seized the moment to meet and speak and thank the man that had truly inspired me for staying on my path and concept as a professional musician right up to even today well past his untimely death.

Don't leave it at there! What did he say!?!

[Steamer]

What led up to me going up and meeting him was a bit funny. I was coming back on the 11:AM ferry sailing sitting upstairs listening to of all things "Sister Cheryl" one my favorite TW compositions on my Sony Walkman Pro on headphones when I looked out the window recovering from my hangover from the after celebration of hearing him from 20 ft away in a small club the night before and there sat the very man himself enjoying a bit of sun and a Cuban cigar. I gained my strength and headed outside and walked up and introduced myself as a professional drummer and thanked him for his significant contributions to music,drumming,and composing. We talked briefly about the show the following evening and how much he was enjoying the tour with his current band and his new material they were playing. Pretty short and sweet really and didn't want to interrupt his relaxing moment to much and honestly I was a little nervous too meeting the man who's playing I loved and amired so much. Just a general thank you from me for everything he had brought to music and drumming. He was very nice guy too with no big star attitude or anything like that as I remember. Short but special moment I will always remember and treasure.

[foursticks]

Thanks for sharing that, from what I've seen of him speaking on interviews he seems like a really nice and funny guy. I'm glad you have a memory like that of one of the world's best drummers to cherish.

[youenjoy00myself]

Bump.

So lately I've been obsessing over Tony. After reading about how he at a young age tried to imitate his idols as closely as he could, I decided I would try imitating Tony's playing style. Just starting with the "basics"... It is really something to try holding the drumsticks like Tony did. As soon as you understand his technique in regards to holding the drumsticks, you can feel this immense control over your playing.

I've been trying to work up my chops playing like Tony. More specifically, holding with the back two fingers near the very butt end and using the whole arm while playing. It's kind of interesting how his technique didn't rely on rebound. In that way Tony was very exact and precise. I've begun to fall in love with his playing style.

It's a shame how difficult it is to find Tony's records for sale over the internet. The best I can find for the majority of his solo work are used copies going for ridiculous prices because of their rarity.

[Gary]

I'll never be able to pay my debt to this man.

A true artist.

Great to see such great admiration for him in this thread.


Gary Husband

[Gary]

Plus..

Found some incredible footage of the maestro I have never seen before on YouTube this morning.

Thought to alert everyone in the thread. Enjoy....

http://youtube.com/watch?v=nn12GUIijBQ







GH

[Mook]

Amazing footage, thanks so much for finding that!!!

Now, if anyone can find footage of his group with John Mclaughlin, Larry Young & Jack Bruce I will have died & gone to Heaven!!!

[LinearDrummer]

Plus..

Found some incredible footage of the maestro I have never seen before on YouTube this morning.

Thought to alert everyone in the thread. Enjoy....

http://youtube.com/watch?v=nn12GUIijBQ







GH

Thanks for that footage Gary.....
Your not too shabby yourself.....

[Gary]

Amazing footage, thanks so much for finding that!!!

Now, if anyone can find footage of his group with John Mclaughlin, Larry Young & Jack Bruce I will have died & gone to Heaven!!!


Yes that would indeed be a pretty wonderful treat!

[Steamer]

Plus..

Found some incredible footage of the maestro I have never seen before on YouTube this morning.

Thought to alert everyone in the thread. Enjoy....

http://youtube.com/watch?v=nn12GUIijBQ







GH



That's a great clip Gary i've never seen before and with Larry Young on organ to boot. Some totally killer Tony!

Many thanks!

[youenjoy00myself]

I just got in the mail a shipment from a private seller that I found via Amazon. It's a cassette tape of Tony's record Angel Street. Luckily, my parents *do* still have a cassette player in the house, after all they're not that old, and man what a great album it is. I'm in the process of transferring it to digital through my dad's computer. I wish blue note would reissue some of his hard-to-find albums. Great music, and of course Tony's playing is top-notch.