View source for Tony Williams (drummer)

{{short description|American jazz drummer (1945–1997)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2011}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name              = Tony Williams
| image             = Tony Williams DownBeat.jpg
| alt               = A black-and-white photo of Williams
| caption           = Williams in a 1964 advertisement
| background        = non_vocal_instrumentalist
| birth_name        = Anthony Tillmon Williams
| birth_date        = {{Birth date|mf=yes|1945|12|12}}
| birth_place       = [[Chicago]], [[Illinois]], U.S.
| death_date        = {{Death date and age|mf=yes|1997|2|23|1945|12|12}}
| death_place       = [[Daly City, California]], U.S.
| origin            = [[Boston]], Massachusetts, U.S.
| occupation        = {{hlist|Musician|composer|producer|bandleader}}
| instrument        = Drums
| genre             = {{hlist|[[Jazz]]|[[post-bop]]|[[jazz fusion]]|[[modal jazz|modal]]}}
| years_active      = 1961–1997
}}

'''Anthony Tillmon Williams''' (December 12, 1945&nbsp;– February 23, 1997)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/tony-williams-mn0000791318/biography|title = Tony Williams &#124; Biography & History|website=[[AllMusic]]}}</ref> was an American [[Jazz drumming|jazz drummer]].
Williams first gained fame as a member of [[Miles Davis]]' "[[Second Great Quintet]]", and later pioneered [[jazz fusion]] with Davis' group and his own combo, [[the Tony Williams Lifetime]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Yanow|first=Scott|url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p7832|pure_url=yes}}|title=Profile|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=June 28, 2017}}</ref> In 1970, music critic [[Robert Christgau]] described him as "probably the best drummer in the world."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/cg/cg9.php|title = Robert Christgau: Consumer Guide (9): Apr. 23, 1970|website=Robertchristgau.com}}</ref> Williams was inducted into the ''[[Modern Drummer]]'' Hall of Fame in 1986 and the [[Percussive Arts Society]] Hall of Fame in 1997.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.moderndrummer.com/modern-drummers-readers-poll-archive/#_|title= Modern Drummer's Readers Poll Archive, 1979–2014|work=[[Modern Drummer]]|access-date=August 10, 2015}}</ref>

==Life and career==
[[File:Tony Williams1.jpg|thumb|Williams in [[Half Moon Bay, California]], 1986.]]
Williams was born in [[Chicago]], [[Illinois]], and grew up in [[Boston]], [[Massachusetts]].<ref name=drummerworld>{{cite web|url=https://www.drummerworld.com/drummers/Tony_Williams.html |title=Tony Williams |website=Drummerworld.com |access-date=2023-08-22}}</ref> He was of African, Portuguese, and Chinese descent.<ref name=drummerworld /><ref>{{cite web|title=Tony Williams Interview 1995|website = [[YouTube]]|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hx3_XiUFWmE| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121228102107/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hx3_XiUFWmE&gl=US&hl=en| archive-date=2012-12-28 | url-status=dead|access-date=March 27, 2012}}</ref> He studied with drummer [[Alan Dawson]] at the age of 11, and began playing professionally at the age of 13 with saxophonist [[Sam Rivers (jazz musician)|Sam Rivers]]. Saxophonist [[Jackie McLean]] hired Williams when he was 16.<ref name=drummerworld /><ref>{{cite news |last1=Don |first1=Snowden |title=Jazz Drummer Tony Williams: A Lifetime of Risky Riffs |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-08-17-ca-948-story.html |access-date=25 June 2019 |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=17 August 1989}}</ref> As a young drummer, he was influenced by [[Max Roach]], [[Art Blakey]], [[Philly Joe Jones]], [[Roy Haynes]], [[Louis Hayes]], and [[Jimmy Cobb]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cerra |first=Steven |date=2020-08-26 |title=JazzProfiles: Tony Williams - The Tony Scherman Interview |url=https://jazzprofiles.blogspot.com/2020/08/tony-williams-tony-scherman-interview.html |access-date=2025-03-30 |website=JazzProfiles}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=DownBeat Archives |url=https://downbeat.com/archives/detail/tony-williams-two-decades-of-drum-innovation/P1 |access-date=2025-03-30 |website=downbeat.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Fish |first=Scott K. |date=2015-09-16 |title=Tony Williams – Why I Play the Way I Do |url=https://scottkfish.com/2015/09/16/tony-williams-why-i-play-the-way-i-do/ |access-date=2025-11-10 |website=Scott K Fish |language=en}}</ref>

At 17, Williams joined [[Miles Davis]] in what was later dubbed Davis's [[Second Great Quintet]]--with saxophonist [[Wayne Shorter]], pianist [[Herbie Hancock]], and bassist [[Ron Carter]]. Davis had been in something of a creative lull, and critics noted the young Tony Williams's playing spurred the others on.<ref name=fordham>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2007/nov/30/shopping.jazz1 |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |accessdate=January 26, 2025 |title=Review: Miles Davis, ''Live at the 1963 Monterey Jazz Festival'' |first=John |last=Fordham}}</ref> Williams was a vital element of the group, called by Davis in his autobiography "the center that the group's sound revolved around."<ref>''Miles The Autobiography'', Picador, 1989, p. 254.<!-- ISSN/ISBN needed --></ref> His playing helped redefine the role of the jazz [[rhythm section]] through the use of [[polyrhythm]]s and [[metric modulation]]. Meanwhile, he recorded his first two albums as a leader for the [[Blue Note Records|Blue Note]] label, ''[[Life Time (Tony Williams album)|Life Time]]'' (1964) and ''[[Spring (Tony Williams album)|Spring]]'' (1965). He also recorded as a sideman for the label including the classics ''[[Out to Lunch!]]'' with [[Eric Dolphy]] and ''[[Point of Departure (Andrew Hill album)|Point of Departure]]'' with [[Andrew Hill (jazz musician)|Andrew Hill]], both in 1964.

In 1969 Williams formed [[the Tony Williams Lifetime]], with [[John McLaughlin (musician)|John McLaughlin]] on guitar and [[Larry Young (jazz)|Larry Young]] on organ.<ref name=drummerworld /> Lifetime was a pioneering band of the [[Jazz-rock fusion|fusion movement]].<ref name="LarkinJazz"/>

Their first album was [[Emergency! (album)|''Emergency!'']]. For the ''[[Turn It Over]]'' album, the trio were joined by bass guitarist and vocalist [[Jack Bruce]]. After several more releases and touring, Lifetime disbanded. In 1975, Williams formed "The New Tony Williams Lifetime", featuring bassist [[Tony Newton (musician)|Tony Newton]], keyboardist [[Alan Pasqua]] and guitarist [[Allan Holdsworth]], who recorded two albums for [[Columbia Records]], ''[[Believe It (album)|Believe It]]'' and ''[[Million Dollar Legs (album)|Million Dollar Legs]]''.

In 1976, Williams reunited with his colleagues from the Miles Davis Quintet.<ref name=drummerworld /> (Davis himself was in the midst of a six-year hiatus and was "replaced" by trumpeter [[Freddie Hubbard]].) <ref name=drummerworld /> A record of their concert was later released as ''[[VSOP (album)|V.S.O.P]]'' ("Very Special One-time Performance"), the name under which the group toured and recorded for several years.<ref name=drummerworld /><ref>{{Cite book|last=Cook|first=Richard|title=The Penguin guide to jazz recordings|date=2008|others=Brian Morton|isbn=978-0-14-103401-0|publisher=Penguin Books|location=London|pages=62|oclc=223804125}}</ref>

In 1979, Williams, McLaughlin and bassist [[Jaco Pastorius]] united for a performance at the [[Festivals in Havana#Havana International Jazz Festival|Havana Jazz Festival]].<ref name=drummerworld /> This trio came to be known as the [[Trio of Doom]], and a recording of their performance (along with some studio tracks recorded in New York shortly thereafter) was released in 2007. Williams and Pastorius also played together on "Good Question" from the 1978 Herbie Hancock album ''[[Sunlight (Herbie Hancock album)|Sunlight]]''. Williams appears with the group [[Fuse One]] on their 1980 album.<ref name=ALLMUSIC>{{cite web|url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p10614|pure_url=yes}}|title=Fuse One Discography|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=June 28, 2017}}</ref>

In 1985, he returned to [[Blue Note Records|Blue Note]] with the ''Foreign Intrigue'' album. Eventually Williams formed his own acoustic quintet with trumpeter [[Wallace Roney]], saxophonist [[Bill Pierce (saxophonist)|Bill Pierce]], pianist [[Mulgrew Miller]] and bassist [[Ira Coleman]].<ref name="LarkinJazz">{{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Guinness Who's Who of Jazz]]|editor=[[Colin Larkin (writer)|Colin Larkin]]|publisher=[[Guinness Publishing]]|date=1992|edition=First|isbn=0-85112-580-8|page=432}}</ref> The quintet played Williams's compositions almost exclusively, recording and touring extensively from 1986 to 1992, culminating in ''[[The Story of Neptune]]'' album.

Williams guested with the band [[Public Image Limited]], fronted by [[John Lydon]], on their release ''[[Album (Public Image Ltd album)|Album]]'' (1986). 

On February 20, 1997, Williams checked into Seton Medical Center in [[Daly City, California]], suffering from stomach pain. Three days later, while recuperating from [[gall bladder]] surgery, he died of a [[heart attack]]. He was 51 years old.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/02/26/arts/tony-williams-51-drummer-renowned-as-a-jazz-innovator.html|title = Tony Williams, 51, Drummer Renowned as a Jazz Innovator|newspaper = The New York Times|date = February 26, 1997|last1 = Watrous|first1 = Peter}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1997/02/26/lauded-jazz-drummer-tony-williams-dies-at-51/4c4e23fe-91c5-443a-b7a5-52a1804e2be5/|title=LAUDED JAZZ DRUMMER TONY WILLIAMS DIES AT 51|newspaper=Washington Post|date=February 25, 1997}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-02-26-me-32683-story.html|title=Tony Williams; Innovative Jazz Drummer, Fusion Pioneer|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=February 26, 1997}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://jazztimes.com/features/profiles/max-roach-remembers-tony-williams/|title = Max Roach Remembers Tony Williams| date=May 9, 2019 }}</ref>

==Personal life==
Williams lived and taught in the [[San Francisco Bay Area]] until his death in 1997.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-02-26-me-32683-story.html|title=Tony Williams; Innovative Jazz Drummer, Fusion Pioneer|last=Oliver|first=Myrna|date=1997-02-26|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=2017-09-26|issn=0458-3035}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/02/26/arts/tony-williams-51-drummer-renowned-as-a-jazz-innovator.html|title=Tony Williams, 51, Drummer Renowned as a Jazz Innovator|last=Watrous|first=Peter|date=1997-02-26|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=2017-09-26|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> One of his final recordings was ''[[The Last Wave (album)|The Last Wave]]'' by the trio known as [[Arcana (jazz)|Arcana]], a release organized by [[Bill Laswell]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/arcana-the-last-wave|title=Arcana: The Last Wave |website=Jazztimes.com|access-date=2017-09-26}}</ref>

==Discography==
=== As leader/co-leader ===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! scope="col" | Recording date
! Title
! Label
! scope="col" | Year released
! Notes
|-
| 1964-08 || ''[[Life Time (Tony Williams album)|Life Time]]'' || [[Blue Note Records|Blue Note]] || 1965 ||
|-
| 1965-08 || ''[[Spring (Tony Williams album)|Spring]]'' || Blue Note || 1966 ||
|-
| 1969-05 || ''[[Emergency! (album)|Emergency!]]'' || [[Verve Records|Verve]] || 1969 ||
|-
| 1970-07 || ''[[Turn It Over]]'' || Verve || 1970 ||
|-
| 1971-02, <br/>1971-03 || ''[[Ego (Tony Williams Lifetime album)|Ego]]'' || Polydor || 1971 ||
|-
| 1972? || ''The Old Bum's Rush'' || Polydor || 1972 ||
|-
| 1975-07 || ''[[Believe It (album)|Believe It]]'' || Columbia || 1975 ||
|-
| 1976-06 || ''[[Million Dollar Legs (album)|Million Dollar Legs]]'' || Columbia || 1976 ||
|-
| 1976-09<!-- -22--> || ''Live at The Village Gate'' || Hi Hat || 2017 || Live. Bootleg recording.
|-
| 1978-06<!-- -27 --> || ''Live Tokyo 1978'' || Hi Hat || 2018 || Live. Bootleg recording.
|-
| 1979 || ''[[The Joy of Flying]]'' || Columbia || 1978 ||
|-
| 1980-06 || ''Play or Die'' with [[Tom Grant (jazz musician)|Tom Grant]] and [[Patrick O'Hearn]] || P.S. Productions || 1980 <ref name=Discogs>{{cite web|url=http://www.discogs.com/Tony-Williams-Play-Or-Die/release/1381514|title=Tony Williams* – ''Play or Die'' (Vinyl, LP, Album)|year=1980 |publisher=Discogs.com|access-date=June 28, 2017}}</ref> ||
|-
| 1985-06 || ''Foreign Intrigue'' || Blue Note || 1985 ||
|-
| 1986-11 || ''Civilization'' || Blue Note || 1987 ||
|-
| 1988-04 || ''[[Angel Street (album)|Angel Street]]'' || Blue Note || 1988 ||
|-
| 1989-09 || ''[[Native Heart]]'' || Blue Note || 1990 ||
|-
| 1991-11, <br/>1991-12 || ''[[The Story of Neptune]]'' || Blue Note || 1992 ||
|-
| 1992-03 || ''Tokyo Live'' || Blue Note || 1993 ||[2CD] Live
|-
| 1992-09, <br/>1994 || ''[[A Tribute to Miles]]'' with [[Herbie Hancock]], [[Wayne Shorter]], [[Ron Carter]], [[Wallace Roney]] || [[Qwest Records|Qwest]]/[[Reprise Records|Reprise]]/[[Warner Bros. Records|Warner Bros.]] || 1994 ||
|-
| 1995-12 || ''Wilderness'' || Ark 21 || 1996 ||
|-
| 1996-09 || ''[[Young at Heart (Tony Williams album)|Young at Heart]]'' || Columbia || 1997 ||
|}

'''Compilation'''
*  ''[[Lifetime: The Collection]]'' (Columbia, 1992) [2CD] – combined  ''[[Believe It (album)|Believe It]]'' (1975) and ''[[Million Dollar Legs (album)|Million Dollar Legs]]'' (1976)

=== As a member ===
{{col-start}}
{{col-2}}
'''The Great Jazz Trio'''<br/>
With [[Hank Jones]] and [[Ron Carter]]
* ''[[I'm Old Fashioned (album)|I'm Old Fashioned]]'' with [[Sadao Watanabe (musician)|Sadao Watanabe]] ([[East Wind Records|East Wind]], 1976)
* ''[[Love for Sale (Great Jazz Trio album)|Love for Sale]]'' (East Wind, 1976)
* ''[[The Great Jazz Trio at the Village Vanguard]]'' (East Wind, 1977)
* ''[[The Great Jazz Trio at the Village Vanguard Vol. 2]]'' (East Wind, 1977)
* ''[[Kindness Joy Love & Happiness]]'' (East Wind, 1977)
* ''Bird of Paradise'' with Sadao Watanabe (Flying Disk, 1977)
* ''[[Milestones (Great Jazz Trio album)|Milestones]]'' (East Wind, 1978)
* ''[[New Wine in Old Bottles]]'' with [[Jackie McLean]] (East Wind, 1978)
* ''[[Direct from L.A.]]'' (East Wind, 1978)
* ''[[Carnaval (Ron Carter album)|Carnaval]]'' with Sadao Watanabe ([[Galaxy Records|Galaxy]], 1978)
* ''The Great Tokyo Meeting'' (East Wind, 1978)
* ''[[The Great Jazz Trio at the Village Vanguard Again]]'' (East Wind, 2000) – rec. 1977. posthumous release.
{{col-2}}
'''[[Trio of Doom]]'''<br />
With [[Jaco Pastorius]] and [[John McLaughlin (musician)|John McLaughlin]]
* ''Trio of Doom'' (Columbia Legacy, 2007) – rec. 1979. posthumous release.

'''[[Arcana (American band)|Arcana]]'''<br />
With [[Derek Bailey (guitarist)|Derek Bailey]] and [[Bill Laswell]] 
*''[[The Last Wave (album)|The Last Wave]]'' ([[DIW Records|DIW]], 1996) – rec. 1995
* ''[[Arc of the Testimony]]'' also with [[Pharoah Sanders]] (Axiom/[[Island Records|Island]], 1997) – posthumous release
{{col-end}}

=== As sideman ===
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
'''With [[Chet Baker]]'''
* ''[[You Can't Go Home Again (album)|You Can't Go Home Again]]'' (Horizon, 1977) 
* ''[[Chet Baker / Wolfgang Lackerschmid]]'' with [[Wolfgang Lackerschmid]] (Sandra Music Productions, 1980) – rec. 1979
* ''[[The Best Thing for You (album)|The Best Thing for You]]'' ([[A&M Records|A&M]], 1989) – rec. 1977

'''With [[Ron Carter]]'''
* ''[[Third Plane]]'' (Milestone, 1978)
* ''[[1 + 3]]'' (JVC, 1979) – live rec. 1978
* ''[[Parade (Ron Carter album)|Parade]]'' (Milestone, 1980) – rec. 1979
* ''[[Carnaval (Ron Carter album)|Carnaval]]'' (Galaxy, 1983) – live rec. 1978
* ''[[Etudes (Ron Carter album)|Etudes]]'' (Elektra/Musician, 1983) – rec. 1982

'''With [[Miles Davis]]'''
* ''[[Seven Steps to Heaven (album)|Seven Steps to Heaven]]'' ([[Columbia Records|Columbia]], 1963)
* ''[[Miles Davis in Europe]]'' (Columbia, 1963)
* ''[[Four & More]]'' (Columbia, 1964)
* ''[[My Funny Valentine: Miles Davis in Concert]]'' (Columbia, 1964)
* ''[[Miles in Berlin]]'' (CBS, 1964)
* ''[[E.S.P. (Miles Davis album)|E.S.P.]]'' (Columbia, 1965)
* ''[[Miles Smiles (album)|Miles Smiles]]'' (Columbia, 1967)
* ''[[Sorcerer (Miles Davis album)|Sorcerer]]'' (Columbia, 1967)
* ''[[Nefertiti (Miles Davis album)|Nefertiti]]'' (Columbia, 1967)
* ''[[Miles in the Sky (album)|Miles in the Sky]]'' (Columbia, 1968)
* ''[[Filles de Kilimanjaro]]'' (Columbia, 1968)
* ''[[Miles in Tokyo]]'' (CBS/Sony, 1969) – rec. 1964
* ''[[In a Silent Way]]'' (Columbia, 1969)
* ''[[Water Babies (album)|Water Babies]]'' (Columbia, 1976) – rec. 1967-68
* ''[[Circle in the Round]]'' (Columbia, 1979) – rec. 1967-68
* ''[[Directions (Miles Davis album)|Directions]]'' (Columbia, 1981) – rec. 1967-68
* ''[[The Complete Live at the Plugged Nickel 1965]]'' (Columbia Legacy, 1995) – rec. 1965
* ''[[Miles Davis & Gil Evans: The Complete Columbia Studio Recordings]]''&nbsp;– four takes of "Falling Water" (Columbia Legacy, 1996) – rec. 1968
* ''[[Live in Europe 1967: The Bootleg Series Vol. 1]]'' (Columbia Legacy, 2012)
*''[[Miles Davis at Newport 1955-1975: The Bootleg Series Vol. 4]]'' (Columbia Legacy, 2015)

'''With [[Tommy Flanagan (musician)|Tommy Flanagan]]'''
* ''[[The Master Trio]]'' (Baybridge, 1983)
* ''[[Blues in the Closet (Tommy Flanagan album)|Blues in the Closet]]'' (Baybridge, 1983)

'''With [[Herbie Hancock]]'''
* ''[[My Point of View]]'' (Blue Note, 1963)
* ''[[Empyrean Isles]]'' (Blue Note, 1964)
* ''[[Maiden Voyage (Herbie Hancock album)|Maiden Voyage]]'' (Blue Note, 1965)
* ''[[VSOP (album)|V.S.O.P.]]'' (Columbia, 1977) – rec. 1976
* ''[[VSOP: The Quintet|V.S.O.P.: The Quintet]]'' (Columbia, 1977)
* ''[[VSOP: Tempest in the Colosseum|V.S.O.P.: Tempest in the Colosseum]]'' (CBS/Sony, 1977)
* ''[[Herbie Hancock Trio (1977 album)|Herbie Hancock Trio]]'' (CBS/Sony, 1977)
* ''[[Sunlight (jazz album)|Sunlight]]'' (Columbia, 1978)
* ''[[VSOP: Live Under the Sky|V.S.O.P.: Live Under the Sky]]'' (CBS/Sony, 1979)
* ''[[Mr. Hands (album)|Mr. Hands]]'' (Columbia, 1980)
* ''[[Herbie Hancock Trio (1982 album)|Herbie Hancock Trio]]'' (Columbia, 1982) – rec. 1981
* ''[[Quartet (Herbie Hancock album)|Quartet]]'' (CBS/Sony, 1982)
* ''[[One Night with Blue Note#One Night with Blue Note Preserved (LP & CD)|One Night with Blue Note Preserved]]'' (Blue Note, 1985)
* ''[[Round Midnight (soundtrack)|''Round Midnight'' (soundtrack)]]'' (Columbia, 1986) – rec. 1985
* ''[[Future 2 Future]]'' (Transparent Music, 2001)

'''With [[Jackie McLean]]'''
* ''[[One Step Beyond (Jackie McLean album)|One Step Beyond]]'' (Blue Note, 1964) – rec. 1963
* ''[[Vertigo (Jackie McLean album)|Vertigo]]'' (Blue Note, 1980) – rec. 1959-63

'''With [[Grachan Moncur III]]'''
* ''[[Evolution (Grachan Moncur III album)|Evolution]]'' (Blue Note, 1964) – rec. 1963
* ''[[Some Other Stuff]]'' (Blue Note, 1965) – rec. 1964

'''With [[Sonny Rollins]]'''
* ''[[Easy Living (Sonny Rollins album)|Easy Living]]'' (Milestone, 1977)
* ''[[Don't Stop the Carnival (Sonny Rollins album)|Don't Stop the Carnival]]'' (Milestone, 1978)
* ''[[No Problem (Sonny Rollins album)|No Problem]]'' (Milestone, 1981)

'''With [[McCoy Tyner]]'''
* ''[[Supertrios]]'' (Milestone, 1977)
* ''[[Passion Dance]]'' (Milestone, 1978)
* ''[[Counterpoints (McCoy Tyner album)|Counterpoints]]'' (Milestone, 2004) – rec. 1978
{{col-2}}
'''With others'''
* [[Geri Allen]], ''[[Twenty One (Geri Allen album)|Twenty One]]'' (Blue Note, 1994)
* [[George Cables]], ''[[Phantom of the City]]'' ([[Contemporary Records|Contemporary]], 1985)
* [[Stanley Clarke]], ''[[Stanley Clarke (album)|Stanley Clarke]]'' (Nemperor, 1974)
* [[Eric Dolphy]], ''[[Out to Lunch!]]'' (Blue Note, 1964)
* [[Kenny Dorham]], ''[[Una Mas]]'' (Blue Note, 1964) – rec. 1963
* [[Gil Evans]], ''[[There Comes a Time (album)|There Comes a Time]]'' (RCA, 1976) – rec. 1975
* [[Hal Galper]], ''[[Now Hear This (Hal Galper album)|Now Hear This]]'' ([[Enja Records|Enja]], 1977)
* [[Stan Getz]], ''[[Captain Marvel (album)|Captain Marvel]]'' (Columbia, 1972)
* [[Dexter Gordon]], ''[[The Other Side of Round Midnight]]'' (Blue Note, 1986) – rec. 1985
* [[Jonas Hellborg]] and the [[Soldier String Quartet]], ''The Word'' ([[Axiom (record label)|Axiom]], 1991)
* [[Joe Henderson]], ''[[Relaxin' at Camarillo (album)|Relaxin' at Camarillo]]'' (Contemporary, 1981) – rec. 1979
* [[Andrew Hill (jazz musician)|Andrew Hill]], ''[[Point of Departure (Andrew Hill album)|Point of Departure]]'' (Blue Note, 1965) – rec. 1964
* [[Terumasa Hino]], ''May Dance'' (Flying Disk, 1977)
* [[Allan Holdsworth]], ''[[Atavachron]]''&nbsp;– Looking Glass (Enigma, 1986)
* [[Charles Lloyd (jazz musician)|Charles Lloyd]], ''[[Of Course, of Course|Of Course, Of Course]]'' (Columbia, 1965)
* [[Michael Mantler]], ''Movies'' (Watt, 1978)
* [[Ray Manzarek]], ''[[The Golden Scarab]]'' ([[Mercury_Records|Mercury]], 1973)
* [[Branford Marsalis]], ''[[Renaissance (Branford Marsalis album)|Renaissance]]'' (Columbia, 1987)
* [[Wynton Marsalis]], ''[[Wynton Marsalis (album)|Wynton Marsalis]]'' (Columbia, 1981)
* [[John McLaughlin (musician)|John McLaughlin]], ''[[Electric Guitarist]]'' (Columbia, 1978)
* [[Marcus Miller]], ''[[The Sun Don't Lie]]'' (PRA, 1993)
* [[Mulgrew Miller]], ''[[The Countdown]]'' (Landmark, 1989) – rec. 1988
* [[Yoko Ono]], ''[[Starpeace]]'' (PolyGram, 1985)
* [[Michel Petrucciani]], ''Marvellous'' (Dreyfus, 1994)
* Pop Workshop, ''Song For The Pterodactyl'' (Grammofonverket, 1974)
* [[Public Image Limited]], ''[[Album (Public Image Limited album)|Album]]'' (Virgin, 1985)
* [[Don Pullen]], ''[[New Beginnings (Don Pullen album)|New Beginnings]]'' (Blue Note, 1988)
* [[Sam Rivers (jazz musician)|Sam Rivers]], ''[[Fuchsia Swing Song]]'' (Blue Note, 1964)
* [[Wallace Roney]], ''[[Verses (album)|Verses]]'' (Muse, 1987)
* [[Carlos santana|Carlos Santana]], ''[[The Swing of Delight]]'' (Columbia, 1980)
* [[Travis Shook]], ''Travis Shook'' (Columbia, 1993)
* [[Wayne Shorter]], ''[[The Soothsayer]]'' (Blue Note, 1979) – rec. 1965
* [[Weather Report]], ''[[Mr. Gone (album)|Mr. Gone]]''  (Columbia, 1978)
{{col-end}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* [[Colin Larkin (writer)|Colin_Larkin]] (ed.) (1992) ''[http://www.folklib.net/index/discog/bibliog.shtml#mr The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music, 1st ed., pg. 2699]''; {{ISBN|1-882267-04-4}}
* Thom Holmes (2006) ''[http://www.folklib.net/index/discog/bibliog8.shtml#wd American Popular Music: Jazz, pg. 216]''; {{ISBN|0-8160-6928-X}}

==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
{{Commons category|Tony Williams}}
* {{Discogs artist}}
* {{MusicBrainz artist}}
* {{Find a Grave|110763977}}

{{Tony Williams (drummer)}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Tony}}
[[Category:1945 births]]
[[Category:1997 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century American drummers]]
[[Category:African-American jazz musicians]]
[[Category:American jazz drummers]]
[[Category:American male drummers]]
[[Category:American musicians of Chinese descent]]
[[Category:American people of Portuguese descent]]
[[Category:Arcana (American band) members]]
[[Category:Blue Note Records artists]]
[[Category:Grammy Award winners]]
[[Category:Hard bop drummers]]
[[Category:Jazz fusion drummers]]
[[Category:Jazz musicians from Massachusetts]]
[[Category:American male jazz musicians]]
[[Category:Miles Davis Quintet members]]
[[Category:Drummers from Boston]]
[[Category:Jazz musicians from Chicago]]
[[Category:Post-bop drummers]]
[[Category:The Tony Williams Lifetime members]]
[[Category:Trio of Doom members]]
[[Category:V.S.O.P. (group) members]]
[[Category:20th-century American male musicians]]
[[Category:Modal jazz drummers]]
[[Category:African-American drummers]]
[[Category:DownBeat Jazz Hall of Fame members]]
[[Category:Drummers from Chicago]]