Joe Williams Day on KUVO

KUVO Jazz will be celebrating the centennial of Joe Williams’ birth by playing his music hourly on December 12, 2018!

Joe Williams was a blues singer who brought a depth of feeling to his music in perfect parallel with sophistication.  His tasteful approach and his crystal-clear baritone instrument made him a true jazz master.  The National Endowment for the Arts dubbed Joe Williams a Jazz Master in 1993. 

Born Joseph Goreed on December 12, 1918 in Cordele, Ga., Joe Williams was raised from age three in the fertile environs of the South Side of Chicago.  Early in his career, he worked as a singer and a bouncer.  Eventually, he toured with the Lionel Hampton Orchestra.  But his 1955 recordings with the Count Basie Orchestra put him on the map, most notably “Every Day I Have the Blues” and “Alright, Okay, You Win.”  The official Joe Williams website notes: “That famous LP entitled ‘Count Basie Swings, Joe Williams Sings’ (1955) … also put the Basie band firmly back in the public eye (and ear) after a period of postwar retrenchment.”

In addition to 70-plus albums in his name, Williams appears on more than 400 various projects and compilations.  In 1983, a pavement star was laid for him in Hollywood’s `Walk of The Stars’ — next to that of Count Basie.

Over his 60-plus year career, Williams won many awards, including a Grammy in 1985 for his recording “Nothing But The Blues,” and “The Ella” award by the Society of Singers — previous recipients having been Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra. He was also invited to perform in the White House by Presidents Nixon and Clinton.

He appeared in two films with the Basie band, “Jamboree” (1957) and the Jerry Lewis classic “Cinderfella” (1960).  Williams had a supporting role on the landmark “Bill Cosby Show” as Claire’s father “Grandpa Al” Hanks.

Before he died — at the age of 80 on March 29, 1999 — Joe Williams, with his wife Jillean and some of his closest friends and collaborators, created the not-for-profit Joe Williams Every Day Foundation to provide support for music and musicians, and to create career opportunities for deserving young talent.

The Joe Williams website adds: “Possibly because he preferred to perform in the intimacy of a club setting Joe was an icon for jazz fans, but never quite a `household name’ — that is, someone known by everyone. However, Joe’s many recordings prove his talent. And his success and artistic stature in American music are without question.”

Suggested videos

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNCzfPhdd2M (“Alright, Okay, You Win,” Dec. 1990, the Ella Awards, with Frank Sinatra in the audience)
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jr92vvv9lJk (“Do Nothin’ Till You Hear From Me,” 1981, Duke Ellington tribute concert, Dr. Billy Taylor conducting the band)
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOuCvEMZRbo (“Everyday I Have the Blues”, 1981, Joe Williams with the Count Basie Orchestra, Carnegie Hall)