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Mary Lou Williams (1910 - 1981) was a lifelong musician. Williams' compositions and arrangements, which incorporated many musical styles, are considered by many to have shaped the history of Jazz in the 20th century. After her conversion to Catholicism, she wrote liturgical music born from her experiences as a religious Black woman, and worked hard attempting to bring jazz into Catholic services. Williams lived, worked, and performed in many places throughout her life - even in Europe - but she always had ties to Pittsburgh. The text of this historical marker reads as follows: “Famed jazz composer and pianist. A child prodigy, she grew up in this city; went to Lincoln School here, 1919-23. Played for Andy Kirk in 1930s, then arranged music for Duke Ellington and others. Major works include ‘Zodiac Suite’ and ‘Mary Lou’s Mass.’”

"The History of Jazz", drawn by David Stone Martin to Williams' specifications. It portrays Williams' philosophy about the origin and growth of music.

A simple drawing of a tree. In the center of the trunk, moving upwards, the words "Suffering" "Roots" "Spirituals" "Ragtime" "Swing" "KC" and "Bop" are written. "Blues" is written multiple times along the edges of the trunk. On the leaves, names of musicians, including Duke Ellington and Joe Oliver, are written. To the left, there are dead branches with the words "black magic", "commercial rock", and "exercises" written on them.

Williams in her apartment with Tadd Dameron, Hank Jones, Dizzy Gillespie, and 3 others. Photographed by William Gottlieb.

Williams and 6 others gathered around a piano. Two of the men are seated at the piano bench, while Williams and the others watch them. Williams is smiling.

Williams in the late 1930s with Andy Kirk and the Clouds of Joy. Unknown photographer

A young Williams is seated at a piano, facing the camera. Behind her are two rows of male brass players holding their instruments to their mouths.

The interior of St. Patrick's Cathedral in Manhattan. "Mary Lou's Mass" was played for a service here in February of 1975.

Brown, Fixture, Wood, Symmetry

Mary Lou Williams was featured in a 1975 episode of Sesame Street. In it, she scats with the children.

An older Williams. The Sesame Street logo is in the bottom right corner.

An album cover for a collection of William's recordings. The editor, Peter O'Brien, was a Jesuit priest and William's good friend.

Publication, Font, Art, Musical instrument

Mary Lou Williams was born May 8, 1910 as Mary Elfrieda Scruggs. She began playing the piano at a very young age – when she was only two years old, her mother noticed her perfect pitch and recognized her potential. Though she never had formal piano lessons – her mother thought a teacher would interfere with her growth – Williams was doing professional pianist work at the age of 12. Her work with big bands and famous composers, such as Duke Ellington, was her introduction to the constantly-evolving world of jazz. In 1929, when she was only 19, Williams joined the band Andy Kirk and the Twelve Clouds of Joy to begin her career as an arranger, quickly becoming popular. A year later, Mary Lou Williams released her first two solo recordings, titled “Drag 'Em” and “Night Life”.

Williams’ skill quickly made her an influential figure in the jazz world. She did not limit herself to one style of music and sometimes tackled multiple at once, such as in her 1945 Zodiac Suite. Modern critics have noted that because of this versatility, her work was sometimes ahead of its time, placing her at the forefront of the evolution of swing and bebop. In addition to her indirect influence on jazz, she also mentored many musicians throughout her life including Dizzy Gillespie and Bud Howell; and she played with many bands including women’s bands such as Girl-Stars.

In 1954, while in Paris, Williams took a sudden break from composing and performing. She had noticed the toll the music industry was taking on her and her contemporaries, causing many to suffer and even die from stress and addiction. Then, on the advice of her friend, she picked up her Bible. Rejuvenated, Mary Lou Williams eagerly dedicated herself to her Catholic spirituality. After she returned to playing in 1957, she released several liturgical jazz pieces including "Black Christ of the Andes", which was released in 1962. Her music was even played in St. Patrick's Cathedral during a 1975 Mass, though it did not catch on, and despite repeated attempts Williams' work was not played in a Vatican Mass.

During this time, Williams took on several outreach projects in her community. In 1958 she founded the Bel Canto Foundation, a charitable project that used thrift stores to raise funds. The profits benefited musicians struggling with drug and alcohol addiction, an epidemic that had already killed some of Williams' friends. Later in life, she also helped to establish the Pittsburgh Jazz Festival, which was held annually from 1964 to 2003.

Williams felt that her relationship with God and with music was closely related to her identity as a Black woman. The following is excerpted from the page Williams included in her 1964 record Mary Lou Williams Presents Saint Martin de Porres:

"From suffering came the Negro spirituals, songs of joy, and songs of sorrow. The main origin of American Jazz is the spiritual. Because of the deeply religious background of the American Negro, he was able to mix this strong influence with rhythms that reached deep enough into the inner self to give expression to outcries of sincere joy, which became known as Jazz."7

On May 28, 1981, Williams died. She was 71. Although her funeral was held in New York, she was buried at Cavalry Cemetery in Pittsburgh. A historical monument commemorating Mary Lou Williams’ story was dedicated in 1996, and it was placed outside Lincoln Elementary School where she had attended for four years. The plaque serves as a reminder of Williams’ lifelong dedication to music and her influence on decades of jazz. The last time Mary Lou Williams played piano was February 14, 1981. But the music she wrote, and the music of those she inspired, is still being played today.

  1. Alexander, Michael Scott. The Conversion of Mary Lou Williams. America 54 - 58. Published February 2nd 2021. EBSCOhost.
  2. Contreras, Ayana. Mary Lou Williams, Writ Large. DownBeat Magazine. Accessed May 18th 2021. downbeat.com/news/detail/writ-large-mary-lou-williams.
  3. Corbin, Ian Marcus. A jazz Mass? The vexing legacy of Mary Lou Williams. Commonweal, vol. 139, no. 2113 - 16. Published December 7th 2012. EBSCOhost.
  4. Mary Lou Williams: American musician, composer and educator, Britannica. May 4th 2021. Accessed May 18th 2021. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Mary-Lou-Williams.
  5. Mary Lou Williams: Biography. Rutgers University Library. Accessed May 18th 2021. https://libguides.rutgers.edu/c.php?g=924056&p=6660025.
  6. Mary Lou Williams Historical Marker, ExplorePAHistory.com. Accessed May 18th 2021. https://explorepahistory.com/hmarker.php?markerId=1-A-65.
  7. O'Brien, Peter. Mary Lou Williams: Jazz for the Soul, Smithsonian Folkways Magazine. Accessed May 18th 2021. https://folkways.si.edu/magazine-fall-2010-mary-lou-williams-jazz-soul/ragtime/music/article/Smithsonian.
  8. Schuller, Gunther. Jazz, Britannica. Accessed May 18th 2021. https://www.britannica.com/art/jazz.
  9. Walls, Seth Colter. With ‘Zodiac,’ Mary Lou Williams Spanned Classical and Jazz. New York Times. Accessed March 31st 2021. www.nytimes.com/2021/03/19/arts/music/mary-lou-williams-zodiac-music-jazz-philharmonic.html.
  10. Wikipedia contributors. Mellon Jazz Festival. Wikipedia. Accessed March 31st 2021. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mellon_Jazz_Festival.
  11. Williams, Mary Lou. ejazzlines: The Global Source for Jazz. Accessed May 18th 2021. https://www.ejazzlines.com/big-band-arrangements/by-arranger/mary-lou-williams-arrangements.
  12. Wilson, John S. Mary Lou Williams, a Jazz Great, Dies. New York Times. Accessed May 18th 2021. www.nytimes.com/1981/05/30/obituaries/mary-lou-williams-a-jazz-great-dies.html.
Image Sources(Click to expand)

https://ehsankhoshbakht.blogspot.com/2009/08/tree-of-jazz-by-mary-lou-williams.html

sites.google.com/site/pittsburghmusichistory/pittsburgh-music-story/jazz/jazz---early-years/mary-lou-williams

https://libguides.rutgers.edu/c.php?g=924056&p=6660025

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Patrick%27s_Cathedral_(Manhattan)

https://muppet.fandom.com/wiki/Episode_0792

https://folkways.si.edu/mary-lou-williams/the-asch-recordings-1944-47/jazz-ragtime/music/album/smithsonian