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Summary:

She was ahead of her time, a genius. During an era when Jazz was the nation's popular music, Mary Lou Williams was one of its greatest innovators. As both a pianist and composer, she was a font of daring and creativity who helped shape the sound of 20th century America. And like the dynamic, turbulent nation in which she lived, Williams seemed to redefine herself with every passing decade. From child prodigy to "Boogie-Woogie Queen" to groundbreaking composer to mentoring some of the greatest musicians of all time, Mary Lou Williams never ceased to astound those who heard her play. But away from the piano, Williams was a woman in a "man's world," a black person in a "whites only" society, an ambitious artist who dared to be different, and who struggled against the imperatives of being a "star."

Table of Contents:

• Playlist: video 1. Mary Lou Williams: the lady who swings the band (01:09:57)
• video 2. Chief
• written and arranged by Mary Lou Williams (03:42)
• Excerpts performed by Mary Lou Williams: Night life ; Clean pickin' ; Now cut loose ; Mary's idea ; Gjon mili jam session ; Nancy is in love with the colonel ; Scorpio (Zodiac suite) ; Credo (Mass)
• Lonely moments / performed by Geri Allen, Terri Lyne Carrington, and Esperanza Spalding.

Contributors:

Bash, Carol , film director, film producer

Christie, Sandra (Sandra Marie) , editor of moving image work

Woodard, Alfre, 1953- , narrator

Pierce, Wendell , narrator

Lindo, Delroy, 1952- , narrator

Williams, Mary Lou, 1910-1981

Gordon, Wycliffe , musical director

Tonooka, Sumi , composer

Allen, Geri , instrumentalist

Carrington, Terri Lyne , instrumentalist

Spalding, Esperanza, 1984- , instrumentalist

Paradox Films (Larchmont, N.Y.) , production company, http://id.loc.gov/vocabulary/relators/prn

Independent Television Service , production company, http://id.loc.gov/vocabulary/relators/prn

National Black Programming Consortium , production company, http://id.loc.gov/vocabulary/relators/prn

Mary Lou Williams Project (Firm) , distributor, http://id.loc.gov/vocabulary/relators/dst

Languages:

English

Language Notes:

Closed-captioned in English.

Subjects:

Williams, Mary Lou, 1910-1981

Women composers — United States — Biography

African American composers — Biography

Arrangers (Musicians) — United States — Biography

Pianists — United States — Biography

Women jazz musicians — United States — Biography

African American composers

African American jazz musicians

Arrangers (Musicians)

Pianists

Women composers

Women jazz musicians

United States

Genres:

Video recordings for the hearing impaired

Nonfiction films

Filmed performances

Biographical films

Biographies

Documentary films

Internet videos

Online media

Performers:

Alfre Woodard (as the voice of Mary Lou Williams), Wendell Pierce, and Delroy Lindo.

Production Credits:

Stacey Holman, co-producer ; Stanley Nelson, executive producer ; original music by Sumi Tonooka ; Wycliffe Gordon, musical director.
Commentary by Tammy Kernodle, Farah Griffen, Stanley Crouch, Gary Giddens, Robert O'Meally, and others.

General Notes:

Title from title frames.
Streaming media.
Digital format: Restricted to the University of North Texas System.
Originally produced by The Mary Lou Williams Project in 2015.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (streaming video file) (68 min.) : flv file, sound, color with black and white sequences

Audio Characteristics:

digital

Digital Characteristics:

video file; MPEG-4; Flash

Call Numbers:

Online Video

OCLC Numbers:

1019509409