When you see John Williams standing before his mighty Boston Pops Orchestra... when you watch him collect another Academy Award or Emmy... when you notice his name as the credits roll by on the major films, have you ever wondered whether he thinks about his roots ?” This was written a few years ago by the jazz reviewer Harvey Siders. Now, looking back to the musical beginnings of John Williams, this 2-CD set may be the perfect answer to his question.
His musical roots, like his credits, are impressive. Much before this highly skilled musician scored and conducted the worldwide acclaimed music of several of the most famous and money-making films of the last 30 years — Star Wars, Jaws, Superman, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The Empire Strikes Back, E T: The Extra-Terrestrial, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, The Accidental Tourist, Schlinder's List, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Return of the Jedi, et al.— he was a young swinging elegant pianist and an ambitious arranger/composer in the jazz and pop fields, and that was what gained him recognition in the Hollywood entertainment and recording scenes in the Fifties.
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John Towner Williams was born in Flushing, N.Y. in February 8, 1932. His father was a well-known tympanist, and saw to it that Johnny began studying piano when he was eight. He later studied with Robert Van Eps and Rosina Lhevinne, and undertook composition with Mario Castelnuovo Tedesco. He attended Flushing High School, and when his family moved west, the Hollywood High School, where he met his wife, singer Barbara Ruick. During his high school days he led a small band with Miss Ruick as the vocalist. After a hitch in the Air Force, he returned to civilian life in 1955 to start his professional musical career, and soon became interested in composing and arranging, things he has been doing ever since. He quickly earned an impressive string of credits, which included working as a pianist for the Broadway musical production of Three For Tonight, and accompanying conductor for singers Howard Keel and Vic Damone. His classical background, as well as his impressive feeling for jazz, account for his popularity in the West Coast musical circles as both arranger and pianist. As a pianist, he soon worked for some of Hollywood's finest conductors, names such as Les Baxter, Jerry Fielding, Frank de Vol, Nelson Riddle and Leith Stevens. As an arranger, his credits included musical numbers for TV and for many jazz groups. To give you an idea of how versatile he is, listen to these recordings, and while you're listening to this collection, be aware that this were Williams' first recordings, from 1956 to 1958, when all the cats called him Johnny.
Jordi Pujol (from the booklet)
Source : https://www.freshsoundrecords.com/john-t-williams-albums/4465-jazz-beginnings-3-lps-on-2-cds-bonus-tracks.html
John Towner Williams
Jazz Beginnings
Tracks
Cd. 1
1 The Most Beautiful Girl In The World (Rodgers, Hart) 2:51
2 In A Little Spanish Town (Wayne, Lewis, Young) 2:25
3 I'll Take Romance (Hammerstein, Oakland) 2:58
4 Zigeuner (Coward) 4:17
5 Tenderly (Lawrence, Gross) 3:53
6 Diane (Rappee, Pollack) 2:47
7 Dear To My Heart (Gross) 3:27
8 While We're Young (Engvick, Wilder, Palitz) 3:02
9 Wait Till You See Her (Rodgers, Hart) 2:30
10 One Love (Rose, Robin) 2:35
11 Bess, Oh Where's My Bess (Gershwin, Gershwin) 2:22
12 Hello (Williams) 2:39
13 Aunt Orsavella (Williams) 2:26
14 Spring Is Here (Rodgers, Hart) 3:12
15 Anything Goes (Porter) 2:31
16 Caribe (Williams) 2:14
17 One Love (Rose, Robin) 2:01
18 Our Waltz (Rose) 1:57
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Cd. 2
1 I've Got The World On A String (Arlen, Koehler) 2:56
2 Get Happy (Arlen, Koehler) 2:32
3 That Old Black Magic (Arlen, Mercer) 3:11
4 Over The Rainbow (Arlen, Harburg) 2:29
5 Let's Fall In Love (Arlen, Koehler) 2:30
6 Stormy Weather (Arlen, Koehler) 2:45
7 My Shinning Hour (Arlen, Koehler) 2:05
8 Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea (Arlen, Koehler) 3:16
9 Come Rain Or Come Shine (Arlen, Koehler) 3:22
10 Here's What I'm Here For (Arlen, Gershwin) 3:15
11 Hit The Road To Dreamland (Arlen, Mercer) 2:41
12 A Sleepin' Bee (Arlen, Capote) 3:06
13 All Of You (Porter) 2:18
14 The Last Time I Saw Paris (Kern, Hammerstein II) 2:13
15 I Can't Get Started (Duke, Gershwin) 2:50
16 I Got Plenty O'Nuttin' (Gershwin, Gershwin) 2:41
17 It's The Talk Of The Town (Levinson, Symes, Neiburg) 2:37
18 You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To (Porter) 2:17
19 It Ain't Necessarily So (Gershwin, Gershwin) 2:19
20 Tenderly (Gross, Lawrence) 2:37
21 This Can't Be Love (Rodgers, Hart) 2:06
22 Old Devil Moon (Lane, Harburg) 1:58
23 My Happy Time (esmond) 2:20
24 There's A Small Hotel (Rodgers, Hart) 2:13
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Personnel
[Cd. 1, # 1-4] John T. Williams Quartet (from the album "The John Towner Touch", Kapp KI-1055)
John T. Williams - p
Howard Roberts - g
Joe Mondragon - b
Jack Sperling - dr
Recorded at Radio Recorders, Hollywood ; October 3, 1956
[Cd. 1, # 5-10] John T. Williams Quartet, with a string section conducted by Russell Garcia (from the album "The John Towner Touch", Kapp KI-1055)
Same as above
String section, Russell Garcia - cond.
Recorded at Radio Recorders, Hollywood ; October 18, 1956
[Cd. 1, # 11 & 12] John T. Williams (piano solo) (from the album "The John Towner Touch", Kapp KI-1055)
John T. Williams - p
Same place & date as above
[Cd. 1, # 13-16] John T. Williams Quartet (from the collective album "Modern Jazz Gallery", Kapp KXL-5001)
John T. Williams - p
Howard Roberts - g
Curtis Counce - b
Jerry Williams - dr
Recorded at Radio Recorders, Hollywood ; November 2, 1956
[Cd. 1, # 17 & 18] John T. Williams Quartet from the album "Marjorie Lee — Remembering", Beau Monde BR-100)
John T. Williams - p
Bob Gibbons - g
Rolly Bundock - b
Jack Sperling - dr
Recorded at Radio Recorders, Hollywood ; May 8, 1957
[Cd. 2, # 1-4] John T. Williams Septet (from the album "World on a String", Bethlehem BCP-6025)
Herb Geller - as
Buddy Collette & Gene Cipriano - ts
Marty Berman - bs
John T. Williams - p
Buddy Clark - b
Jerry Williams - dr
Recorded at Radio Recorders, Hollywood ; October 3, 1957
[Cd. 2, # 5-9] John T. Williams Octet (from the album "World on a String", Bethlehem BCP-6025)
Milt Bernhart, Dick Noel & Joe Howard - tb
Bob Enevoldsen -v-tb
John T. Williams - p
George Roberts - g
Buddy Clark - b
Jerry Williams - dr
Recorded at Radio Recorders, Hollywood ; October 4, 1957
[Cd. 2, # 10-12] John T. Williams Septet (from the album "World on a String", Bethlehem BCP-6025)
Dick Noel - tb
Bob Enevoldsen - v-tb
Richie Kamuca - ts
Marty Berman - bs
John T. Williams - p
Buddy Clark - b
Jerry Williams - dr
Recorded at Radio Recorders, Hollywood ; October 14, 1957
[Cd. 2, # 13-24] John T. Williams Orchestra, featuring Johnny Desmond (from the album "Johnny Desmond — So Nice!", Venise 1003)
Frank Beach, Don Fagerquist & John Audino - tp
Dick Noel, Joe Howard & Ray Sims - tb
Bob Enevoldsen - v-tb
George Roberts (?) - b-tb
Ronnie Lang & Herman Gunkler - cl & as
Bill Holman & Gene Cipriano - ts
Marty Berman - bs
John T. Williams - p
Larry Bunker - vb
Tom Tedesco - g
Buddy Clark - b
Frank Capp - dr
John T. Williams & Bill Holman - arr.
Recorded at Radio Recorders, Hollywood ; February 24, 1958