Johnny Williams (drummer)
| Johnny Williams | |
|---|---|
Johnny Williams and Raymond Scott, 1938
|
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | John Francis Williams |
| Born |
November 15, 1905 Watertown, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | October 19, 1985 (aged 79) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Drums, percussion |
| Years active | 1930s–1970s |
| Labels | Columbia, Vocalion, Variety |
| Associated acts | Raymond Scott Quintette, Raymond Scott Orchestra, Your Hit Parade Orchestra, Johnny Williams and His Swing Sextet |
John Francis "Johnny" Williams (November 15, 1905 – October 19, 1985), was an American drummer and percussionist from the early 1930s to the late 1950s. In New York and Hollywood he worked on radio, in films, and as a recording artist.
He is the father of Hollywood film score composer and Boston Pops Laureate Conductor John Williams, and the grandfather of singer Joseph Williams and pianist/composer Paula Arlich.
Williams played drums in the New York-based CBS Radio orchestra in the early 1930s, and achieved stardom as drummer for the Raymond Scott Quintette from 1936 to 1939. Despite the name, the band was a sextet. Formed by Scott from the ranks of the CBS orchestra, the Quintette was an overnight sensation at the end of 1936, thanks to Scott's eccentric approach to jazz and idiosyncratic titles (e.g., "Dinner Music for a Pack of Hungry Cannibals" and "War Dance for Wooden Indians," both of which showcase the drummer's virtuosity).
In addition to the standard jazz drum and cymbal setup, Williams used a lot of cowbell, wood block, and tuned percussion. He had a flawless sense of timing, and was able to execute faithfully the abrupt tempo shifts of Scott's dynamic arrangements. Existing film clips of the Quintette show Williams displaying a high degree of showmanship, including stick twirls, tom-tom rides, and popgun rim-shots. His theatrical, effects-heavy approach predated and no doubt influenced the hyperactive style of musician-comedian Spike Jones.
Scott was a notorious perfectionist, demanding retake after retake in the rehearsal studio. About this process, Williams told historian Michèle Wood, "All he ever had was machines, only we had names." Williams, explaining Scott's (commercially successful) penchant for recording rehearsals and using the reference discs to develop and finalize his compositions, said, "He didn't write anything, but he edited everything. We would work these things up and we would never change them, ever. We had to do them note for note. It was highly unsatisfactory, and it sold like hell."
...
Wikipedia