Larry Willis


Lawrence Elliott Willis was an American jazz pianist and composer. He performed in a wide range of styles, including jazz fusion, Afro-Cuban jazz, bebop, and avant-garde.
Willis was born in New York City. After his first year studying music theory at the Manhattan School of Music he began performing regularly with Jackie McLean. After he graduated he made his first jazz recording, McLean's Right Now! in January 1965, which featured two of Willis' compositions. His first recording of any type, however, was as a singer with the Music and Arts Chorale Ensemble, performing an opera by Aaron Copland under the direction of Leonard Bernstein. He decided to concentrate on jazz because of the difficulties African-American musicians had in finding work in concert music.
Throughout his career he performed with a wide range of musicians, including several years as keyboardist for Blood, Sweat & Tears. He spent several years as pianist for trumpeters Nat Adderley and Woody Shaw as well as long and productive tenures with Roy Hargrove and with Jerry Gonzalez and his Fort Apache Band. His late recording with Paul Murphy, Exposé, demonstrated the fusion principles of bebop and avant-garde jazz. His composition "Sanctuary" began exploring works employing strings. After a successful performance in Frank Lloyd Wright's Annie Pfieffer Chapel at Florida Southern College's Child of the Sun Jazz Festival he was commissioned to write a full-scale orchestral work for jazz trio and orchestra. He worked with Hugh Masekela on a South African Suite of music and interpreted Miles Davis' work. He was in the Round About Midnight tour of Miles Davis' music. He received the Don Redman award in 2011, and the Benny Golson Jazz Master Award at Howard University in 2012.

Discography

As leader/co-leader

With Nat Adderley
With Gary Bartz
With Cindy Blackman
  • Arcane
With Carla Bley
  • Night-Glo
  • Sextet
With Blood, Sweat & Tears
  • New Blood
  • No Sweat
  • Mirror Image
  • New City
  • In Concert
  • More Than Ever
  • Brand New Day
With Jerry Gonzalez and The Fort Apache Band
  • Earth Dance
  • Crossroads
  • Pensativo
  • Fire Dance
With Roy Hargrove
  • Moment to Moment
With Louis Hayes
  • Nightfall
With Jimmy Heath
  • Peer Pleasure
With Joe Henderson
  • Multiple
With Groove Holmes
  • American Pie
With Clifford Jordan
  • The Mellow Side of Clifford Jordan
With Robin Kenyatta
  • Gypsy Man
With Hugh Masekela
  • Grrr
  • Reconstruction
  • Home Is Where the Music Is
  • Main Event Live
  • Almost Like Being in Jazz
  • Friends
With Jackie McLean
  • Right Now!
  • Jacknife
With Carmen McRae
  • Carmen Sings Monk
With Lee Morgan
  • Infinity
With Alphonse Mouzon
With David "Fathead" Newman
With Valery Ponomarev
  • Trip to Moscow
With Woody Shaw
  • For Sure!
With Steve Swallow
With Buddy Terry
With Norris Turney
With Fred Lipsius
With C. I. Williams
With Heads of State