James Gordon Williams

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James Gordon Williams (1970-present) is an American jazz pianist and composer.

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Jazz pianist and composer James Gordon Williams was born to a Guyanese family in Los Angeles, California on November 2, 1970.

Originally from the City of Angels, the Manhattan resident originally migrated eastward to continue development as a creative musician on the East Coast scene. Now a force to be reckoned with on the jazz scene, Mr. Williams has appeared regularly at numerous venues including Birdland, Village Vanguard, and Harlem's historic Lenox Lounge. Mr. Williams has also given solo piano improvisation concerts at the Knitting Factory, NYC and performed world premieres of his original compositions at Smalls Jazz Club. As distinctive a composer as he is a player, Mr. Williams, also affectionately known by his closest colleagues as "JGW", compositions and arrangements are pensively lyrical- all bear his signature of refreshingly innovative harmonies and well-crafted melodies.

James Gordon Williams's highly acclaimed CD Unrepeatable Life, Jazz Improv Magazine's Winthrop Bedford has stated that "James Gordon Williams is nothing less than an accomplished, impressively creative pianist and composer, with great depth and substance."^{[citation needed]} All About Jazz writer Rusty Aceves stated that "Williams’ writing is marked by intensely lyrical and evocative melodic elements which are sometimes staggered with pointed chordal syncopations, adding depth, dimension, and a feeling of seeming serenity against constant motion."^{[citation needed]}

Mr. Williams' album, Unrepeatable Life, was a finalist for the 2006 Independent Music Awards Jazz Album of the Year category. Mr. Williams was also recently awarded a 2006 Music Residency at American University in Washington, D.C.

Mr. Williams has toured the countries of Malta, Switzerland, France, Sardegna, and Italy with the Greg Osby Five. Mr. Williams has been a member of drummer Charli Persips' Supersound for several years and has appeared with Mr. Persip at various festivals such as the New Jersey Jazz Fest and Duke Ellington Jazz Festival. Additionally, Williams has also performed with Joseph Jarman as part of AACM's concert season and the New York City Vision Festival.

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