"In his hands, the bass is a fully articulate solo voice."
- Down Beat review of tHoudini
“One of the key sidemen in modern jazz… Buster’s harmony is impeccable and he has a rhythmic sense that is unfailing, feeling and utterly original..”
- The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD
The great Buster Williams needs no introduction.
The New Yorker: “Bassist Buster Williams is one of the key players in modern jazz with a rock-solid grounding in harmony, counterpoint and orchestration. Buster’s musicianship is impeccable and his rhythmic sense unfailing. Williams’ work as a leader is a blueprint for bassists on how to assume a more proactive, forward position in an ensemble without throwing it out of balance.”
The list of artists Mr. Williams has played with is a veritable corps d'elite of jazz. He has played, recorded and colaborated with giants such as Art Blakey, Betty Carter, Carmen McRae, Chet Baker, Chick Corea, Dexter Gordon, Jimmy Heath, Branford Marsalis, Wynton Marsalis, Gene Ammons, Sonny Stitt, Herbie Hancock, Larry Coryel, Lee Konitz, McCoy Tyner, Ilinois Jacquet, Nancy Wilson, Elvin Jones, Miles Davis, the Jazz Crusaders, Ron Carter, Woody Shaw, Sarah Vaughan, Benny Golson, Mary Lou Wiliams, Hank Jones, Lee Morgan, Jimmy Rowles, Hampton Hawes, Cedar Walton, Bobby Hutcherson, Bily Taylor, Sonny Rolins, Count Basie, Errol Garner, Kenny Barron, Charlie Rouse, Dakota Staton, Kenny Dorham, and Freddie Hubbard, to name a few.
Mr. Williams’ awards include a Grammy in 1979, the Min-On Art Award, the SGI Glory Award the SGI Cultural Award, the RVC Corporation RCA Best Seler Award, 5 Stars from Downbeat magazine for the album Crystal Reflections, and he has been listed in Who’s Who in Black America. In 1991 he was awarded a National Endowment for the Arts grant to compose and perform a work for quintet, string ensemble and vocal chorus. Also that year he received a New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship Grant.