James Williams
Piano Solo on
Recordame

About

James Williams opens the solo section with six commanding choruses of piano on Joe Henderson's "Recorda-Me," the first track on Rickey Woodard's 1992 live album The Tokyo Express. At approximately 171 BPM over the 16-bar form in A minor, his playing combines hard-bop authority with lyrical sensitivity, the Latin rhythmic feel creating a propulsive foundation for his extended improvisation. As the first of two soloists, Williams's six-chorus statement establishes the high improvisational standard that characterizes this concert recording. The repeating 16-bar harmonic cycle builds cumulative intensity, and Williams exploits the structure with an improvisation that develops and deepens with each pass through the form.

James Williams was 40 to 41 years old at the time.