Tony Williams Quintet Live in New York, USA -1989

Tony Williams (December 12, 1945 – February 23, 1997) was an American jazz drummer.
Born in Chicago and growing up in Boston, Williams began studies with master drummer Alan Dawson at an early age and began playing professionally at the age of 13 with saxophonist Sam Rivers. Jackie McLean hired Williams at 16. At 17 Williams found considerable fame with Miles Davis, joining a group that was later dubbed Davis's "Second Great Quintet." His first album as a leader, 1964's Life Time (not to be confused with the name of his band "Lifetime," which he formed several years later) was recorded during his tenure with Davis.

Williams was a vital element of the group, called by Davis in his autobiography "the center of the group's sound". His inventive playing helped redefine the role of jazz rhythm section through the use of polyrhythms and metric modulation (transitioning between mathematically related tempos and/or time signatures). But perhaps his overarching achievement was in demonstrating, through his playing, that the drummer need not be relegated to timekeeping and accompaniment in a jazz ensemble; that the drummer may be free to contribute to the performance as an equal partner in the improvisation. Tony has contributed a great role as a jazz drummer for the past years until the time of his death. Very influential and innovative player.

Recorded on December 15, 1989 at Chelsea Television Studio, New York His contribution in the legendary Miles Davis quintet (Davis, Shorter, Hancock, Carter, Williams) was a milestone in the development of the jazz drums. While drummers before played tripling or ternary Tony Williams changed this in a binary way of playing and controlled the rhythmical happenings by speeding up, slowing down or at times abandoning the tempo and hence challenged his accompanists creatively. That opened the reach of play that would have remained closed by sticking to a consistent stare beat. Together with John McLaughlin and the organist Larry Young he found at the beginning of the 1970s the group "Lifetime" that had a significant impact on the connection of jazz with rock elements and therefore was style formative for the development of jazz-rock respectively fusion-jazz. In the 1980s Williams studied additionally composition and performed exclusively with his own bands. In this period arised "Sister Cheryl" too which became for the meantime a standard composition of Tony Williams.