A child prodigy, Williams taught herself to play piano at the age of three. She went on to write arrangements for Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Earl “Fatha” Hines, Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey and others. Ellington called her “perpetually contemporary.” She gave lessons to musicians like Thelonious Monk, and was a friend and mentor to the likes of Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Tadd Dameron, Bud Powell, and Dizzy Gillespie. 

In 1945 Williams wrote Zodiac Suite, a series of dedications to fellow musicians born under each astrological sign to form a set of jazz tone poems. She recorded the original trio version, with herself on piano, then made a version for chamber orchestra that was performed at Town Hall in New York. There followed full symphonic orchestrations of three of the 12 movements, which was performed by the Carnegie Pops Orchestra.

Tonight’s soloist, Aaron Diehl, appeared in the New York Philharmonic’s online presentation, “An All-American Program,” in selections from the chamber-orchestra version of the “Zodiac Suite.” Making his Philharmonic debut was Tito Muñoz, who will conduct the Oakland Symphony’s concert in May.

~ Program Notes by Charley Samson, copyright 2022.