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Artist
Larry Willis
12+ albums
jazzfunkjazz pianopianocheck
about
Larry Willis (Lawrence Elliott Willis, New York City, NY, USA, December 20, 1940 - September 29, 2019) was an American jazz pianist and composer. He has performed in a wide range of styles, including jazz fusion, Afro Cuban Jazz, bebop and avant-garde. Willis was born in New York City. After his first year studying music theory at the Manhattan School of Music he began performing regularly with Jackie McLean. After he graduated he made his first jazz recording, McLean's Right Now! in January 1965, which featured two of Willis' compositions. His first recording of any type, however, was as a singer with the Music and Arts Chorale Ensemble, performing an opera by Aaron Copland under the direction of Leonard Bernstein. He decided to concentrate on jazz because of the difficulties African American musicians had in finding work in concert music. Throughout his career he has performed with a wide range of musicians, including several years as keyboardist for Blood, Sweat & Tears (beginning in 1972). He spent several years as pianist for Nat Adderley, as well as long and productive tenures with Roy Hargrove and with Jerry Gonzalez & The Fort Apache Band. His latest recording with Paul Murphy, Exposé, demonstrated the fusion principles of bebop and avant-garde jazz. His composition "Sanctuary" began exploring works employing strings. After a successful performance in Frank Lloyd Wright's Annie Pfieffer Chapel at Florida Southern College's Child of the Sun Jazz Festival he was comm
top songs
albums
Inner Crisis
I Fall in Love Too Easily (The Final Session at Rudy Van Gelder's)
The Big Push
Heavy Blue
The Best of the Funky Blues from the Groove Merchant Vault
The Offering
How Do You Keep the Music Playing?
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Groove Merchant Super Funk Collection - Return of Jazz Funk
Inner Crisis (2024 Remastered Version)
Blue Fable
Steal Away
a new kind of soul