Mary Lou Williams - Turning The Tables
Jazz composer and pianist Mary Lou Williams is photographed in 1950. Gilles Petard/Redferns/Getty Images hide caption
Mary Lou Williams - Turning The Tables A groundbreaking composer, bandleader and arranger who remained "perpetually contemporary" and mentored countless jazz greats.
Mary Lou Williams, Charenee Wade, Lizz Wright Getty Images/NPR hide caption
Andy Kirk And His Orchestra, including Mary Lou Williams (sitting at the piano), pose for a studio group portrait in 1940. Williams toured with Kirk's band before settling in New York. Gilles Petard/Redferns hide caption
Mary Lou Williams on stage in 1968. David Redfern/Getty Images hide caption
Mary Lou Williams in 1942. In the 1930s and '40s, her apartment on 63 Hamilton Terrace formed an important space in advancing the evolution of jazz and the survival of musicians. Donaldson Collection/Getty Images hide caption
Helen Sung on Mary Lou Williams NPR hide caption
Jazz helped Mary Lou Williams stay alive — but after several draining decades as a musician, she quit the scene. When she returned, she claimed her true power as one of jazz's fiercest advocates. Metronome/Getty Images hide caption
Mary Lou Williams began arranging in 1929. By 1942, she was among the most renowned arrangers in the business. Bettmann/Bettmann Archive hide caption