Steve Williamson

For the U.S. Naval officer, see Stephen F. Williamson.

Steve Williamson (born 28 June 1964)^[1] is an English saxophonist and composer (tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, keyboard and composition). He has been called "one of the most distinctive saxophone voices in contemporary British jazz".^[2]

Steve Williamson
Steve Williamson
Background information
Birth name	Stephen Williamson
Born	(1964-06-28) 28 June 1964 (age 60) London, England
Occupation(s)	Saxophonist, composer
Instrument(s)	Tenor, soprano and alto saxophones, keyboards
Years active	1982–present
Labels	Verve, Universal Distribution, Polydor
Website	stevewilliamson.co

Biography

Born in London, England, to Jamaican parents, Williamson began playing saxophone at the age of 16 and started his career playing in reggae bands, including Misty in Roots.^[3]

In 1984 and 1985 he studied at London's Guildhall School of Music, where he was tutored by Lionel Grigson. Williamson was a member of the noted collective of British-born black jazz musicians who came together as the Jazz Warriors in the mid-1980s.^[4]

At the Nelson Mandela 70th birthday open-air festival in 1988, Williamson played alongside Courtney Pine in Wembley Stadium,^[5][6] and afterwards was a constant presence at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club. He was member of Louis Moholo's Viva La Black (1988)^[5] and of Chris McGregor's Brotherhood of Breath (1990). During the 1990s he led his own band and appeared in projects of Iain Ballamy, Maceo Parker, Bheki Mseleku, US3, and Graham Haynes.

In 1990, Williamson released his first album A Waltz for Grace with Verve,^[5] featuring vocalist Abbey Lincoln. In 1992, he released his second album, Rhyme Time, followed by Journey to Truth in 1994, featuring Cassandra Wilson.

Discography

As leader

• A Waltz for Grace (Verve, 1990) with Abbey Lincoln
• Rhyme Time (Verve, 1992) with Cassandra Wilson
• Journey To Truth (Nippon Phonogram, 1994)
• #One (Babel, 2014) with Black Top (Orphy Robinson, Pat Thomas)

As sideman

• Jazz Warriors, Out of Many, One People (1987)

Sources

• Martin Kunzler, Jazz-Lexikon, vol. 2, 2002. ISBN 3-499-16513-9

References

1. "Steve Williamson". BFI. Archived from the original on 3 July 2022. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
2. "Steve Williamson". Worldheartbeat.org. 8 August 2013. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
3. "Steve Williamson Pt.1". Ukvibe.org. 26 November 2014. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
4. "JS Finance – Finance news and tips". Archived from the original on 28 September 2014. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
5. Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 2701. ISBN 0-85112-939-0.
6. IDJ Dancers, Courtney Pine, Steve Williamson & Band at The Nelson Mandela Concert 1988

External links

• Steve Williamson discography at Discogs
• "Steve Williamson Pt.1", "Steve Williamson Pt.2". Interview by Michael J Edwards, UK Vibe.
• "Steve Williamson: Enigmatic Jazz Warrior meets Tomorrow’s Warriors", Ancient to Future, 12 July 2011.
• John Fordham, "Steve Williamson review – former Jazz Warrior back for next round", The Guardian, 3 September 2014.