Larry Willis

American jazz pianist and composer (1942–2019)

Born: 20 December 1942
New York City
Died: 29 September 2019
Mercy Medical Center (Baltimore, Maryland)
Country: United States
Active: 1965–

Biography

Larry Willis was a jazz musician who played piano and musical keyboard. Larry Willis was born on 20 December 1942 in New York City and died on 29 September 2019 in Mercy Medical Center (Baltimore, Maryland). The music is usually filed under jazz, jazz fusion and bebop.

Lawrence Elliott Willis (December 20, 1942 – September 29, 2019) was an American jazz pianist and composer. He 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.

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