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–
Discography: 17 albums

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. The discography here lists 17 albums, from “A New Kind Of Soul” (1972) to “I Fall in Love Too Easily - The Final Session at Rudy Van Gelder's” (2020).

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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Discography

Studio and live albums

A New Kind Of Soul 1972 · Brunswick Inner Crisis 1974 · Groove Merchant

Just in Time 1989

Heavy Blue 1990

Let's Play 1991

Steal Away 1992

Unforgettable 1992

A Tribute To Someone 1993

If Trees Could Talk 1999

Alter Ego 2006

Alone Together 2007

Blue Fable 2007

The Offering 2008

Four Hands, One Heart 2011

This Time the Dream’s on Me 2012

I Fall in Love Too Easily - The Final Session at Rudy Van Gelder's 2020

How Do You Keep the Music Playing?

Also plays on

Albums where Larry Willis is credited as a sideman

1965	The Americanization of Ooga Booga — Hugh Masekela	piano
1966	Right Now! — Jackie McLean	piano
1970	Reconstruction — Hugh Masekela	piano, vocals
1972	New Blood — Blood, Sweat & Tears	Hammond organ, electric piano, vocals, arranger, piano
1973	Multiple — Joe Henderson	piano
1973	The Essence of Mystery — Alphonse Mouzon	electric piano, piano
1974	Mirror Image — Blood, Sweat & Tears	keyboard
1975	Jacknife — Jackie McLean	piano
1977	Brand New Day — Blood, Sweat & Tears	keyboard
1980	For Sure! — Woody Shaw	piano
1981	Infinity — Lee Morgan	piano
1982	Still Hard Times — David “Fathead” Newman	piano
1983	So Nobody Else Can Hear — Jimmy Cobb with Freddie Hubbard & Gregory Hines	piano
1983	"Lieb": Close-Up — David Liebman	piano
1985	Night-glo — Carla Bley with Steve Swallow	piano
1986	Royal Garden Blues — Branford Marsalis	piano
1987	Life Flight — Freddie Hubbard	electric piano, synthesizer, piano
1987	Sextet — Carla Bley	piano
1990	Carmen Sings Monk — Carmen McRae	piano
1994	Episode One - Children Of Harlem — Gary Bartz	piano
1995	The Session — Jimmy Cobb	piano
1995	Family — Roy Hargrove	piano
1997	Play What You Feel — Clifford Jordan Big Band	producer
2000	Moment to Moment — Roy Hargrove	piano, instrument arranger
2000	Live Volume One — Woody Shaw	piano
2001	Live Volume Two — Woody Shaw	piano
2002	Spirit of the Horn — Slide Hampton	piano
2002	Live, Volume Three — Woody Shaw	piano
2005	Live Volume Four — Woody Shaw	piano
2025	Jacknife — Jackie McLean	piano