Buster Williams © Howard A. gitelson

“Something More” is an apt title for Buster Williams’ ensemble. Among the busiest and most prolific of modern bassists, Williams has always been more than a sideman, from his early days with Jimmy Heath, Gene Ammons, and Sonny Stitt (all before age 20), to his alliance with such vocalists as Sarah Vaughan, Nancy Wilson, and Betty Carter, to his work on projects as diverse as the Jazz Crusaders, Herbie Hancock’s Mwandishi Band, and Sphere with T.S. Monk. In addition to his numerous supporting roles, Williams has also shone as a frequently-recorded leader and composer. The Penguin Guide to Jazz notes his “impeccable harmony” and a “rhythmic sense that is unfailing, feeling, and utterly original,” characteristics I’ve personally witnessed in his nearly annual visits to the Twin Cities, and more recently in a trio with Kenny Barron and Ben Riley at Chicago’s Jazz Showcase. On June 23-24, Williams brings his latest version of Something More, in quintet format, to Sweet Rhythm in Greenwich Village.

Bass players often are overlooked or underappreciated even by “jazz fans”—bass solos often seem to be regarded as mere intermissions while the horn or piano takes a break. Buster Williams commands our attention, as much to his supporting lines as to his dynamic and creative solos. The son of a bassist, Williams grew up in New Jersey, noting that “we were a two-bass family.” He was playing with Jimmy Heath while still in high school, and shortly after graduation was working with Gene Ammons and Sonny Stitt. Later he was hired by Dakota Staton, and over time appeared with jazz giants such as Art Blakey, Betty Carter, Carmen McRae, Chet Baker, Chick Corea, Dexter Gordon, Branford Marsalis, Wynton Marsalis, Herbie Hancock, Larry Coryell, Lee Konitz, McCoy Tyner, Illinois Jacquet, Nancy Wilson, Elvin Jones, Miles Davis, the Jazz Crusaders, Ron Garter, Woody Shaw, Sarah Vaughan, Benny Golson, Mary Lou Williams, Hank Jones, Lee Morgan, Jimmy Rowles, Hampton Hawes, Cedar Walton, Bobby Hutcherson, Billy Taylor, Sonny Rollins, Count Basie, Errol Garner, Kenny Barron, Charlie Rouse, Kenny Dorham, Freddie Hubbard, and more. But "after working almost continuously for 30 years as a sideman," says Buster, "I decided it was time to take the plunge, step up to the front, play my music, and express my concept of a cohesive musical unit. I've served my apprenticeship under many great masters and feel that it's my honor and privilege to carry on the lineage that makes this music such an artistically rich art form.” Williams was awarded an NEA grant for composition in 1991, shortly after forming the first configuration of his “Something More” band. In addition to his quartet, Williams recent work has included tours with Kenny Barron (with whom he once collaborated on the ensemble Sphere) and Benny Golson.

George Colligan

Marcus Strickland © Don Berryman

Williams adds fire to his ensemble with tenor sax young lion Marcus Strickland. Raised in Miami, Marcus and twin brother (drummer) E.J. Strickland were immersed in music by their father, a former percussionist for the Fort Lauderdale Symphony Orchestra and a jazz enthusiast. Starting on the alto sax at 11, he added the soprano at 13 and took up the tenor in high school. In 1997, the Strickland brothers moved to New York as students at the New School Jazz and Contemporary Music program, and soon were headlining at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center’s “Jazz In Progress” series. In the past decade, Strickland has gained extensive experience with The Carnegie Hall Big Band, The Mingus Band, the Village Vanguard Orchestra, Tom Harrell Big Band, Milt Jackson Big Band, The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, Reggie Workman's African American Legacy Band, Eric Reed, Ravi Coltrane, Russell Malone, Freddie Hubbard, Nnenna Freelon, Robert Hurst, and Roy Haynes’ Fountain of Youth, as well as leading his own quartet. Noted Thomas Conrad (Jazz Times), “What is most immediately striking is his tone: liquid and luminous, yet forceful and exact.”

Another leader of the younger generation, vibraphonist Stefon Harris began playing piano at six and ultimately gained proficiency on more than a dozen instruments. He attained the principal percussionist chair with the Empire State Youth Orchestra as a high school student and went on to graduate from the Manhattan School of Music with a BA in classical music and an MA in jazz performance. Harris has received wide recognition through 3 Grammy nominations (including 2003 for his recording, “Grand Unification Theory”); was named “Best Mallet Player” for 5 straight years by the Jazz Journalists Association, and has received various awards from Jazz Times, Downbeat, Jazziz, Newsweek, and more. Among his recording credits include partnerships with Max Roach, Wynton Marsalis, Cassandra Wilson, Buster Williams, Charlie Hunter, and many other top jazz artists. Additionally he is committed to jazz education and conducts numerous clinics and workshops at schools and universities throughout the country.

Stefon Harris © Andrea Canter

Lenny White

The Buster Williams “Something More” Quintet promises that the whole will be greater than the sum of its parts—and given the parts, that means two nights of exceptional jazz at Sweet Rhythm!

Sweet Rhythm is located at 88 Seventh Avenue South in New York’s Greenwich Village; phone 212-255-3626 for reservations. Sets at 8:00 pm, 10:00 pm, and midnight. Visit www.sweetrhythmny.com.