Revitalizing the big band works of Mary Lou Williams – Adam Lee-Morgan Jazz Orchestra

Mary Lou Williams was a Pittsburgh-raised jazz pianist and composer who would go on to become one of the most influential jazz musicians of all time, writing music for Andy Kirk in Kansas City and later Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman, as well as informally instructing jazz greats such as Dizzy Gillespie and Thelonious Monk. Williams’ harmonic and rhythmic ideas, while chronologically rooted deep in the swing era, were the foundation on which much of the bebop movement was built. Despite this, her own name and work is underrepresented in the Jazz Canon.

Adam Lee-Morgan is a Pittsburgh-Based Jazz Scholar, professor, and bandleader. This project: “Revitalizing the Big Band Works of Mary Lou Williams,” aims to ensure that Williams’ work is presented and passed along to new generations of jazz musicians and fans, furthering her legacy as a jazz icon. This project reconstructs her big band writings from her handwritten notes supplemented by transcription and musical analysis of her writing style.

Excited to bring this project to the Barbara Morrison Performing Arts Center on May 6, 2026. Band kicks off at 8pm. $25 at the door, $20 advance. 4305 Degnan Blvd #101, Leimert Park, Los Angeles, California