Sad news has reached us that John Williams, the Shropshire-based musician, composer and educator, has passed away at the age of 84. Born in London in 1941, Williams was best known as a baritone saxophonist, though he also doubled on many other instruments, including bass saxophone and recorder.
His career took off in 1962 after his 16-piece big band was hired to replace John Dankworth’s Sunday night residency at the Marquee Club by its proprietor, Harold Pendleton. The John Williams Big Band performed in that residency for the next two years, during which they also performed at the Richmond Festival, the International Jazz Festival at Belle Vue, Manchester, and other locations.
In the mid-1960s, he had a brief spell in Cardiff as musical director for Harlech Television. He accompanied pop stars such as Gladys Knight and the Three Degrees, and worked and recorded with the Canadian pianist Oscar Peterson. He became increasingly involved in composition and arranging over this time, eventually leading to a broadcast of his work on BBC Radio 3 in 1970, the first of several BBC programmes devoted to his work.
He ran and composed for several bands throughout the 70s, one of which was called WHV (Woodwind, Horns and Voice). He was also occasionally known to work in bands led by Mike Westbrook, Graham Collier, Norma Winstone, John Warren, Barry Guy, Don Rendell, Alan Cohen and others. Most famously, he was one of three baritone saxophonists in Keith Tippett’s Centipede, an orchestra with over fifty members, and recorded on their acclaimed 1971 album Septober Energy, produced by Robert Fripp of King Crimson.
After Williams left London in 1980, he moved to Ratlinghope in Shropshire. There, in 1981, he established Leasowes Bank Arts Festival with his wife Frances, which they ran out of a converted barn at their home for over thirty years. Each year, a classical or jazz composer was commissioned for a work that would be premiered at the Festival. Commissionees included Michael Nyman, Howard Blake, John Dankworth, Sally Beamish, Diana Burrell, David Matthews, Clark Tracey, Charles Dakin and Martin Butler.
Williams remained active as a player in the following years, with some notable recordings he made being:
- Year of the Buffalo (1984) – showcasing music by Pete Saberton for octet;
- New Perspectives Perform Five Housman Settings and Other Jazz Works (1996) – featuring vocalist Jacqui Dankworth and a 12-piece ensemble;
- Baritone Band (2000) – an ensemble of four baritone saxes and rhythm section;
- Tenorama (2003) – a meeting of musicians from an older generation (Don Rendell, Dave Gelly and Phil Day) with younger contemporaries Renato D’Aiello, Karen Sharp et al;
- In All My Holy Mountain (2017) – settings of Roger Garfitt’s poetry to music by Nikki Iles (reviewed for UKJN by Alison Bentley).
He was also a prolific teacher throughout his career, running a popular evening class at the Moberly Education Centre in Kilburn during his time in London. Attendees included saxophonist Chris Hunter (who went on to play in the Gil Evans Orchestra), free jazz drummer Paul Lytton and trumpeter Dick Pearce. Later in life, Williams directed the Shropshire Youth Jazz Ensemble from 1996 to 2012 with his longtime colleague, bassist Chris Bolton.
He is survived by his wife Frances, his children, Emily, Sam, James and Tom, and grandchildren.
In sadness.
John Charles Williams. Born London, 8 February 1941. Died Shropshire, 13 May 2025.
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TRIBUTES TO JOHN WILLIAMS (names appear in alphabetical order):
Alan Barnes: Amiable, bearded and beaming, John always had something of the Victorian naturalist about him. Softly spoken, he was the gentlest and most generous of men. These qualities were reflected in his music, be it in his composing and arranging or in his exceptional playing. He had a love of lower instruments: baritone saxophone, bass clarinet and even bass recorder, playing jazz on the latter instrument before such things were considered possible. He even herded a bunch of us together into “The baritone Band”, which included Chris Biscoe, John Surman, Jay Craig and Alan Wakeman. Typically, he featured us all as soloists as much as – perhaps more than – himself.
I also have fond memories of touring alongside Dick Pearce with the jazz/classical settings of A.E. Housman, which John had written and commissioned from others. I once asked him about his arrangement of “Black Nightgown” by Johnny Mandel. A copy of the score arrived in the post the very next day along with his transcription of Sidney Bechet’s “Blue Horizon”, which we’d also discussed. Moving from London to Shropshire, John was part of a vibrant local scene, and many of us benefitted from being invited to join them for concerts and education days. In short, a kindly, talented and big-hearted musician.
Charlie Rees: I have memories of John from a very young age, growing up in Shropshire, watching my father depping with his band Westcoastin’. Then, in 2011, I joined the Shropshire Youth Jazz Ensemble, which John ran with Chris Bolton. It was an incredibly supportive and inspiring environment – my first experience of ensemble playing. I stopped playing with SYJE in 2012 because I moved to Manchester to study at Chetham’s School of Music. I remember taking an iPod Shuffle with me, on which I had about 30 tracks. One of those was from John’s album Baritone Band, a track called “October Sun”. Revisiting it has brought back many memories. RIP John.
Chris Bolton: I had the honour of working with John since 1985 in many bands, including the trio Spectrum, Westcoastin’ and the Mike Blakesley Sextet until December 2024. We co-directed Shropshire Youth Jazz Ensemble from 1996 to 2012, and John inspired countless young musicians (many went on to music colleges) with his compositions and arrangements.
John was a wonderful musician and a beautiful human being who lived for his music. His passing is a great loss to the world of jazz.
Chris Hunter: John C Williams had many roles in my life: teacher, mentor, friend and, for a couple of years, landlord! He was also a wonder of England’s adult education system. His thoughtfully and meticulously crafted evening classes drew a legion of devotees, where aspiring jazz enthusiasts would be treated, in a large ensemble setting, to the work of the great arrangers….they were also, I’m sure for all of us, a kind of miraculous group therapy – and, for me, life changing.
Dick Pearce: In 1970, I was halfway through my army service, which I hated! On Monday evenings, I’d escape to Dave Gelly’s improvisation class at the Moberly Youth Centre in Kilburn. At someone’s recommendation there, I also began attending John Williams’ rehearsal band at Highbury Grove School on Wednesday evenings. John was very enthusiastic about teaching us the basics of section playing and encouraged our early attempts at improvisation.
We soon became friends. He invited me to play in his octet, and also got me into the Barney Day Sextet. We rehearsed once a week at Howarth’s rehearsal studios in Islington and played gigs at places like The Bulls Head (Barnes) and The Bell in Coddicot. He used to kind of rock back and forth when taking a solo, so his glasses would gradually slip down his nose and fall on the floor. When this happened, the audience would roar and cheer. I saw it as a little touch of his ‘showbiz’ quality.
While still in the army, I managed to get permission to live outside the barracks. I was living in Wandsworth when John invited me to live with him in his large terraced house in Villiers Road, Southall – drummer Tony Faulkner and pianist Mick Hamer also lived there. John occasionally rehearsed with small groups in the front room, sometimes with Brian Cooper’s big band. He could be experimental in those days, making bugs out of hearing aids for his bass clarinet and baritone mouthpieces, playing them through an echo unit. They worked very well. He tried the same with my old trumpet mouthpieces, but with less success.
After I left the army in 1971, I moved in and out of Villiers Rd. about three times. Every time I moved back, it felt like coming home – John was like the older brother I never had. Then I joined The Ronnie Scott Quintet in 1980, and John moved to Leasowes Bank Farm, so we saw less of each other. I visited him and Frances occasionally, and have great memories of practicing in their barn surrounded by sheep, butterflies and cows.
There is so much I could write about John that would fill a book. I just wish I could thank him for what I learned from him all those years ago. Rest in peace, my friend.
Edward Rees: I first became aware of John’s fabulous work during the National Jazz Month in 1987. John was appearing with a trio at a rural arts centre. This led me to his 1985 octet mini masterpiece The Year of The Buffalo and the realisation that we had a true giant of UK Jazz living in our Shropshire midst. But it would be wrong to say that he was living quietly. Rather, for decades he was busy making things happen: putting together bands, planning projects, composing, arranging, recording and staging an annual concert season at The Leasowes that included newly commissioned work by top artists. Then there was his role as tireless educator, mentoring (with little fanfare) generations of young musicians – for example, those who passed through the ranks of his Shropshire Youth Jazz Ensemble. He was a kind and gentle man whose passing leaves an artistic gap of significance in not only our locality but also the national Jazz scene.
Henry Lowther: I crossed paths with John a few times in the distant past and did, on one occasion, play in his barn in a remote corner of Shropshire. I’m sorry to hear of his passing and shall remember him as a talented musician and nice guy!
John Surman: I’m sad to hear of John’s passing. I got to know him when I first came to London in the early 60s, when he was running a big band. We spent some time back then sharing the joys of life as baritone saxophone players, with all the back-aching trials and tribulations that go along with playing the big horn. Much later, I recall enjoying his hospitality whilst visiting his home in Shropshire with Karin Krog to perform at a small festival that he had organised. It was a real pleasure. My thoughts go out to his family. A loss to the great community of baritone sax specialists.
Martin Speake: John was so important to me early in my career. His octet album The Year of the Buffalo, with music composed by Pete Saberton, was my first recording – I was petrified and in awe of playing with all those heroes of mine. John was always so supportive and encouraging. When he moved out of London to Shropshire, he offered me the jazz evening class he used to teach at Moberley Education Centre in Kilburn – I taught that class for 8 years from 1983 to 1991. Then I also played at a few of the summer festival concerts he used to put on in his converted barn in Ratlinghope, Long Mynd. There was always such a wonderful atmosphere there. I owe him a lot. He helped me on my path as a player and educator. He brought people together. Thank you, John.
Stan Sulzmann: While I didn’t work with John much, I knew him fairly well. He was prolific in writing and organising his own projects, though he seemed like quite a sad person whilst living in London – perhaps life had not been so good to him there. But that seemed to change drastically when he and his wife moved to Long Mynd in Shropshire, where they created a lovely gig space in a barn at their home and put on concerts. They invited John Taylor and myself to do a gig, so we drove up from Glamorgan Summer School, where we were teaching. John (Williams) seemed transformed – he looked better and healthier than I’d ever seen, and much happier! We played a lovely gig in the barn and were treated to wonderful hospitality. I think he had created a new life teaching in the area. John was someone who made good things happen against all odds. I feel for his younger brother, Jeff – a fine flautist and sax player.
With thanks to Chris Biscoe, Dick Pearce, James Mark and Edward Rees for their recolections in piecing together the story of John’s career.
3 responses
How lovely to hear these recollections of a lovely man and inspiring teacher.
John was always full of little tips and anecdotes that taught me a lot about running a band.
In the 1990s, perhaps the most memorable gig that Zyklus (Ian Carr, Neil Ardley, Warren Greveson and me) ever played was at the Leasowes Festival; John and Frances were terrific hosts. The view from the farm sticks in my mind.
John Williams’ band was also the first ensemble to play one of my compositions, at London’s ICA.
Thank you John, for everything. JLW
I heard John many times when he was a London based musician, he was always very amiable and approachable, as was his music – what some might regard as experimental music was never austere or forbidding. I have always loved the baritone band, and bought the CD as soon as it was released – Tenorama, too. The idea of using a recorder in a band of baritones was inspired – it shouldn’t have worked, but it did. I can’t imagine anybody else trying that in that context. I am just sorry that both these discs came out on Spotlite, because, with the death of Tony Williams a few years ago, the label seems now to be defunct, and as a consequence copies are now very expensive, and hard to find. I would encourage anybody to buy them if they come across them.
My condolences to his wife and family.
I knew John in the 1970s when, as a newcomer to London (and to more modern forms of jazz) I played in various of his band formations. We recorded BBC radio jazz programmes and I particularly liked his unusual outfit with french horns. He was always inspiring and good to be around. Rest in peace John.