Denver Woman’s Press Club

Mary Lou Williams (1910-1981) is one of the greatest jazz pianists, composers, and arrangers of all time. A swing and bebop icon, she also devoted herself to aiding musicians in need and teaching younger generations about jazz’s rich African-American heritage. Williams’s first lessons on piano came from her mother. Once on the scene, top bandleaders of the day, such as Benny Goodman, Louis Armstrong, and Duke Ellington, asked Williams to prepare fresh versions of popular songs for them, as well…