ABOUT JAMES WILLIAMS
Jazz artist who collaborated with some of the greatest musicians in history, including Wynton Marsalis , Dizzy Gillespie , and Chet Baker .
He was an organist for six years at Eastern Star Baptist Church in Memphis.
He was offered a teaching position at the Berklee College of Music when he was 22, an offer that he accepted.
His family recognized his gifts early on, and he began formal piano lessons when he was 13.
He met Art Blakey in 1977, prompting him to leave Berklee and join Blakey's The Messengers for four years and 10 albums.
