Walkin' and Swingin'. Mary Lou Williams.

“Walkin’ and Swingin’,” composed originally for a jazz band by Mary Lou Williams, gives the solo pianist an original taste of Williams’s expertise in the style of jazz and blues of the 1930s. Opening with a laid-back swing introduction, the piece unfolds into a more lively swung melody, colored by improvisational gestures. Williams takes the melody through multiple key signatures, alternating between thin and thick textures, until it returns to its original key. What makes the piece especially fun are the rhythmic accents, triplets, embellishments, and the occasional harmonic dissonances.

Though the original composition is quite fast-paced, the wide leaps and tenth intervals in the left hand suggest that the tempo may be slower. A pianist with smaller hands may opt to roll the tenths, while maintaining a tasteful and upbeat rhythm. Note that Williams includes sparse finger suggestions, some of which may be changed as the pianist sees fit, and no dynamic indications. Perhaps this encourages performers to explore their own colors of this style, including the various use of pedaling techniques.

The abundance of records, arrangements, and compositions merely scratch the surface of Mary Lou Williams’ artistic expertise in the 1900s. Described as the only one “to have played in every stylistic period of jazz,” Williams was a true pioneer for musicians to follow. Furthermore, Williams embraced a life of charity and spirituality, which expanded throughout the later years of her life. Out of her battles with depression and the journey of soul-searching came a beautiful way to merge the world of spirituality and jazz, something unprecedented. She frequently performed benefit concerts and organized fundraisers, including the Bel Canto Foundation in 1958 to specifically help the numerous musicians who suffered from alcohol and drug addiction. Even so, her exceptional accomplishments have been overshadowed by jazz icons such as Duke Ellington and Thelonius Monk, though her arrangements were highly sought after by them and other highly respected jazz musicians.Though Mary Lou Williams excelled in the language of jazz, it was her relentless pursuit to merge social justice, charity, and music that substantially set her apart from others.Walkin’ and Swingin’ only represents a small fraction of her contribution to the world.

Sources

• Photo: Mary Lou Williams: A Centennial Celebration. NPR
• Witkowski, Deanna. 2021. Mary Lou Williams: Music for the Soul. Liturgical Press.
• Kernodle, Tammy L. 2020. Soul on Soul : The Life and Music of Mary Lou Williams. Urbana: University of Illinois Press.