Bill Mays
William Allen "Bill" Mays (born February 5, 1944) is an American jazz pianist from Sacramento, California.
Biography
He came from a musical family and at the age of 15 became interested in jazz at an Earl Hines concert.
From 1969 to the early 1980s Mays worked as a studio session musician in Los Angeles. He has been an accompanist to singers Al Jarreau, Peggy Lee, Anita O'Day, Frank Sinatra, Sarah Vaughan and Dionne Warwick, and also worked with artists such as Don Ellis, Mel Lewis, Shelly Manne, Bob Mintzer, Red Mitchell, Gerry Mulligan, Art Pepper, Bud Shank, Bobby Shew, Sonny Stitt, Paul Winter, Phil Woods and Frank Zappa. In 1984, he moved to New York City and began to do more work as a bandleader, composer, and arranger. He has recorded over two dozen albums under his own name, and has been heard on hundreds more by others.
Discography
As leader
- A Musical Cocktail 1976
- Explorations with Bud Shank, (Concord Concerto 1979)
- Night and Day with Peter Sprague, Jim Plank and Bob Magnusson, (Discovery, 1980)
- Two of a Mind with Red Mitchell, (ITI 1982)
- Tha's Delights, Bill Mays Quintet, with Shelly Manne, Andy Simpkins, Tom Harrell and Ralph Moore, (Discovery, 1983)
- Kaleidoscope, Bill Mays Quintet, with Jeff Hirshfield, Harvie Swartz, Peter Sprague and Dick Oatts, (Concord Jazz, 1989)
- One To One with Ray Drummond, (DMP, 1989)
- One To One 2 with Ray Drummond, (DMP, 1990)
- Live at Maybeck Hall, solo album, (Concord, 1992)
- Live at Maybeck Hall, by Bill Mays and Ed Bickert (Concord, 1994)
- An Ellington Affair, Bill Mays Trio, with Lewis Nash and John Goldsby, (Concord, 1994)
- Stridin' in Five, solo album, 1995
- Mays in Manhattan, Bill Mays Trio/Sextet, with Tim Horner, Sean Smith, Marvin Stamm, Jon Gordon and Ed Neumeister, (Concord, 1996)
- Out in Pa., Bill Mays Trio, with Martin Wind and Matt Wilson, (No Blooze, 1999; reissued Palmetto, 2010)
- By Ourselves with Marvin Stamm, (Marstam, 1999)
- Summer Sketches, Bill Mays Trio, with Martin Wind and Matt Wilson, (Palmetto, 2000)
- Going Home, Bill Mays Trio, with Martin Wind and Matt Wilson, (Palmetto, 2002)
- Bick's Bag with Neil Swainson and Terry Clarke, (Triplet, 2002)
- Live at Jazz Standard, Bill Mays Trio, with Martin Wind and Matt Wilson, (Palmetto, 2004)
- Fantasy, Inventions Trio with Marvin Stamm and Alisa Horn, (Palmetto, 2005)
- Delaware River Suite, Inventions Trio with Marvin Stamm and Alisa Horn, (No Blooze, 2007)
- SOLO: Bill Mays, solo piano DVD, (No Blooze, 2009)
- Mays at the Movies, Bill Mays Trio, with Peter Washington and Billy Drummond (SteepleChase, 2009)
- The Best Is Yet to Come, Bill Mays Trio, with Joe La Barbera and Ryu Kawamura (Five Stars, 2009)
- Stuffy Turkey, Bill Mays Trio, with Joe La Barbera and Mattias Svensson (Five Stars, 2010)
- Blue Rondo a la Turk, Bill Mays and Keisuke Ohta (Five Stars, 2010)
- Phil & Bill, Phil Woods and Bill Mays (Palmetto, 2011)
- Intersection, Road Work Ahead, Mays, Sprague, Magnusson and Plank (SBE, 2013)
As sideman
With Lalo Schifrin
- Rollercoaster (soundtrack) (MCA, 1977)
With Martin Wind
- Tender Waves (A Records, 1995)
External links
- Official website
- Barnes and Noble artist bio
- New England Jazz History Database - Worcester Radio Interview
- NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) Oral History Program Interview June 8, 2005