Mary Lou Williams: A Documentary by Carol Bash
RACE
Carol Bash is an African-American documentary filmmaker who produced a piece on Mary Lou Williams, the African-American jazz pianist. Carol Bash was first introduced to Mary Lou Williams through her music and explains that Williams’ philosophy was that jazz came from the Blues, “from the suffering of black people.”1 During the interview, Monk Rowe, explains that he heard once that Mary Lou Williams, “did not blame the downside of her career on social issues very much. According to Rowe, Williams did not complain, “if I had been a white woman” or “if I had been a man.” Carol Bash followed by sharing that as far as she is concerned, Williams never felt “that being a woman held her back and that Williams simply “thought of herself just as a fine musician.”2 While this might be true, we must look at the fact that Williams said not to blame the outcome of her career on social issues “very much.” This “very much” does not discard the possible of Williams considering it at all.GENDER/ GENDER BIAS
While we know now that to a certain extent Mary Lou Williams did not zero in to social issues regarding her music career, Monk Rowe shares with Carol Bash having heard Mary Lou Williams’ husband say that Mary Lou played like a man. This was confirmed by Bash who also added that Williams would say it herself.3Sample performance:
For full interview transcript, read the following:
1 For more information on Mary Lou Williams, see Carol Bash, interview by Monk Rowe, Hamilton College Jazz Archive, February 4, 2012, line 18.
2 Interview, lines 213-219.
3 Interview, lines 231-232.
