Rudy Williams (September 21, 1909 [1] – August 30, 1954) [2] was an American jazz alto saxophonist. [3]
He was born in Newark, New Jersey, United States. [1] His birth year has been cited as 1917 [2] and 1919, among others. Nicknamed 'Looney', [4] Williams started on saxophone at age twelve, and concentrated on alto, though he was also capable on baritone and tenor sax. He became a member of the Savoy Sultans in 1937 and recorded frequently with the group. [1] In the 1940s, he played with Hot Lips Page, Luis Russell, Chris Columbus, and John Kirby, and led his own bands in Boston and New York City later in the decade. [1] He played with Tadd Dameron in 1948, and after more time as a bandleader in Boston in the early 1950s, he played with Illinois Jacquet and Gene Ammons in California. [1] As a member of Oscar Pettiford's band, he toured East Asia in the 1950s. [1]
Williams also recorded with Howard McGhee, Dud Bascomb, Don Byas, Babs Gonzales, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Eddie Vinson, Bennie Green, and Johnny Hodges. [1] He never recorded as a bandleader. After his death, Charles Mingus wrote a memorial piece, "Eulogy for Rudy Williams", then recorded it for Savoy. The liner notes of the Savoy album state Williams died by drowning in 1954, in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. [2]