Artist: Buster Williams

Buster Williams is an American jazz bassist. 

Williams is known for his membership in pianist  Herbie Hancock's early 1970s group, working with guitarist Larry Coryell from the 1980s to present, working in the Thelonious Monk repertory band  Sphere, and as the accompanist of choice for many singers, including Nancy Wilson. 

He had his first professional gig while he was still a junior high school student. Williams later spent his days practicing with Sam Dockery, who was playing in Jimmy Heath's band in Philadelphia on a regular double bill with Sam Reed. Heath eventually hired Williams to be in his band.

After graduating high school in 1960, Williams had the opportunity to play with Gene Ammons and  Sonny Stitt. After the first set, Ammons and Stitt asked Williams to join the band on tour, starting in Chicago, after playing through the weekend in Philadelphia. Williams toured with them for about a year, from 1960 into 1961.

Williams attended Combs College of Music in Philadelphia irregularly during and after his tenure with the Ammons/Stitt group. He learned composition, syntax, harmony and theory from Dr. Roland Wiggins. 

Williams was hired by Dakota Staton in 1961. This was closely followed by work with Betty Carter in 1962 and Sarah Vaughan in 1963. Vaughan took him on his first European tour, during which he connected with the Miles Davis Quintet on the French Riviera.

In 1964, Williams formed a more lasting working relationship with Nancy Wilson, with whom he recorded several albums for Capitol Records.  Williams would go on to work with numerous other vocalists throughout his career, including Sathima Bea Benjamin, Shirley Horn, Betty Carter, Jonathan Schwartz, Carmen McRae, Roseanna Vitro, Helen Merrill, Nnenna Freelon, Jon Lucien, Marguerite Mariama, and Champian Fulton. 

Williams moved to Los Angeles, which facilitated touring and recording with Nancy Wilson as well as The Jazz Crusaders, with whom he recorded five albums for Pacific Jazz.  

Williams moved to New York and joined the Herbie Hancock Sextet In October 1968, and continued to work steadily, playing shows with Art Blakey, Herbie Mann, and Mary Lou Williams, while recording for  Atlantic, Blue Note, and Prestige with artists such as McCoy Tyner, Dexter Gordon, Roy Ayers, Stanley Turrentine, Frank Foster, Illinois Jacquet, and, once again, Gene Ammons.

Having worked with Herbie Hancock in the Miles Davis Quintet, Williams became a fixture of Hancock's Mwandishi Sextet. The Mwandishi Sextet explored new electronic sounds in jazz and featured Williams on both acoustic and electric bass.