Mary Lou Williams: The Lady Who Swings the Band

Mary Lou Williams: The Lady Who Swings the Band

70 mins | Documentary | April 1, 2015

Jazz pianist Mary Lou Williams was a genius ahead of her time. From child prodigy to "Boogie-Woogie Queen" to groundbreaking composer to mentoring some of the greatest musicians of all time, she never ceased to astound those who heard her play. But for a Black woman in the early 1900s, life as a star did not come easy.

Mary Lou Williams: The Lady Who Swings the Band

70 mins | Documentary | April 1, 2015

Mary Lou Williams: The Lady Who Swings the Band
Jazz pianist Mary Lou Williams was a genius ahead of her time. From child prodigy to "Boogie-Woogie Queen" to groundbreaking composer to mentoring some of the greatest musicians of all time, she never ceased to astound those who heard her play. But for a Black woman in the early 1900s, life as a star did not come easy.
Producers
Original title Mary Lou Williams: The Lady Who Swings the Band
Directors Carol Bash
Writers

Cast

Mary Lou Williams

as Self (archive footage)

Alfre Woodard

as Mary Lou Williams (voice)

Delroy Lindo

as John Williams (voice)

Wendell Pierce

as Andy Kirk (voice)

Stanley Crouch

as Self

Gary Giddins

as Self

Farah Griffin

as Self

Gayle Murchison

as Self

Peter O'Brien

as Self

Robert O'Meally

as Self

Billy Taylor

as Self

Geri Allen

as Self - Performer

Esperanza Spalding

as Self - Performer

Terri Lyne Carrington

as Self - Performer

Wycliffe Gordon

as Self - Performer

Carmen Lundy

as Self - Performer

Joel Haberli

as Barney Josephson / Critic (voice)

Robert Casteline

as Critic (voice)