Larry Williams

Lawrence Lowell Williams is an American record producer, composer, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist. He is proficient on the keyboards, saxophone, flute, and clarinet. Williams began his musical career in the 1970s, and has since established himself as a prominent figure in the music industry. He regularly toured and recorded with Al Jarreau for more than three decades and was also a musician on Michael Jackson's albums Off The Wall, Thriller, and Bad.

Early life Williams was born in Kansas City, Kansas, and grew up in Overland Park. He began learning the clarinet at the age of eight, under the influence of his father, who played the saxophone.

Williams went on to study music at New Mexico State University and later transferred to Indiana University School of Music in 1969. While at university, Williams began playing with visiting orchestras, including those of Glen Campbell, Henry Mancini, and Johnny Mathis.

While studying at Indiana University, Williams met Jerry Hey and Kim Hutchcroft, who would later become members of jazz-fusion band Seawind. He decided to leave university and focus on working full-time with Seawind in Hawaii.

A notable part of the band's sound was the "Seawind Horns" (Williams with trumpeter Jerry Hey, and sax and flute player Kim Hutchcroft).

Seawind caught the attention of drummer-producer Harvey Mason. He encouraged the group to move to Los Angeles, California, where they quickly established a regular gig at the club The Baked Potato.

Discography

1970 — Crow By Crow - Crow 1970 — Same Old Story - Blodwyn Pig 1976 — Seawind - Seawind 1976 — Earthmover - Harvey Mason 1976 — Like A Seabird in the Wind - Olomana 1977 — Finger Paintings - Earl Klugh 1977 — Agora - Paulinho Da Costa 1977 — Funk in a Mason Jar - Harvey Mason 1977 — Window a Child - Seawind 1978 — Blam! - Brothers Johnson 1978 — Single - Bill Champlin 1978 — Street Player - Rufus & Chaka Khan 1978 — Patrice - Patrice Rushen 1978 — Waiting for the Rain - James Vincent 1978 — Heartbreaker - Dolly Parton 1978 — All Fly Home - Al Jarreau 1978 — Other Peoples Rooms - Mark Almond 1978 — Kenji Shock - Kenji Omura 1978 — Songbird - Barbra Streisand 1978 — Rudy Copeland - Rudy Copeland 1979 — Take It Home - B. B. King 1979 — Minnie - Minnie Riperton 1979 — Future Now - Pleasure 1979 — Realce - Gilberto Gil 1979 — Poses - Alain Chamfort 1979 — Feel the Night - Lee Ritenour 1979 — Masterjam - Rufus & Chaka Khan 1979 — Follow the Rainbow - George Duke 1979 — If the Shoe Fits - Ronnie Dyson 1979 — A Brazilian Love Affair - George Duke 1979 — The Third Album - Paul Jabara 1979 — Levitation - The Floaters 1979 — The World Within - Stix Hooper 1979 — Branda Russell - Brenda Russell 1979 — The Glow - Bonnie Raitt 1979 — Runnin' to Your Love - Eddie Henderson 1979 — Double or Nothing - Lani Hall 1979 — J Michael Reed - J Michael Reed 1979 — You've Got It - Baby'O 1979 — Off the Wall - Michael Jackson 1980 — Bi Coastal - Peter Allen 1980 — Give Me the Night - George Benson 1980 — Light Up the Night - The Brothers Johnson 1980 — Candle - Heatwave 1980 — My Babe - Roy Buchanan 1980 — Special Things - Pleasure 1980 — Lady T - Teena Marie 1980 — Hold On - High Inergy 1980 — Faces - Earth, Wind & Fire 1980 — 21 At 33 - Elton John 1980 — Jeff Kutash And The Dancin' Machine - Jeff Kutash and The Dancin' Machine 1980 — Supercharged - Tavares 1980 — Better Days - The Blackbyrds 1980 — Magnificent Madness - John Klemmer 1980 — Shine - Average White Band 1980 — Larsen Feiten Band - Larsen Feiten Band 1980 — John & Arthur Simms - John & Arthur Simms 1980 — Tony Comer & Crosswinds - Tony Comer & Crosswinds 1981 — Labor of Love - Detroit Spinners 1981 — Wall To Wall - Rene & Angela 1981 — Precious Time - Pat Benatar 1981 — By All Means - Alphonse Mouzon 1981 — Breakin' Away - Al Jarreau 1981 — Yellowjackets - Yellowjackets 1981 — Camouflage - Rufus & Chaka Khan 1981 — What Cha Gonna Do For Me - Chaka Khan 1981 — Galaxian - Jeff Lorber Fusion 1981 — The Dude - Quincy Jones 1981 — All This Way - Patty Brard 1981 — I Like Your Style - Jermaine Jackson 1981 — Straight Ahead - Sheree Brown 1981 — Looking Forward - Bob Bailey 1982 — Dream On - George Duke 1982 — Distant Lover - Alphonse Mouzon 1982 — The Music - Sheree Brown 1982 — Retro Active - Robert Kraft 1982 — Dream On - George Duke 1982 — Rit/2 - Lee Ritenour 1982 — The Dukes Bugatti & Musker - The Dukes 1982 — Incognito - Spyro Gyra 1982 — Wild Things Run Fast - Joni Mitchell 1982 — Corpo e Alma - Simone 1982 — Thriller - Michael Jackson 1982 — Lift Me Up - Herbie Hancock 1982 — Hey Ricky - Melissa Manchester 1982 — Bobbi Walker - Bobbi Walker 1982 — Shangri-La - Toshiyuki Honda 1982 — Step Into the Funk - Alphonse Mouzon 1983 — Bet Cha Say That to All the Girls - Sister Sledge 1983 — Emergency - Melissa Manchester 1983 — Bodies and Souls - The Manhattan Transfer 1983 — Trouble in Paradise - Randy Newman 1983 — Continuation - Philip Bailey 1983 — Attitude - Stevie Woods 1983 — Girl at Her Volcano - Rickie Lee Jones 1983 — Guardian of the Light - George Duke 1983 — It's All Your Night - James Ingram 1983 — Friends - Larry Carlton 1983 — The Front - The Front 1983 — Old Fool Back on Earth - Michel Colombier 1983 — Kleiton & Kledir - Kleiton & Kledir 1983 — Hurt Me Baby – Make Me Write Bad Checks - Rick Dees 1984 — Give My Regards to Broad Street - Paul McCartney 1984 — Half The Effort Twice the Effect - Peter Cupples 1984 — Banded Together - Lee Ritenour 1984 — I've Got the Cure - Stephanie Mills 1984 — So Romantic - Evelyn King 1984 — A Private Heaven - Sheena Easton 1984 — Human Racing - Nik Kershaw 1984 — Don't Look Any Further - Dennis Edwards 1984 — Self Control - Laura Branigan 1984 — Patti Austin - Patti Austin 1984 — Love Talk - Kimiko Kasai 1984 — Mancha De Dende Nao Sai - Moraes Moreira 1984 — Call of the Wild - Vicot Feldman's Generation Band 1985 — Durrell Coleman - Durell Coleman 1985 — Mahvelous! - Billy Crystal 1985 — In London - Al Jarreau 1985 — Warming Up to the Ice Age - John Hiatt 1985 — Hold Me - Laura Branigan 1985 — Maisha - Sadao Watanabe 1985 — Mathematics - Melissa Manchester 1985 — The Heart of the Matter - Kenny Rogers 1985 — Soul Kiss - Olivia Newton-John 1985 — Unguarded - Amy Grant 1985 — Eaten Alive - Diana Ross 1985 — Magic - Four Tops 1985 — Medals - Russ Taff 1985 — Nightshift - Commodores 1985 — West of Broadway - Albert Fortis 1985 — Silk & Steel - 5 Star 1986 — Earth Run - Lee Ritenour 1986 — Headed For The Future - Neil Diamond 1986 — Fahrenheit - Toto 1986 — Without Walls - Michael Sembello 1986 — David Foster - David Foster 1986 — August - Eric Clapton 1986 — Rod Stewart - Rod Stewart 1987 — Everlasting - Natalie Cole 1987 — Richard Marx - Richard Marx 1987 — Love Changes - Kashif 1987 — No Protection - Starship 1987 — Bad - Michael Jackson 1987 — Hai Hai - Roger Hodgson 1987 — Discovery - Larry Carlton 1987 — Watch Out! - Patrice Rushen 1987 — Yauretê - Milton Nascimento 1987 — What If - What If 1987 — Say It Again - Jermaine Stewart 1987 — This Time - Al Jarreau 1987 — After Dark - Ray Parker Jr 1987 — Portrait - Lee Ritenour 1987 — Reservation For Two - Dionne 1987 — Humansystem - TM Network 1988 — What Up Dog? - Was (Not Wass) 1988 — Other Roads - Boz Scaggs 1988 — Back Of My Mind - Christopher Cross 1988 — Brian Wilson - Brian Wilson 1988 — The Lover in Me - Sheena Easton 1988 — In the City of Angels - Jon Anderson 1988 — Festival - Lee Ritenour 1988 — Till i loved You - Barbra Streisand 1988 — Desiree - Desiree Coleman 1988 — Nothing But the Truth - Ruben Blades 1988 — Rock Solid - Commodores 1988 — Life in the Modern World - The Crusaders 1988 — Night After Night - George Duke 1989 — Back on the Block - Quincy Jones 1989 — Repeat Offender - Richard Marx 1989 — Larger Than Life - Jody Watley 1989 — Cries And Whispers - Robert Hart 1989 — A New Flame - Simply Red 1989 — Spellhound - Joe Sample 1990 — Everything but the Girl - The Language of Life 1990 — Other Voices - Paul Young 1990 — Get Here - Brenda Russell 1990 — Ashes to Ashes - Joe Sample 1990 — A View 3rd Street - Jude Cole 1990 — Summer Nights - Marlene and Seawind 1991 — Better Love - Mezzoforte 1991 — Free - Rick Astley 1991 — Future Street - Pages 1991 — Carry On - Patti Austin 1991 — Fortissimo - Mezzoforte 1991 — Prince of Darkness - Big Daddy 1992 — Rockinghorse - Alannah Myles 1992 — Vivienne McKone - Vivienne McKone 1992 — Three Wishes - Spyro Gyra 1992 — Lynch Mob - Lynch Lob 1992 — Go West - Indian Summer 1992 — Snapshot - George Duke 1993 — No Strings - Sheena Easton 1993 — Jungle Fever - Neil Larsen 1993 — Keep On - 10 Degrees 1993 — Soul Talkin - Brenda Russell 1993 — Memphis Bound - Bryan Lee 1994 — Baby I Love Your Way - Big Mountain 1994 — It's Lewis - Lewis Cowdrey 1994 — Braille Blues - Bryan Lee 1995 — Illusions - George Duke 1995 — Larry & Lee - Lee Ritenour & Larry Carlton 1995 — Q's Jook Joint - Quincy Jones 1995 — Remember - Seawind 1995 — Are My Ears On Wrong - Jakko 1995 — In My Lifetime - Neil Diamond 1997 — Down to Earth - Nichelle Nichols 1997 — Being There - Wilco 1997 — Shapes aAnd Patterns - Swing Out Sister 1997 — Eros - Eros Ramazzotti 1997 — Only You - Pauline Wilson 1998 — This Is Jazz - George Duke 1998 — This Is Love - Lee Ritneour 1998 — A Place in the Sun - Lit 1999 — Snowbound - Fourplay 1999 — A New Standard - Steve Tyrell 1999 — Roulette Girl - Mary Prankster 2000 — My Kind of Christmas - Christina Aguilera 2000 — Somebody Loves You - Bob & Pauline Wilson 2000 — Brian Wilson - Brian Wilson 2000 — Fingerprints - Larry Carlton 2001 — Bad For Me - Dee Dee Bridgewater 2001 — Collection - Tracy Chapman 2001 — Tribute - Pauline Wilson 2001 — On The Way To Love - Patti Austin 2001 — Deep into It - Larry Carlton 2002 — Be Not Nobody - Vanessa Carlton 2002 — I'm Right There - Samantha Mumba 2002 — All I Got - Al Jarreau 2004 — The Dana Owens Album - Queen Latifah 2004 — Accentuate The Positive - Al Jarreau 2005 — Real Illusions — Reflections - Steve Vai 2005 — PCD - The Pussycat Dolls 2005 — World of Brazil - Lee Ritenour 2008 — Dukey Treats - George Duke 2009 — Reunion - Seawind

Source: