Steve Williamson

Steve Williamson (born 28 June 1964) is an English saxophonist and composer (tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, keyboard and composition). He has been called "one of the most distinctive saxophone voices in contemporary British jazz".

Biography Born in London, England, to Jamaican parents, Williamson began playing saxophone at the age of 16 and started his career playing in reggae bands, including Misty in Roots.

In 1984 and 1985 he studied at London's Guildhall School of Music, where he was tutored by Lionel Grigson. Williamson was a member of the noted collective of British-born black jazz musicians who came together as the Jazz Warriors in the mid-1980s.

At the Nelson Mandela 70th birthday open-air festival in 1988, Williamson played alongside Courtney Pine in Wembley Stadium, and afterwards was a constant presence at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club. He was member of Louis Moholo's Viva La Black (1988) featuring vocalist Abbey Lincoln. In 1992, he released his second album, Rhyme Time, followed by Journey to Truth in 1994, featuring Cassandra Wilson.

Discography As leader A Waltz for Grace (Verve, 1990) with Abbey Lincoln Rhyme Time (Verve, 1992) with Cassandra Wilson Journey To Truth (Nippon Phonogram, 1994) One (Babel, 2014) with Black Top (Orphy Robinson, Pat Thomas)

As sideman Jazz Warriors, Out of Many, One People (1987)