February 12, 2017I’ve had the great pleasure to play, compose and arrange music and travel the world with my friend and musical partner, Al Jarreau on and off for 39 years. This morning at 5:30AM, he passed away peacefully. He was an incredible light to the world and I am so very grateful to have been a part of his life and music. No one I’ve ever met had a bigger heart and soul. Thanks to all my friends for your kind words and condolences. Much Love and Light to all of you. – Larry

 

2014January 2014: Ringo Starr performs “Photograph” with my horn section (Larry Hall and Nick Lane and myself) at the Grammys.

The day after the Grammys we taped The Night That Changed America: A Grammy Salute to the Beatles.

Feb 2014: “Jarreau” album performed in toto with 11 of London’s finest musicians at the legendary Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in Soho for 3 nights, 2 shows per night.

 

2013May 2013: Musical Director for the Gala Concert honoring the Ziering family at the Saban Theatre, starring Placido Domingo and Melissa Manchester.

March 2013: Arranged horns for John Mayer‘s new song “You Love Who You Love”, a duet with Katy Perry.

Played sax for Randy Newman‘s score for Pixar’s Monsters University.
Sessions for the Al Pacino film Imagine, conducted by Mark Graham.



March 2013: Arranged horn section for the song “Caribe” on the forthcoming Anita Baker album on Blue Note Records. Don Was produced.

Photo (l): Don Was (Producer), Anita Baker, Larry.

Photo (r): Chuck Findley (trumpet), Bill Reichenbach (trombone, bass trb), Bill Liston (tenor sax, flute), Anita, Larry (tenor sax, flute, arranger).

 

2012Green Day recording session; horns for “Brutal Love” arranged by Broadway’s Tom Kitt.

Concert with Al Jarreau at the Eastern European leaders Summit Gala in Ukraine.

Al Jarreau European Summer World Tour – June and July.

18th Annual Life Ball, Vienna Opera House, Vienna, Austria, Europe’s largest charity event with President Bill Clinton, Antonio Banderas and the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, benefitting the fight against HIV and AIDS; Performed a duet with Al Jarreau on “We’re in This Love Together” and accompanied Randy Crawford on “Imagine” to close the show at the Life Ball’s Red Ribbon Celebration Concert.

Al Jarreau private party performance in Hong Kong in February; 8-day tour in May from Austria to Slovakia, ending at the Life Ball in Vienna.

Video lessons for keyboards and sax in development, to be released on Rifftime.com later in the year.

Producing Al Jarreau Pop/R&B album: Larry Williams has been assembling some of the greatest songwriters working in contemporary Pop/R&B for Al’s as yet untitled release, including Randy Goodrum (Steve Perry, Toto, Chicago, DeBarge, etc.), Robbie Buchanan (keyboardist extrordinaire – Steely Dan, George Benson, Whitney Houston, etc.), Bill Champlin (Chicago, George Benson, Earth, Wind and Fire) and Brenda Russell (Luther Vandross, Chaka Khan, “Get Here”, Color Purple musical), Richard Page (Pages, Ringo Starr, Kenny Logins, Chaka Khan, Madonna). Many of the writers have written previous hits for Al and are co-writing with him and Larry on this album, planned for early 2013 on Concord Records.

 

2011Al Jarreau tour reaches Russia, with performances in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Minsk, and Vilnius (Lithuania), followed by Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. Only one symphony performance in 2011, held in Florida with the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra.

Larry was guest artist at the Musicians Institute of the College of Contemporary Music (California), guiding a band of Swedish scholarship students through the arrangement and performance of the Seawind track “He Loves You”.

In August, Larry reunited with Latin Grammy-winner Ivan Lin at Yoshi’s Jazz Club in San Francisco; Larry looks forward to future collaboration.

Soundtrack recording sessions for the gospel-flavor film Joyful Noise with Dolly Parton and Queen Latifah; under the direction of multiple Grammy-winner Mervyn Warren.

 

2010Composing songs for a new Seawind album.

Concerto di Natale, the Rai Due Christmas Eve concert, with Al Jarreau, Pino Daniele, and Skunk Anansie. Originally held at the Vatican, this concert series was awarded to Malta this year. Also featuring the National Philharmonic Orchestra, a group from the choir Voices, a children’s choir led by soprano Gillian Zammit, and Maltese soprano Maria Abela.

World Tour with Al Jarreau.

 

2009Michael Jackson movie/DVD “This Is It” released with original Seawind Horns and Williams’ synth parts.

Al Jarreau European Tour.

Seawind album “Reunion” – Co-Produced, composed, arranged, performed and engineered this Sony/Japan release.

Seawind Japan Tour – One week in Tokyo and Osaka.

Al Jarreau Symphony Concerts.

 

2008“Al Jarreau Christmas” – Produced, arranged and performed with Take 6, Jorge Calendrelli and Clare Fisher arrangements.

Benson/Jarreau Asian Tour.

Qunicy Jones 75th Birthday Concert at Montreux Jazz Fest – featured performer on piano and sax.

George Duke album “Dukey Treats” – tenor sax on 3 tracks.

2007Al Jarreau World Tour and George Benson/Al Jarreau US Tour, including Montreaux Jazz Festival televised performance.

Recorded 12 tracks for new release from reunited band Seawind.

Performance on sax at Hollywood Bowl with Arturo Sandoval’s Mambo Band.

Sax for Marc Shaiman’s score for 2007 release of movie Hairspray.

Sax and flute for David Foster produced 2007 release of Michael Bublé‘s “Call Me Irresponsible”.

 

2006Co-Produced, Arranged and played keyboards on George Benson/Al Jarreau album “Givin’ It Up For Love” (Concord/Monster). This historic pairing features Benson and Jarreau with Herbie Hancock, Patrice Rushen, Marcus Miller, Vinnie Colaiuta, Jill Scott, Patti Austin and Paul McCartney. Williams helped pull this record together with John Burk of Concord Records. It was nominated for three Grammy’s and won two. 48th Annual Grammy Awards – woodwinds for Mary J Blige performance.

US Tour with George Benson/Al Jarreau, and Al Jarreau World Tour.

Played sax on Jerry Hey-arranged Academy Award-winning movie Dreamgirls, with R&B production team The Underdogs (Harvey Mason Jr and Damon Thomas).

 

2005Al Jarreau World Tour and session work (Pussycat Dolls and others).

Played US Symphony dates with Al Jarreau.

 

2004Arranged and played acoustic piano on Jarreau’s album “Accentuate the Positive”.

 

Played sax with Queen Latifah on “The Dana Owens Album” and performed with her on 46th Annual Grammy Awards.

 

2003Al Jarreau World Tour and session work.
 

 

Christina Aguilera, Patti La Belle, Pink, Mya - and in the background, Larry Williams200244th Annual Grammy Awards, sax on Lady Marmalade with Christina Aguilera, Patti La Belle, Pink, and Mýa.

 

Became Al Jarreau’s keyboardist/saxophonist and toured Europe/US.

Toured Japan with Seawind vocalist Pauline Wilson in support of Sony album “Larry Williams & Friends”.

 

2001“Larry Williams & Friends” album on SACD (Super Audio CD) released by Sony Japan with major promo push and in-store display. Features Pauline Wilson (Seawind‘s lead singer) and Al Jarreau. On Apple Music

Arranged the Latin-themed “Storm” show at the Mandalay Bay Casino & Resort, Las Vegas.

 

Recorded HBO Movie Soundtrack For Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story.

Live performances with Quincy Jones.

 

2000Five orchestra arrangements and played woodwinds for Christina Aguillera‘s Christmas Special (ABC).

Arranged Christina Aguilera‘s #1 hit “Genie in A Bottle” for Latin Grammy Awards and played sax.


String arrangements for Mýa‘s pop ballad “Where The Dream Takes You” for the Disney film Atlantis: The Lost Empire. The Diane Warren-penned song is featured during the closing credits of the Disney animated feature.

 

1998-99Six week European tour on sax and keyboards with Whitney Houston.

Co-wrote, tracked and overdubbed Al Jarreau song, “Flame” for his recording “Tomorrow, Today”.

Keyboards and horns on smooth jazz and other recordings by: Boney James, George Benson, Patti Austin, Lee Ritenour, Rick Braun, Jonathan Butler, Larry Carlton, Mark Antoine, Richard Elliot, Earth Wind and Fire, Vonda Shepard (The Man With The Bag on the Ally McBeal Christmas album), Vanessa Carlton, Gabrielle Anders, Norman Brown, Simply Red (If You Don’t Know Me By Now), Chaka Khan, Steve Tyrell (Tonight Show appearance), Samantha Mumba.

 

1997Reunited with Quincy Jones for Tamia‘s self-titled debut on Quest (released 1998) (Uncredited).

 

World Tour with Lee Ritenour, and alto sax, keyboards and flute on “This Is Love” sessions.

 

1995Michael Jackson “History” recording in New York.

 

1994Big Mountain: arranged horns, performed tenor sax and flute solo for #1 platinum hit: Baby I Love Your Way (as featured in the film “Reality Bites”).

 

Go West: arranged horns for hit What You Won’t Do For Love.

 

1992-95World Tour with Al Jarreau, including three Carnegie Hall dates.

 

1990Nelson Mandela’s International Tribute For A Free South Africa, Wembley Stadium, keyboards with George Duke’s All Star Band with Anita Baker, Bonnie Raitt and Natalie Cole. Highest-ever world rating for an entertainment broadcast, reaching 600 million viewers in 67 countries.

 

Montreax Jazz Festival band hosted by Quincy Jones.

 

1989Co-produced Brazilian superstar singer/composer Ivan Lins‘ first English-language record “Love Dance”.

 

1988Boz Scaggs: co-wrote and arranged Claudia from “Other Roads” on CBS.

 

1987Michael Jackson: “Bad” (Featured on keyboards and sax synth solo on Speed Demon).

Al Jarreau: “This Time” – solo and keyboards on Spain.

 

Manhattan Transfer: “Brasil” – arranged and performed four cuts featuring L.W. and Stan Getz.

Starship: co-wrote with Grace Slick and Tommy Funderburk the rock track Babylon on Platinum release “No Protection”.

 

1986Eric Clapton: “August” produced by Phil Collins, keyboard programming with Greg Philinganes.

Co-wrote soundtrack and score to “Running Scared” with Rod Temperton (feature film starring Billy Crystal and Gregory Hines), including arranged and performed all parts on Michael McDonald‘s hit Sweet Freedom, Klymaxx‘s Man-Size Love, and Ready For the World‘s I Just Want To Be Loved.

 

1984Sheila E: “The Glamorous Life” sax solo; produced by Prince. Fresh off her recording career launch via a duet on Prince’s “Erotic City”, Sheila E reached number 7 with “The Glamorous Life” on the U.S. pop charts, number 1 on the U.S. dance charts, MTV Music Video of the Year award, and a Grammy Award nomination. The single features Sheila E. on percussion, Larry Williams on sax, Prince (uncredited) on guitars, and David Coleman on cello.
Frank Sinatra: sax and flute on “L.A. is My Lady”, Los Angeles sessions (Stormy Weather retakes).

Quincy Jones‘ production of Sinatra’s last studio album is showcased in the MGM/UA home video “Frank Sinatra: Portrait of an Album”.

 

1982Michael Jackson: “Thriller” (the world’s biggest selling album of all time). Tenor sax, flute and keyboards.

 

1981Chaka Khan: keyboards, horn arrangements, tenor sax and flutes on the hit album “What’cha Gonna Do For Me”.

 

Aretha Franklin: string and horn arrangements for Hold on, I’m Comin (her 11th Grammy-winning single).

 

Pre-1980sMichael Jackson: “Off the Wall”

 

Barbara Streisand: arranged and performed woodwinds on three songs on “Songbird” including You Don’t Bring Me Flowers Anymore.