Bill De Arango Quartet, John Williams Trio ‎– Williams Tell (Japanese Pressing)

Super Rare Japanese Pressing

John Williams, who is not the same musician as much more popular movie-music composer, but a unique jazz piano player, left two leader albums on EmArcy label.

His piano style sounds the influence of Horace Silver, but more stylish as well as structured. Very impressive trio.

Bill DeArango was self-taught on guitar. While he attended Ohio State University, he played with Dixieland bands at night. After serving in the Army from 1942–44, he moved to New York City and worked first with Don Byas and Ben Webster. A year later, he played on an album with Sarah Vaughan, Charlie Parker, and Dizzy Gillespie. He worked as a sideman with Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis, Ike Quebec, Slam Stewart, then led his own band with Terry Gibbs.

In 1947, DeArango returned to Cleveland. In the 60’s he opened up a guitar store and taught guitar lessons. DeArango also performed locally for two decades. He recorded an album with pianist John Williams in 1954. Late in the 1960s, he managed the rock band Henry Tree and performed regularly in the 1970s at the Smiling Dog Saloon in Cleveland with Ernie Krivda and Skip Hadden, mixing hard rock and free jazz.