Larry Willis

Lawrence Elliott Willis (December 20, 1942 – September 29, 2019) was an American jazz pianist and composer. He performed in a wide range of styles, including jazz fusion, Afro-Cuban jazz, bebop, and avant-garde.

Willis was born in New York City. After his first year studying music theory at the Manhattan School of Music he began performing regularly with Jackie McLean. After he graduated he made his first jazz recording, McLean's Right Now! in January 1965, which featured two of Willis' compositions. His first recording of any type, however, was as a singer with the Music and Arts Chorale Ensemble, performing an opera by Aaron Copland under the direction of Leonard Bernstein. He decided to concentrate on jazz because of the difficulties African-American musicians had in finding work in concert music.

Throughout his career he performed with a wide range of musicians, including several years as keyboardist for Blood, Sweat & Tears (beginning in 1972). He spent several years as pianist for trumpeters Nat Adderley and Woody Shaw as well as long and productive tenures with Roy Hargrove and with Jerry Gonzalez and his Fort Apache Band. His late recording with Paul Murphy, Exposé, demonstrated the fusion principles of bebop and avant-garde jazz. His composition "Sanctuary" began exploring works employing strings. After a successful performance in Frank Lloyd Wright's Annie Pfieffer Chapel at Florida Southern College's Child of the Sun Jazz Festival he was commissioned to write a full-scale orchestral work for jazz trio and orchestra. He worked with Hugh Masekela on a South African Suite of music and interpreted Miles Davis' work. He was in the Round About Midnight tour of Miles Davis' music. He received the Don Redman award in 2011, and the Benny Golson Jazz Master Award at Howard University in 2012.

He died of an aneurysm in Baltimore at the age of 76.

As leader/co-leader

 * A New Kind of Soul (LLP, 1970)
 * Inner Crisis (Groove Merchant, 1973)
 * My Funny Valentine (Jazz City, 1988)
 * Just in Time (SteepleChase, 1989)
 * Heavy Blue (SteepleChase, 1990)
 * Let's Play (SteepleChase, 1991)
 * Steal Away (AudioQuest, 1991 1992)
 * Solo Spirit (Mapleshade, 1992, [1993])
 * How Do You Keep the Music Playing? (SteepleChase, 1992)
 * Unforgettable: Piano Solos, (SteepleChase, 1992)
 * A Tribute to Someone (AudioQuest, 1993 [1994])
 * Serenade (Sound Hills, 1995)
 * If Trees Could Talk (Mapleshade, 1999) with Hamiet Bluiett
 * Sunshower (Mapleshade, 2001) with Kash Killion, Steve Novosel, Paul Murphy, Steve Berrios
 * Sanctuary (Mapleshade, 2003) with Joe Ford, Ray Codrington, Steve Novosel, Steve Berrios, Artie Sherman and the Rick Schmidt Strings
 * The Powers of Two (Mapleshade, 2004) with Paul Murphy
 * Alter Ego (Mapleshade, 2006) with Tony Pancella
 * The Big Push (HighNote, 2006)
 * Blue Fable (HighNote, 2007)
 * The Offering (HighNote, 2008)
 * This Time the Dream's on Me (HighNote, 2012)
 * I Fall In Love Too Easily (HighNote, 2020)

As sideman
With Nat Adderley With Gary Bartz With Cindy Blackman With Carla Bley With Blood, Sweat & Tears With Jerry Gonzalez and The Fort Apache Band With Roy Hargrove With Louis Hayes With Jimmy Heath With Joe Henderson With Groove Holmes With Clifford Jordan With Robin Kenyatta With Hugh Masekela With Jackie McLean With Carmen McRae With Lee Morgan With Alphonse Mouzon With Paul Murphy With David "Fathead" Newman With Valery Ponomarev With Woody Shaw With Steve Swallow With Buddy Terry With Norris Turney '''With Fred Lipsius With C. I. Williams
 * On the Move (Theresa, 1983)
 * Blue Autumn (Theresa, 1983)
 * Episode One: Children of Harlem (Challenge, 1994)
 * Arcane (Muse, 1987)
 * Night-Glo (Watt/ECM, 1985)
 * Sextet (Watt/ECM, 1987)
 * New Blood (Columbia, 1972)
 * No Sweat (Columbia, 1973)
 * Mirror Image (Columbia, 1974)
 * New City (Columbia, 1975)
 * In Concert (Columbia, 1976)
 * More Than Ever (Columbia, 1976)
 * Brand New Day (ABC Records, 1977)
 * Earth Dance (Sunnyside, 1993)
 * Crossroads (Milestone, 1994)
 * Pensativo (Milestone, 1995)
 * Fire Dance (Milestone, 1996)
 * Moment to Moment (Verve, 2000)
 * Nightfall (SteepleChase, 1991)
 * Peer Pleasure (Landmark, 1987)
 * Multiple (Milestone, 1973)
 * American Pie (Groove Merchant, 1972)
 * The Mellow Side of Clifford Jordan (Mapleshade, 1989-91 [1997])
 * Gypsy Man (Atlantic, 1973)
 * Grrr (uncredited) (1966)
 * Reconstruction (1970)
 * Home Is Where the Music Is (1978)
 * Main Event Live (1978)
 * Almost Like Being in Jazz (2005)
 * Friends (2012)
 * Right Now! (Blue Note, 1965)
 * Jacknife (Blue Note, 1965)
 * Carmen Sings Monk (1988)
 * Infinity (Blue Note, 1965)
 * The Essence of Mystery (Blue Note, 1972)
 * The Powers of Two, Volume 2 (Mapleshade, 2004 [2006])
 * Exposé (Murphy Records, 2008)
 * Excursions (Murphy Records, 2008)
 * Foundations (Murphy Records, 2009)
 * Still Hard Times (Muse, 1982)
 * Trip to Moscow (Reservoir, 1987)
 * For Sure! (Columbia, 1979)
 * Carla (Xtra Watt, 1987)
 * Lean on Him (Mainstream, 1973)
 * Big, Sweet 'n Blue – with Turney, Walter Booker, and Jimmy Cobb (Mapleshade, 1993)
 * ''Dreaming of Your Love (mja Records,1995)
 * When Alto Was King (Mapleshade, 1997)

As co-leader
With Heads of State
 * Search for Peace – with Buster Williams, Al Foster, and Gary Bartz (Smoke Sessions, 2015)