In late 2009, jazz saxophonist-composer-arranger Virginia Mayhew and Italian jazz pianist Tony Pancella were considering various female jazz musicians on whom to focus for an upcoming Women In Jazz festival. At some point Tony realized that 2010 was the 100th anniversary of Mary Lou Williams birth, and this project began.

During the course of her research, Virginia was in-troduced to the executor of Mary Lou’s estate, Father Peter O’Brien, who offered in-valuable information and music suggestions, and made arrangements for Virginia to have full access to the Mary Lou Williams Collection at Rutgers’ Institute of Jazz Studies. The Jazz Institute has many of Mary Lou’s hand-

written charts and arrange-ments, which were so inspiring that Virginia decided to under- take an even bigger project, “Mary Lou WIlliams: The Next 100 Years.” The project was recorded in December 2010 and features t rombonist Wycliffe Gordon, Ed Cherry on guitar, Harvie S on bass, and Andy Watson on drums.  The CD will be released on the Renma Recordings label in Spring, 2011.

“Although I was aware that Mary Lou Williams was a well-respected jazz musician,” offered Virg in ia, “ I was surprised by the depth and breadth of her career — com-posing and arranging for Andy Kirk and the Clouds of Joy in the 30’s, arranging for Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman, recording with tenor giant Don Byas, and mentoring such Jazz giants as Monk, Bud P o w e l l , D i z z y Gillespie and Bird (Charlie Parker), and all that in addition to leading her own groups. She covered every major style from Stride Piano to

Big Band to Bebop and even touched on Free Jazz. There’s so much to be explored in her music, from an arranger’s point of view, that I knew I had to do a bigger project than just a few arrangements for a single gig.”

“The response to this project has been very enthusiastic," says Virginia.   "I'm already thinking of volume II!”

Funding for this project is provided by generous Jazz fans. To date, enough money has been raised for the studio recording, but more money is needed for packaging, pro-motion and touring. Please help us complete this great tribute to Mary Lou Williams.

Thank you, Mary Lou Williams, and Happy 100th Birthday!”

Mary Lou Williams

THE NEXT 100 YEARS

Virginia MayhewQuartet

Photo credits: Mary Lou Williams, cover and top left ©William P. Gottlieb/Ira and Leonore S. Gershwin Fund Collection, Music Division, Library of Congress . Virginia Mayhew, bottom right ©Molly Feire-Hirsch.

VIRGINIA MAYHEWGroup Leader • Saxophonist • Composer • Arranger

Saxophonist-composer-arranger Virginia Mayhew has been an active participant in the New York jazz scene since 1987. In the course of her career, Virginia has worked with such renowned artists as Earl "Fatha" Hines, Frank Zappa, James Brown, Al Grey, Junior Mance, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Doc Cheatam, Joe Williams, Leon Parker, Clark Terry, Kenny Barron, Chico O'Farrill, Ingrid Jensen, Claudio Roditi, Nnenna Freelon, and many others.

Virginia has appeared as a leader in most of New York City’s top jazz venues, as well as performed extensively throughout the United States, Europe, the Newly Independent States, Bermuda, Australia, the Caribbean and Southeast Asia. She has traveled twice as a representative of the United States as a Jazz Am-bassador, has 6 CDs under her own name, and many with others.

In addition to leading her own groups, Virginia is the musical director for the Duke Ellington Legacy Band and Duke Ellington Legacy Big Band. More info at: www.VirginiaMayhew.com.

MARY LOU WILLIAMSJazz Legend • Bandleader • Pianist • Composer • Arranger

Mary Lou Williams (May 8, 1910 – May 28, 1981) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger. Williams wrote hundreds of compositions and arrangements, and recorded more than one hundred records. Williams wrote and arranged for such famed bandleaders as Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman, and she was friend, mentor, and teacher to Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker, and Dizzy Gillespie.

Jazz historians long ago concluded that Mary Lou Williams was the most important female jazz musician to emerge in the first three decades of jazz. William's multidimensional talents as an instrumentalist, arranger, and composer made her a star from her earliest days and, over the long haul, one of Jazz’s most beloved and treasured icons.

Very near the end of her life, Mary Lou reflected, “I did it, didn’t I?” Yes, you did Mary Lou, and the wonderful things you did will no doubt keep being done by inspired musicians for centuries to come!

Photo credits: Mary Lou Williams, top: ©William P. Gottlieb/Ira and Leonore S. Gershwin Fund Collection, Music Division, Library of Congress . Virginia Mayhew, bottom: ©Ulysses Beato .

RECORDING

“Mary Lou Williams - The Next 100 Years” (Renma Recordings, 2011) is a spirited tribute to legendary Jazz pianist, composer and arranger Mary Lou Williams in honor of the 100th anniversary of her birth (2010).

The CD features fresh Mayhew-arrangements of eight Mary Lou Williams tunes and two new tunes composed by Virginia. The quartet features Virginia on tenor saxophone, blues-tinged Dizzy-alum Ed Cherry on guitar, veteran bassist Harvie S, seasoned drummer Andy Watson and special guest trombonist Wycliffe Gordon.

“...wonderful musically...Mary Lou would be most pleased.”

—Father Peter F. O’BrienMary Lou Williams’ manager, long-time friend and director of the

Mary Lou Williams Foundation

• • •

Mary Lou Williams Photo Credit: William P. Gottlieb/Ira and Leonore S. Gershwin Fund Collection, Music Division, Library of Congress.

HIGH RESOLUTION PHOTOS

VIRGINIA MAYHEW©Ulysses Beato, 300 dpi CMYK TIFFDownload File: GinnyPRCMYKRet300dpi.tiff

VIRGINIA MAYHEW©George Kopp, 300 dpi RGB JPGDownload File: Virginia_Mayhew_Studio.jpg

VIRGINIA MAYHEW QUARTET (left to right) Andy Watson, Ed Cherry, Virginia Mayhew, Harvie S. ©Tom Contrino, 300 dpi JPG, Download: VM_BandPhoto.jpg

The Virginia Mayhew Quartet, “Mary Lou Williams - The Next 100 Years”, is available for performance worldwide. Please contact us to schedule a performance!

Contact:

Jay Nachowitz

Preferred Artists

914-441-1476 or jay@preferredartists.net

Primary Websites:

Virginia Mayhew

www.virginiamayhew.com

Renma Recordings

www.renmarecordings.com

Duke Ellington Legacy

www.dukeellingtonlegacy.com

Additional Resources & Links:

MARY LOU WILLIAMSThe Mary Lou Williams Foundation

Mary Lou Williams Rutgers’ Institute of Jazz Studies

MUSICIANSEd Cherry (guitar)

Andy Watson (drums)

PHOTOGRAPHERS William Gottlieb, Paul Aresu, Ulysses Beato,

Tom Contrino, Molly Feire-Hirsch

GRAPHIC DESIGN/DIGITAL TECHNOLOGYVeenix,LLC USA

BOOKING & MANAGEMENT