William Parker (born January 10, 1952) is an American free jazz double bassist. Beginning in the 1980s, Parker played with Cecil Taylor for over a decade, and he has led the Little Huey Creative Music Orchestra since 1981. The Village Voice named him "the most consistently brilliant free jazz bassist of all time" and DownBeat has called him "one of the most adventurous and prolific bandleaders in jazz".

Early life and career

Parker was born in the Bronx, New York City, and grew up in the Melrose housing project. His first instrument was the trumpet, followed by the trombone and cello. Parker was not formally trained as a classical player, but in his youth studied with Jimmy Garrison, Richard Davis, and Wilbur Ware in learning the tradition.

While Parker has been active since the early 1970s, he first came to public attention playing with pianist Cecil Taylor in the 1980s. He has performed in many of Peter Brötzmann's groups, and played with saxophonist David S. Ware from 1989 until his last concert performance in 2011. He is a member of the Other Dimensions In Music cooperative. His work as leader came to greater prominence in the 1990s with groups such as the Little Huey Creative Music Orchestra and In Order to Survive.

Parker's "breakout" albums were released in the early 2000s, first with the William Parker Quartet (with saxophonist Rob Brown, drummer Hamid Drake, and trumpeter Lewis Barnes): O'Neal's Porch was included in Best of 2001 lists in The New York Times, DownBeat, and the Jazz Journalists Association; in 2002, Raining on the Moon, featuring guest Leena Conquest, received rave reviews in publications including Pitchfork. The album Sound Unity by the William Parker Quartet was chosen as one of Amazon.com's Top 100 Editor's Picks of 2005. Petit Oiseau was chosen as one of the best jazz disks of 2008 by The Wall Street Journal, the BBC's Radio Three, The Village Voice, and PopMatters. Double Sunrise Over Neptune, also released in 2008, was listed as one of the top 10 2008 (through end of August) Jazz CDs at Amazon.

Increasing prominence throughout the 2000s also led to a revisiting of his back catalogue, with the release of a number of early recordings.

Parker is a prominent musician in the New York City experimental jazz scene, where he leads a number of groups and is associated with the Vision Festival, organized by his wife, the dancer Patricia Nicholson; he is also frequently noted for his community dedication, mentorship, and status as "free-jazz caretaker" and "unofficial mayor of the New York improvisational scene".

He has performed at music festivals around the world, including the Guelph Jazz Festival in southern Ontario.

Parker frequently plays arco. Bass has been his primary instrument for the duration of his career, but he also plays trumpet, tuba, bamboo flutes, shakuhachi, flute, double reeds, the West African kora, gembri, and donso ngoni, an instrument first introduced to him by Don Cherry.

In 2006, Parker was awarded the Resounding Vision Award from Nameless Sound. In March 2007, his book, Who Owns Music?, was published by buddy's knife jazzedition in Cologne, Germany. Who Owns Music? assembles his political thoughts, poems, and musicological essays.

In June 2011, Parker began publishing his ongoing interviews with creative musicians in the experimental music scene, some taken on their deathbeds. To date, Conversations I-IV have been released by RogueArt, with more volumes slated. Parker's conversations, inspired by Arthur Taylor's Notes and Tones (1977), are one of the only extant archives from this corner of the jazz scene. The books are accompanied by records, a mix of Parker's free solos and interview clips, and published photos by scene photographer Jacques Bisceglia.

Discography As leader Release year Artist Title Label1980William ParkerThrough Acceptance of the Mystery PeaceCentering Records1994William Parker & the Little Huey Creative Music OrchestraFlowers Grow in My RoomCentering1995William ParkerIn Order to SurviveBlack Saint1995William ParkerTestimonyZero In1996William Parker / In Order to SurviveCompassion Seizes Bed-StuyHomestead1997William Parker & the Little Huey Creative Music OrchestraSunrise in the Tone WorldAUM Fidelity1997William ParkerLifting the SanctionsNo More1998William Parker / In Order to SurviveThe Peach OrchardAUM Fidelity1999William Parker / In Order to SurvivePosium PendasemFMP2000William Parker & the Little Huey Creative Music OrchestraMayor of PunkvilleAUM Fidelity2000William Parker TrioPainter's SpringThirsty Ear2001William Parker QuartetO'Neal's PorchAUM Fidelity2001William ParkerSong CycleBoxholder2002William Parker Quartet featuring Leena ConquestRaining on the MoonThirsty Ear2002William Parker Clarinet TrioBob's Pink CadillacEremite2002William Parker & the Little Huey Creative Music OrchestraRaincoat in the RiverEremite2002William Parker Trio... and William DancedAyler Records2003William Parker Violin TrioScrapbookThirsty Ear2003William Parker & the Little Huey Creative Music OrchestraMass for the Healing of the WorldBlack Saint2003William ParkerFractured DimensionsFMP2003William Parker & the Little Huey Creative Music OrchestraSpontaneousSplasc(H)2005William ParkerLuc's LanternThirsty Ear2005William Parker QuartetSound UnityAUM Fidelity2006William Parker Bass Quartet featuring Charles GayleRequiemSplasc(H)2006William ParkerLong Hidden: The Olmec SeriesAUM Fidelity2006William Parker & the Little Huey Creative Music OrchestraFor Percy HeathVicto2007 William Parker Double QuartetAlphaville SuiteRogueArt2007William Parker / The Inside Songs Of Curtis MayfieldThe Inside Songs of Curtis Mayfield: Live in RomeRai Trade2007William Parker / Raining on the MoonCorn Meal DanceAUM Fidelity2008William ParkerDouble Sunrise Over NeptuneAUM Fidelity2008William Parker QuartetPetit OiseauAUM Fidelity2010William ParkerI Plan to Stay a Believer: The Inside Songs of Curtis MayfieldAUM Fidelity2010William Parker Organ QuartetUncle Joe's Spirit HouseCentering2010William ParkerAt Somewhere ThereBarnyard Records2011William ParkerCrumbling In The Shadows Is Fraulien Miller's Stale CakeCentering2011William Parker & ICI EnsembleWinter Sun CryingNEOS Jazz2012William Parker OrchestraEssence of Ellington: Live in MilanoCentering2012William ParkerCentering. Unreleased Early Recordings 1976–1987NoBusiness2013William Parker QuartetLive In WrocloveForTune2013William ParkerWood Flute SongsAUM Fidelity2015William ParkerFor Those Who Are, StillAUM Fidelity2015William Parker / Raining on the MoonGreat SpiritAUM Fidelity2016William Parker ft. Lisa Sokolov and Cooper-MooreStan's Hat Flapping in the WindCentering2017William Parker QuartetsMeditation/ResurrectionAUM Fidelity2018William ParkerLake Of Light: Compositions For AquasonicsGotta Let It Out2018William ParkerVoices Fall From The SkyCentering2018William ParkerFlower In a Stained-Glass Window -&- The Blinking of The EarCentering2019William Parker / In Order to SurviveLive/ShapeshifterAUM Fidelity2021William ParkerMigration of Silence Into and Out of the Tone World (Volumes 1–10)Centering2021William ParkerMayan Space StationAUM Fidelity2021William ParkerPainters WinterAUM Fidelity2022William ParkerUniversal TonalityCentering

As co-leader

Release year Artist Title Label1994Peter Brötzmann / Gregg Bendian / William ParkerSacred Scrape / Secret ResponseRastascan1996Derek Bailey, John Zorn, William ParkerHarrasAvant1996Rashid Bakr / Frode Gjerstad / William ParkerSeeing New York From The EarCadence Jazz Records1999David Budbill & William ParkerZen Mountains/Zen Streets: A Duet For Poet & Improvised BassBoxholder1999Ye-Ren: Toshi Makihara, Gary Hassay, and William ParkerAnother Shining PathDrimala2000Fred Anderson, Hamid Drake, Kidd Jordan, William Parker2 Days in AprilEremite2001William Parker & Hamid DrakePiercing the VeilAUM Fidelity2002Peter Brötzmann, William Parker, Michael WertmüllerNothungIn Tone Music2003William Parker, Joe Morris, Hamid DrakeEloping with the SunRiti2006Kidd Jordan / Hamid Drake / William ParkerPalm of SoulAUM Fidelity2007William Parker & Hamid DrakeSummer SnowAUM Fidelity2007Anders Gahnold, William Parker, & Hamid DrakeThe Last DancesAyler Records2008Anthony Braxton, Milford Graves, William ParkerBeyond QuantumTzadik2009Gerald Cleaver, William Parker, Craig TabornFarmers by NatureAUM Fidelity2010Ninni Morgia & William ParkerPrismUltramarine2011Farmers by Nature (Cleaver, Parker, Taborn)Out of This World's DistortionsAUM Fidelity2013William Parker / Conny Bauer / Hamid DrakeTender ExplorationJazzwerkstatt2014Billy Bang & William ParkerMedicine BuddhaNoBusiness2014Farmers by Nature (Cleaver, Parker, Taborn)Love and GhostsAUM Fidelity2015Oliver Lake & William ParkerTo RoyIntakt2017William Parker & Stefano ScodanibbioBass DuoCentering2020Parker, Matthew Shipp, Daniel Carter, Gerald CleaverWelcome Adventure! Vol. 1577 Records2022Andrew Cyrille, William Parker, and Enrico Rava2 Blues for CecilTUM Records2022Peter Brötzmann, Milford Graves, and William ParkerHistoric Music Past Tense FutureBlack Editions Archive2024William Parker, Hamid Drake, Cooper-MooreHeart TrioAUM Fidelity

As sideman With Fred Anderson Blue Winter (Eremite, 2005) With Billy Bang The Fire from Within (Soul Note, 1981) Live at Carlos 1 (Soul Note, 1984) With Albert Beger Evolving Silence, Vol. 1 (2005) Evolving Silence, Vol. 2 (2006) With John Blum (pianist) Astrogeny (Eremite, 2005) With Peter Brötzmann Never Too Late But Always Too Early (Eremite, 2003) The Bishop's Move (Les Disques Victo, 2004) With Peter Brötzmann Chicago Tentet Stone/Water (Okka Disk, 2000) Short Visit To Nowhere (Okka Disk, 2002) Broken English (Okka Disk, 2002) American Landscapes 1 (Okka Disc, 2007) American Landscapes 2 (Okka Disc, 2007) With the Brötzmann Clarinet Project Berlin Djungle (FMP, 1987) With Brötzmann's Die Like A Dog Quartet Die Like a Dog: Fragments of Music, Life and Death of Albert Ayler (FMP, 1994) Little Birds Have Fast Hearts, No. 1 (FMP, 1998) Little Birds Have Fast Hearts, No. 2 (FMP, 1999) From Valley to Valley (Eremite, 1999) Aoyama Crows (FMP, 2002) Close Up (FMP, 2011) With Rob Brown Breath Rhyme (Silkheart Records, 1990) High Wire (Soul Note, 1996) Round the Bend (Bleu Regard, 2002) The Big Picture (Marge, 2004) Crown Trunk Root Funk (AUM Fidelity, 2008) With Roy Campbell, Joe McPhee & Warren Smith Tribute to Albert Ayler Live at the Dynamo (Marge, 2009) With Daniel Carter and Federico Ughi LIVE! (577 Records, 2017) Navajo Sunrise (Rudi Records. 2013) The Dream (577 Records, 2006) With Bill Dixon Thoughts (Soul Note, 1985 ) Vade Mecum (Soul Note, 1994) Vade Mecum II (Soul Note, 1994) With Hamid Drake and Bindu Blissful (RogueArt, 2008) With Marco Eneidi Cherry Box (Eremite, 2000) With Charles Gayle Touchin' on Trane (FMP, 1991 ) Translations (Silkheart, 1993) Raining Fire (Silkheart, 1993) Blue Shadows (Silkheart, 1993 ) More Live at the Knitting Factory (Knitting Factory, 1993) Consecration (Black Saint, 1993) Daily Bread (Black Saint, 1995) Live at Crescendo (Ayler, 2008) With Frode Gjerstad Remember To Forget (Circulasione Totale, 1998) Ultima (Cadence Jazz Records, 1999) The Other Side (Ayler Records, 2006) On Reade Street (FMR Records, 2008) With Alan Glover Kings Of Infinite Space (Omolade Music 2006) The Juice Quartet Archives (Omolade Music 2010) With Wayne Horvitz Some Order, Long Understood (Black Saint, 1982) With Gianni Lenoci Secret Garden (Silta) With Frank Lowe Black Beings (ESP-Disk', 1973) The Loweski (ESP-Disk', 2012) With Jimmy Lyons Wee Sneezawee (Black Saint, 1983) The Box Set (Ayler Records, 2003) With Raphe Malik Last Set: Live at the 1369 Jazz Club (Boxholder, 2004) ConSequences (Eremite, 1999) Companions (Eremite, 2002) With Michael Marcus Under The Wire (Enja, 1990) With Thollem McDonas & Nels Cline The Gowanus Session (Porter, 2012) With the Melodic Art-Tet (Charles Brackeen, Ahmed Abdullah, Parker, Roger Blank, Tony Waters)