Roy Williams (Trombone - UK)

Born in Salford in 1937 Roy began his playing career playing tailgate trombone around the Manchester area with Eric Batty’s Jazz Aces, a local group. Soon afterwards he joined Terry Lightfoot and matured rapidly in both technique and ideas until, in 1965, he was invited to join Alex Welsh and “turned into a world-class talent, a perfect amalgam of Urbie Green and Jack Teagarden with a hint of Bob Brookmeyer here and there” (Digby Fairweather). After a tremendously successful period he eventually left thirteen years later to join Humphrey Lyttelton where he stayed for four years. His reputation firmly established he became a freelance, won many jazz polls, played in America and throughout Europe and became a great favourite at jazz festivals as a soloist and with all-star groups.

Photo courtesy of Bruce Lindsay