Jessica Williams (born March 17, 1948) is an American jazz pianist and composer
Williams was born in Baltimore , Maryland. She started on piano when she was four and was performing in her teens. She studied classical music but also performed jazz with Philly Joe Jones in Philadelphia.
In 1977, Williams moved to San Francisco, where she played in various house bands for Eddie Harris , Dexter Gordon, Tony Williams , and Stan Getz . She also became the house pianist for Keystone Korner .
In 1997, she began her own record label, Red and Blue Recordings. She also owns a publishing company, JJW Music, and an internet mail order business.
She appeared at the 2004 and 2006 "Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz Festivals" at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C..
Awards and honors Grammy nomination, Nothin' But the Truth , 1986 Grammy nomination, Live at Yoshi's, Vol. 1 , 2004 Grant, National Endowment for the Arts Grant, Rockefeller Foundation , 1989 Grant, Alice B. Toklas Grant for Women Composers, 1992 Guggenheim Fellowship, 1995 Keys to the City, Sacramento, California Keys to the City, San Mateo, California Artist of the Year, Santa Cruz County, California, 2002 Jazz Record of the Year, Jazz Journal International Reader's Poll 1976 Portal of Antrim (Adelphi ) 1978 Portraits (Adelphi) 1979 Orgonomic Music (Clean Cuts) 1980 Rivers of Memory (Clean Cuts) 1982 Update (Clean Cuts) 1986 Nothin' But the Truth (BlackHawk) 1990 And Then, There's This (Timless) 1992 Live at Maybeck Recital Hall, Vol. 21 (Concord Jazz ) 1993 Next Step (Hep ) 1993 Arrival (Jazz Focus) 1994 Momentum (Jazz Focus) 1994 Song That I Heard (Hep ) 1994 In the Pocket (Hep) 1994 Encounters (Jazz Focus) 1995 Inventions (Jazz Focus) 1995 Joy (Jazz Focus) 1995 Intuition (Jazz Focus) 1996 Gratitude (Candid ) 1996 Jessica's Blues (Jazz Focus) 1996 Victoria Concert (Jazz Focus) 1997 Higher Standards (Candid) 1998 Encounters, Vol. 2 (Jazz Focus) 1998 Joyful Sorrow: A Solo Tribute to Bill Evans (BlackHawk) 1999 In the Key of Monk (Jazz Focus) 1999 Ain't Misbehavin' (Candid) 2000 Jazz in the Afternoon (Candid) 2000 Blue Fire (Jazz Focus) 2001 I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart (Hep) 2001 Some Ballads, Some Blues (Jazz Focus) 2002 This Side Up (Maxjazz ) 2003 All Alone (Maxjazz) 2004 Live at Yoshi's, Vol. 1 (Maxjazz) 2004 The Real Deal (Hep) 2005 Live at Yoshi's, Vol. 2 (Maxjazz) 2006 Billy's Theme: A Tribute to Dr. Billy Taylor (Origin ) 2007 Unity (Red and Blue) 2008 Songs for a New Century (Origin) 2009 The Art of the Piano (Origin) 2010 Touch (Origin) 2011 Freedom Trane (Origin) 2012 Songs of Earth (Origin) 2014 With Love (Origin) 
