Mary Lou Williams: The Lady Who Swings the Band
Carol Bash2015-04-01
She fought to create in a world that could not see past her race or gender
8
70 min
Jazz pianist Mary Lou Williams was a genius ahead of her time. From child prodigy to "Boogie-Woogie Queen" to groundbreaking composer to mentoring some of the greatest musicians of all time, she never ceased to astound those who heard her play. But for a Black woman in the early 1900s, life as a star did not come easy.
Cast
| Name | Character | Team | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Mary Lou Williams | Self (archive footage) | Unowned |
 |
Alfre Woodard | Mary Lou Williams (voice) | Zac E. Chan |
 |
Delroy Lindo | John Williams (voice) | The Free Refills |
 |
Wendell Pierce | Andy Kirk (voice) | Unowned |
 |
Stanley Crouch | Self | Unowned |
 |
Robin D.G. Kelley | Self | Unowned |
|
Gary Giddins | Self | Unowned |
|
Tammy L. Kernodle | Self | Unowned |
|
Farah Griffin | Self | Unowned |
|
Gayle Murchison | Self | Unowned |
|
Alexandra Noailles | Self | Unowned |
|
Peter O'Brien | Self | Unowned |
|
Robert O'Meally | Self | Unowned |
|
Billy Taylor | Self | Unowned |
|
Geri Allen | Self - Performer | Unowned |
 |
Esperanza Spalding | Self - Performer | Unowned |
 |
Terri Lyne Carrington | Self - Performer | Unowned |
|
Wycliffe Gordon | Self - Performer | Unowned |
|
Carmen Lundy | Self - Performer | Unowned |
 |
Joel Haberli | Barney Josephson / Critic (voice) | Unowned |
|
Robert Casteline | Critic (voice) | Unowned |