
Mary Lou Williams: The Lady Who Swings the Band
She fought to create in a world that could not see past her race or gender
2015 en 70 minutes
Rating: 8
Plot
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.
Trailer
Cast

Mary Lou Williams
Self (archive footage)

Alfre Woodard
Mary Lou Williams (voice)

Delroy Lindo
John Williams (voice)

Wendell Pierce
Andy Kirk (voice)

Stanley Crouch
Self

Robin D.G. Kelley
Self

Gary Giddins
Self

Tammy L. Kernodle
Self

Farah Griffin
Self

Gayle Murchison
Self

Alexandra Noailles
Self

Peter O'Brien
Self

Robert O'Meally
Self

Billy Taylor
Self

Geri Allen
Self - Performer

Esperanza Spalding
Self - Performer

Terri Lyne Carrington
Self - Performer

Wycliffe Gordon
Self - Performer

Carmen Lundy
Self - Performer

Joel Haberli
Barney Josephson / Critic (voice)

Robert Casteline
Critic (voice)