Claude "Fiddler" Williams Collection

Description
Claude "Fiddler" Williams (22 February 1908 - 25 April 2004), violinist and guitarist, was born Claude Gabriel Williams in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Williams enjoyed a great deal of well-deserved acclaim in the twilight of his long jazz career.
Member of
LaBudde Special Collections
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Claude "Fiddler" Williams performing with the Statesmen of Jazz

Claude "Fiddler" Williams performing on stage with an incarnation of the Statesmen of Jazz with Jane Jarvis, seated at the piano on the farthest left side of the photograph. Joe Wilder playing flugelhorn to Claude's left. Bill Wurtzel playing guitar and mostly obscured by Joe Wilder. Earl May seated as he plays a double bass. And Benny Powell playing trombone on the farthest right side of the photograph. The date, "10 12 '99," is imprinted by the camera on the bottom right-hand corner of the photograph.
Type: Image
File: umkc_lsc_williams-claude_photo-001.png
Collection Identifier: MS-0147
umkc_lsc_williams-claude_photo-002-Thumbnail Image.jpg

Claude "Fiddler" Williams performing with the Statesmen of Jazz

Claude "Fiddler" Williams performing on stage with an incarnation of the Statesmen of Jazz with Jane Jarvis, seated at the piano on the farthest left side of the photograph. Joe Wilder playing flugelhorn to Claude's left. Bill Wurtzel playing guitar and mostly obscured by Joe Wilder, Earl May's double bass, and Benny Powell playing trombone on the farthest right side of the photograph wearing a colorful cap. The date, "10 12 '99," is imprinted by the camera on the bottom right-hand corner of the photograph.
Type: Image
File: umkc_lsc_williams-claude_photo-002.png
Collection Identifier: MS-0147
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Statesmen of Jazz pause to listen to the guitarist take the solo

The other players in an incarnation of the Statesmen of Jazz pause to listen to the guitarist, Bill Wurtzel, take the solo. Jane Jarvis, is seated at the piano on the farthest left side of the photograph. Claude "Fiddler" Williams is looking away from the camera and holding his fiddle and bow to watch Bill play. Joe Wilder sits holding his flugelhorn to Claude's left. Bill Wurtzel is seated next to Joe while playing the guitar. Earl May is seated and holding his double bass. A microphone obscures his face. Benny Powell is on the farthest right side of the photograph wearing a colorful cap, is turned to watch Bill play guitar. The date, "10 12 '99," is imprinted by the camera on the bottom right-hand corner of the photograph.
Type: Image
File: umkc_lsc_williams-claude_photo-003.png
Collection Identifier: MS-0147
umkc_lsc_williams-claude_photo-018-Thumbnail Image.jpg

Claude "Fiddler" Williams plays with a band on a stage in a school auditorium

A drum set on the left side of the photograph is too dark to see the drummer; likely Jerome Harris. Dan Pliskow, double bass player, looks left toward the guitarist as he plays. Claude "Fiddler" Williams stands in the middle of the stage behind a music stand as he plays his fiddle. Between Claude and the next man in the front of the stage can be seen Spencer Barefield seated on a tall stool at the back of the stage playing a jazz guitar. The next man with his back turned to the camera is likely the trumpet player, Marcus Belgrave. Looking at Marcus as he plays his saxophone is Charlie Gabriel. Farthest to the right side of the photograph playing a trombone is Big Bill Bissonnette looking to the back of the stage. Music stands line the front of the stage. A trumpet rests on a trumpet stand at the front of the stage. The date, "4 10 '01," is imprinted by the camera on the bottom right-hand corner of the photograph.
Type: Image
File: umkc_lsc_williams-claude_photo-018.png
Collection Identifier: MS-0147
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Big Bill Bissonnette takes the solo

Big Bill Bissonnette closes his eyes as he takes the trombone solo on stage on the farthest right of the photograph as the other band members check their music on the music stands in front of them. Farthest left on stage is Claude "Fiddler" Williams holding his fiddle. Then trumpet player, Marcus Belgrave, with his back to the camera. Between Marcus and Big Bill is Charlie Gabriel holding his saxophone and checking his music. A trumpet rests on a trumpet stand on the front of the stage. The date, "4 10 '01," is imprinted by the camera on the bottom right-hand corner of the photograph.
Type: Image
File: umkc_lsc_williams-claude_photo-019.png
Collection Identifier: MS-0147
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Marcus, Claude, and Bill stand together for a photograph as others look on

A photographer stands and bends over a camera from the stage up behind the jazz band on the auditorium floor of a school. Dan Pliskow, double bass player, smiles as he sits on a tall stool holding the bass by the neck with his left hand. Spencer Barefield, looks out as he holds a jazz guitar under his right arm. Trumpet player, Marcus Belgrave, laughs as he holds a plastic drinking glass in his right hand and stands in close to Claude "Fiddler" Williams's left side and Charlie Gabriel, the saxophonist. Claude grins at the camera as he holds his fiddle and bow low in his right hand. Charlie Gabriel steadies the bell of a saxophone with his left hand that hangs from his neck from a strap as he stands in close to Claude's right side. The date, "4 8 '01," is imprinted by the camera on the bottom right-hand corner of the photograph.
Type: Image
File: umkc_lsc_williams-claude_photo-010.png
Collection Identifier: MS-0147
umkc_lsc_williams-claude_photo-011-Thumbnail Image.jpg

Charlie Gabriel and Claude "Fiddler" Williams smile off to the left

Charlie Gabriel and Claude "Fiddler" Williams stand together smiling off to the left side of the photograph in an auditorium in a school. Bill's saxophone hangs from his neck by the strap and Claude holds his bow and fiddle low in his left hand. Spencer Barefield stands behind them also looking off to the left. The date, "4 8 '01," is imprinted by the camera on the bottom right-hand corner of the photograph.
Type: Image
File: umkc_lsc_williams-claude_photo-011.png
Collection Identifier: MS-0147
umkc_lsc_williams-claude_photo-006-Thumbnail Image.jpg

Claude "Fiddler" Williams and others performing

Claude "Fiddler" Williams is playing his fiddle on the farthest right-hand side of the photograph. Spencer Barefield, jazz guitarist, Marcus Belgrave, trumpet player, Dan Pliskow, double bassist (mostly obscured by Charlie Gabriel), Charlie Gabriel on saxophone, and Jerome "Scrooge" Harris on drums, are to the right of Claude. The trombonist, Big Bill Bissonnette, is mostly out of the photograph on the left side. They are on the floor of a school auditorium with a stage up behind them. Folding chairs on risers are on the stage. The date, "4 8 '01," is imprinted by the camera on the bottom right-hand corner of the photograph.
Type: Image
File: umkc_lsc_williams-claude_photo-006.png
Collection Identifier: MS-0147
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Claude "Fiddler" Williams entertains along with others

Left to right: Big Bill Bissonnette, trombone, from his right side; Jerome "Scrooge" Harris, drums, looking down and wearing a hat; Charlie Gabriel, saxophone, eyes closed in the foreground playing the solo; Dan Pliskow, double bass player looking at the body of the bass; Marcus Belgrave, trumpet, looking toward Charlie Gabriel; Spencer Barefield, jazz guitar, looking at the music on his stand; and then Claude "Fiddler" Williams, mostly out of the right side of the picture playing the fiddle. The date, "4 8 '01," is imprinted by the camera on the bottom right-hand corner of the photograph. A stage is up behind them with folding chairs in rows on risers.
Type: Image
File: umkc_lsc_williams-claude_photo-007.png
Collection Identifier: MS-0147
umkc_lsc_williams-claude_photo-008-Thumbnail Image.jpg

Students applaud performance

Students in the auditorium of a school, applaud a performance. Some students stand while others remain seated. A balcony in the back of the auditorium has students holding up a banner that is only partially legible. The date, "4 8 '01," is imprinted by the camera on the bottom right-hand corner of the photograph.
Type: Image
File: umkc_lsc_williams-claude_photo-008.png
Collection Identifier: MS-0147
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Collaboration

Claude "Fiddler" Williams, on the right side of the photograph stands sideways to the audience to look back at Dan Pliskow, double bassist, and the guitarist, Spencer Barefield, as Claude plays his fiddle. Charlie Gabriel, the saxophone player, looks up as he plays on the left side of the photograph. A stage is up behind them with rows of folding chairs on risers in a school auditorium. A basketball goal is above their heads. The date, "4 8 '01," is imprinted by the camera on the bottom right-hand corner of the photograph. The trumpet player, Marcus Belgrave, is standing in the center of the photograph with his back to the camera.
Type: Image
File: umkc_lsc_williams-claude_photo-009.png
Collection Identifier: MS-0147
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Claude "Fiddler" Williams and Charlie Gabriel smile for the camera

In a blurred photograph, Charlie Gabriel and Claude "Fiddler" Williams lean towards each other and smile as they stand together in an auditorium of a school. The jazz guitarist, Spencer Barefield, has his back to the camera. The date, "4 8 '01," is imprinted by the camera on the bottom right-hand corner of the photograph.
Type: Image
File: umkc_lsc_williams-claude_photo-012.png
Collection Identifier: MS-0147
umkc_lsc_williams-claude_photo-013-Thumbnail Image.jpg

Charlie Gabriel grabs the hand of Claude "Fiddler" Williams

Charlie Gabriel holds his saxophone with his right hand as he grabs the right hand of Claude "Fiddler" Williams with his left hand. Charlie turns his head to smile at the camera as Claude looks directly at Charlie with his left side to the camera. A photographer stands on the stage up behind them. The stage has rows of folding chairs on risers. Dan Pliskow, double bass player, sits and looks to the left side of the photograph in the auditorium of a school. The date, "4 8 '01," is imprinted by the camera on the bottom right-hand corner of the photograph.
Type: Image
File: umkc_lsc_williams-claude_photo-013.png
Collection Identifier: MS-0147
umkc_lsc_williams-claude_photo-014-Thumbnail Image.jpg

Students applaud performance

Students stand and applaud in an auditorium of a school. A basketball goal and a time clock are attached to a wall of windows beside them. The date, "4 8 '01," is imprinted by the camera on the bottom right-hand corner of the photograph.
Type: Image
File: umkc_lsc_williams-claude_photo-014.png
Collection Identifier: MS-0147
umkc_lsc_williams-claude_photo-015-Thumbnail Image.jpg

Dan Pliskow speaks with Spencer Barefield and Claude "Fiddler" Williams

The double bass player, Dan Pliskow's, back is to the camera as he speaks with Spencer Barefield, the jazz guitarist. Claude "Fiddler" Williams listens with his hands in his pockets and his fedora hat is on his head. The bassist and the guitarist each hold their instruments in the auditorium of a school. The drummer, Jerome "Scrooge" Harris, is mostly out of the left side of the photograph. The date, "4 8 '01," is imprinted by the camera on the bottom right-hand corner of the photograph.
Type: Image
File: umkc_lsc_williams-claude_photo-015.png
Collection Identifier: MS-0147