Bill Mays


William Allen Mays, known professionally as Bill Mays, is an American jazz pianist from Sacramento, California.

Biography

Mays came from a musical family and at the age of 15 became interested in jazz at an Earl Hines concert.
From 1969 to the early 1980s Mays worked as a studio session musician in Los Angeles. He has been an accompanist to singers Al Jarreau, Peggy Lee, Anita O'Day, Frank Sinatra, Sarah Vaughan and Dionne Warwick, and also worked with artists such as Don Ellis, Mel Lewis, Barry Manilow, Shelly Manne, Bob Mintzer, Red Mitchell, Gerry Mulligan, Art Pepper, Bud Shank, Bobby Shew, Sonny Stitt, Paul Winter, Phil Woods, Ray Drummond and Frank Zappa. In 1984, he moved to New York City and began to do more work as a bandleader, composer, and arranger. He has recorded over three dozen albums under his own name, and has been heard on hundreds more by others.

Discography

As leader

  • A Musical Cocktail: The Music of Cole Porter
  • Two of a Mind with Red Mitchell
  • Tha's Delights with Shelly Manne, Andy Simpkins, Ralph Moore, Tom Harrell
  • One to One with Ray Drummond
  • One to One 2 with Ray Drummond
  • Kaleidoscope with Peter Sprague, Dick Oatts, Harvie Swartz, Jeff Hirshfield
  • Live At Maybeck - Concord Duo Series Volume Seven with Ed Bickert
  • Live At Maybeck
  • An Ellington Affair with Lewis Nash, John Goldsby
  • Mays in Manhattan with Marvin Stamm, Ed Neumeister, Jon Gordon, Sean Smith, Tim Horner
  • Out in Pa. with Matt Wilson, Martin Wind
  • By Ourselves with Marvin Stamm
  • Summer Sketches
  • Going Home
  • Bick's Bag with Neil Swainson, Terry Clarke
  • Live at Jazz Standard
  • Live at Birdland NYC, Stamm/Soph Project
  • Beyond the Red Door with Bud Shank
  • Stuffy Turkey with Joe La Barbera, Mattias Svensson
  • Blue Rondo a la Turk with Keisuke Ohta
  • The Best Is Yet To Come with Joe La Barbera, Rwu Kawamura
  • Mays at the Movies
  • Phil & Bill with Phil Woods
  • Front Row Seat Solo
  • Live at COTA
  • Mays Plays Mays
With Inventions Trio
  • Fantasy
  • Delaware River Suite
  • Life's a Movie
With Road Work Ahead
  • Night And Day
  • On The Road Again
  • ''Intersection''

    As sideman

With Carter Burwell
With Elliot Goldenthal
  • Cobb
  • Interview with the Vampire
  • Sphere
With Benny Golson
  • California Message
  • One More Mem'ry
  • One Day, Forever
With Bob Magnusson
  • Revelation
  • Two Generations of Music
With Barry Manilow
  • Even Now
  • One Voice
  • Barry
  • If I Should Love Again
  • I Wanna Do It with You
  • 2:00 AM Paradise Cafe
With Bud Shank
  • Heritage
  • Crystal Comments with Bud Shank and Alan Broadbent
  • Explorations: 1980 with Bud Shank
  • Silver Storm
  • On the Trail
  • Fascinating Rhythms
With Bobby Shew
  • Class Reunion
  • Outstanding in His Field
  • Play Song
  • Telepathy with Bobby Shew
  • Shewhorn
With Frank Zappa
  • Bognor Regis
  • One Shot Deal
  • Orchestral Favorites 40th Anniversary
With others