Published four months ago by Liturgical Press in the publishing house’s People of God series, Mary Lou Williams: Music for the Soul focuses on the role of faith in the life of the artist who was a formidable mastermind on Kansas City’s jazz scene in the 1930s. Deanna Witkowski’s 152-page study touches on Williams’ stint in Kansas City but is centered on Williams’ subsequent mid-life spiritual awakening and the music it inspired. Williams converted to Catholicism in 1957 when she was 49. Witkowski analyzes Williams’ devotional evolution, suggesting Williams was fully committed to “living the life of a consecrated woman religious.” The book’s sympathetic orientation provides new insights into Williams’ sacred works. In addition to making Williams’ 1964 album Black Christ of the Andes more accessible, Music for the Soul acts as a decoder ring for previously impenetrable passages of Williams’ ambitious jazz masses.
Book Review: Mary Lou Williams: Music for the Soul by Deanna Witkowski
Original image by Plastic Sax.