Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Bill Mays was born William Allen Mays on February 5, 1944 in Sacramento, California. Coming from a musical family he learned to play piano and at sixteen he became interested in jazz after attending an Earl Hines concert.

From 1969 to the early 1980s Bill worked Frank Sinatra, Al Jarreau, Dionne Warwick, Anita O’Day, Mark Murphy and accompanied other vocalists in Los Angeles with Sarah Vaughan, while also working sessions with such luminary musicians as Art Pepper, Shelly Manne, Bud Shank, Red Mitchell, and Bobby Shew to name a few from an esteemed list of luminaries.

In 1984, Mays moved to New York and became best known as a sideman or accompanist, but starting in the 1990s he began to do more work as a bandleader, composer, and arranger. As far back as the 70’s on, he recorded over two-dozen albums under his own name, in different configurations, and has been heard as a sideman on many more. He continues to perform, record and tour.

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