Elmer Williams
Elmer "Tone" Williams (1905 – June 1962) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, Elmer Williams was one of the early tenorsax players with personality and good qualities, known primarily for his works with Chick Webb, so definitely deserving to be remembered. Williams worked with Claude Hopkins (1926-1927), then he joined Webb's Orchestra in 1927. Along with this band, Williams appeared on Louis Armstrong's 1932 The Complete RCA Victor Recordings. Elmer worked mainly with Chick Webb until 1934 (briefly with McKinney's Cotton Pickers in summer of 1931). After a little break, he continues to work with Webb until 1936. From 1936 until 1939 he worked regularly with Fletcher Henderson, then joined Horace Henderson in June 1939. In 1941 he was with Ella Fitzgerald, subsequently with Lucky Millinder (1944–45) and Claude Hopkins again (1946). He can be seen playing with Noble Sissle's Orchestra in the film short “Bob Howard’s House Party” (1947). This scene was reused in the Race Film “Murder With Music” (1948). Elmer Williams toured with Herbert ‘Kat’ Cowens in summer of 1950, later in the 1950s worked in Milan, Italy, with tenorist Freddy Mitchell’s band. In later life he suffered from diabetes; eventually he had both legs amputated, but continued to play ‘gigs’ in a wheelchair. |
Birth and Death Data: Died 1962
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1932 - 1946
Roles Represented in DAHR: tenor saxophone, saxophone, clarinet
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 1-25 of 50 records)
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor | BS-74822 | 10-in. | 12/8/1932 | I hate to leave you now | Louis Armstrong Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with trumpet solo and male vocal solo | instrumentalist, saxophone | |
| Victor | BS-100360 | 10-in. | 4/9/1936 | I'm a fool for loving you | Fletcher Henderson's Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, saxophone | |
| Victor | BS-100361 | 10-in. | 4/9/1936 | Moonrise on the lowlands | Fletcher Henderson's Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, saxophone | |
| Victor | BS-100362 | 10-in. | 4/9/1936 | I'll always be in love with you | Fletcher Henderson's Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, saxophone | |
| Victor | BS-100363 | 10-in. | 4/9/1936 | Jangled nerves | Fletcher Henderson's Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, saxophone | |
| Victor | D6VB-2557 | 10-in. | 7/31/1946 | How come you do me like you do | Lil Green | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, saxophone | |
| Victor | D6VB-2558 | 10-in. | 7/31/1946 | That old feeling | Lil Green | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, saxophone | |
| Victor | D6VB-2559 | 10-in. | 7/31/1946 | Last go round blues | Lil Green Orchestra | Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | instrumentalist, saxophone | |
| Victor | D6VB-2560 | 10-in. | 7/31/1946 | No good man | Lil Green Orchestra | Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | instrumentalist, saxophone | |
| Decca | 38548 | 10-in. | 9/5/1934 | Give me a heart to sing to | Ethel Waters | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | ||
| Decca | 38549 | 10-in. | 9/5/1934 | I ain't gonna sin no more | Ethel Waters | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | ||
| Decca | 38550 | 10-in. | 9/5/1934 | Trade mark | Ethel Waters | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | ||
| Decca | 38551 | 10-in. | 9/5/1934 | You're going to leave the old home, Jim-1 | Ethel Waters | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | ||
| Decca | 38593 | 10-in. | 9/10/1934 | That rhythm man | Chick Webb Orchestra | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | ||
| Decca | 38594 | 10-in. | 9/10/1934 | On the sunny side of the street | Chick Webb Orchestra | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | ||
| Decca | 38595 | 10-in. | 9/10/1934 | Lona-1 | Chick Webb Orchestra | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | ||
| Decca | 38596 | 10-in. | 9/10/1934 | Blue minor-1 | Chick Webb Orchestra | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | ||
| Decca | 39138 | 10-in. | 11/19/1934 | It's over because we're through | Chick Webb Orchestra | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | ||
| Decca | 39140 | 10-in. | 11/19/1934 | Don't be that way | Chick Webb Orchestra | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | ||
| Decca | 39141 | 10-in. | 11/19/1934 | What a shuffle-1 | Chick Webb Orchestra | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | ||
| Decca | 39142 | 10-in. | 11/19/1934 | Blue Lou | Chick Webb Orchestra | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | ||
| Decca | 39614 | 10-in. | 6/12/1935 | I'll chase the blues away | Chick Webb Orchestra | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | ||
| Decca | 39615 | 10-in. | 6/12/1935 | Down home rag-1 | Chick Webb Orchestra | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | ||
| Decca | 39616 | 10-in. | 6/12/1935 | Are you here to stay? | Chick Webb Orchestra | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | ||
| Decca | 39617 | 10-in. | 6/12/1935 | Love and kisses | Chick Webb Orchestra | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Williams, Elmer," accessed December 29, 2025, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/113999.
Williams, Elmer. (2025). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 29, 2025, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/113999.
"Williams, Elmer." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2025. Web. 29 December 2025.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Elmer Williams
Discogs: Elmer Williams
Allmusic: Elmer Williams
Grove: Elmer Williams
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Williams, Elmer, 1905-1962 - https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no2008039113
Wikidata: Elmer Williams - https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q51052670
VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/49411773
MusicBrainz: Elmer Williams - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/6ba6a28d-18e1-40ce-bfc9-718d5dfc7e4a
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