Stu Williamson

Younger brother of pianist Claude Williamson, Stu Williamson was a fixture on West Coast jazz schedules from the 1950s. He transferred to LA in 1949 and spent intervals using Stan Kenton (1951), Woody Herman (1952-1953), and Kenton once again (1954-1955), furthermore to shorter stints with Billy Might and Charlie Barnet. The mellow-toned Williamson, best-known for his association with Shelly Manne (on / off during 1954-1958), was on the many sessions until 1968 when he fell from the music picture. A medication addict, Stu Williamson spent the majority of his last 2 decades struggling beyond music.