Billy Bang (September 20, 1947 – April 11, 2011), born William Vincent Walker, was an American free jazz violinist and composer.

Biography

thumb|Bang at [[Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society, Half Moon Bay CA 8/24/86, w/William Parker, bass; Oscar Sanders, guitar; Zen Matsuura, drums]]

Bang's family moved to New York City's Bronx neighborhood while he was still an infant, and as a child he attended a special school for musicians in nearby Harlem. At that school, students were assigned instruments based on their physical size. Bang was fairly small, so he received a violin instead of either of his first choices, the saxophone or the drums.

Bang studied the violin until he earned a hardship scholarship to the Stockbridge School in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, He had difficulty adjusting to life at the school, where he encountered racism and developed confusion about his identity, which he later blamed for his onset of schizophrenia.

Bang spent six months in basic training and another two weeks learning jungle warfare, A soundtrack album was released in 2021.

Bang died on April 11, 2011. According to an associate, Bang had had lung cancer. He is buried at Woodlawn Cemetery, Bronx, New York.

Discography

300px|thumb|In 2008, with [[Fred Anderson (musician)|Fred Anderson, William Parker and Kidd Jordan]]

As leader or co-leader

  • 1977: Black Man's Blues (NoBusiness 2011) with the Survival Ensemble
  • 1978: New York Collage (& Survival Ensemble) (Anima Recs reissued as NoBusiness 2011)
  • 1979: Distinction Without a Difference (hat Hut)
  • 1979: Sweet Space (Anima)
  • 1981: Changing Seasons (Bellows)
  • 1981: Rainbow Gladiator (Soul Note)
  • 1982: Untitled Gift (Anima, 1982)
  • 1982: Invitation (Soul Note)
  • 1982: Bangception (hat MUSICS, 1983) with Dennis Charles; reissued as Bangception, Willisau 1982 (hatOLOGY, 1998)
  • 1982: Live at Green Space (Anima)
  • 1983: Outline No. 12 (Celluloid)
  • 1984: The Fire from Within (Soul Note)
  • 1986: Live at Carlos 1 (Soul Note)
  • 1991: Valve No. 10 (Soul Note)
  • 1992: A Tribute to Stuff Smith (Soul Note)
  • 1993: Hip Hop Be Bop (ITM)
  • 1996: Joy (Within)! (Silkheart) with William Hooker
  • 1996: Spirits Gathering (CIMP)
  • 1997: Forbidden Planet (Masterplan)
  • 1997: Bang On! (Justin Time)
  • 1997: Commandment (For the Sculpture of Alain Kirili) (No More)
  • 2000: Big Bang Theory (Justin Time)
  • 2001: Vietnam: The Aftermath (Justin Time)
  • 2004: Vietnam: Reflections (Justin Time)
  • 2005: Configuration (Silkheart) with Sirone
  • 2007: Above & Beyond: An Evening in Grand Rapids (Justin Time)
  • 2009: Four Seasons - East meets West (Heart Lord Studio, Japan)
  • 2010: Prayer for Peace (TUM)
  • 2010: Billy Bang/Bill Cole (Shadrack)
  • 2013: Da Bang! (TUM)
  • 2014: Medicine Buddha (NoBusiness) with William Parker
  • 2021: Lucky Man: Music from the Film (BBE)

With the String Trio of New York

  • First String (Black Saint, 1979)
  • Area Code 212 (Black Saint, 1980)
  • Common Goal (Black Saint, 1983)
  • Rebirth of a Feeling (Black Saint, 1983)
  • Natural Balance (Black Saint, 1986)

With the FAB Trio (Joe Fonda / Barry Altschul / Bang)

  • Transforming the Space (CIMP, 2003)
  • Live at the Iron Works, Vancouver (Konnex, 2005)
  • A Night in Paris (Live at the Sunset) (Marge, 2008)
  • Live in Amsterdam (Porter, 2009)
  • History of Jazz in Reverse (TUM, 2011)

As sideman

With Ahmed Abdullah

  • Tara's Song (TUM, 2005)
  • Traveling the Spaceways (Planet Arts, 2004)

With Marilyn Crispell

  • Spirit Music (Cadence, 1983)

With Kahil El'Zabar

  • Big Cliff (Delmark, 1995)
  • The Power (CIMP, 2000)
  • Spirits Entering (Delmark, 2001)
  • If You Believe... (8th Harmonic Breakdown, 2002)
  • Live at the River East Art Center (Delmark, 2005)
  • Big M: A Tribute to Malachi Favors (Delmark, 2006)

With The Group (Ahmed Abdullah, Marion Brown, Bang, Sirone, Fred Hopkins, Andrew Cyrille)

  • Live (recorded in 1986, issued in 2012 by NoBusiness Records)

With John Lindberg

  • Dimension 5 (Black Saint, 1981)

With William Parker

  • Through Acceptance of the Mystery Peace (Centering, 1980)
  • Scrapbook (Thirsty Ear, 2003)
  • Wood Flute Songs (AUM Fidelity, 2013)

With World Saxophone Quartet

  • Experience (2004)

References

  • Billy Bang at Myspace
  • Billy Bang discography at MindSpring
  • Billy Bang interview by Fred Jung at All About Jazz
  • Billy Bang audio interview at New England Jazz History Database
  • Billy Bang obituary by Steve Smith in The New York Times
  • Billy Bang bio from Justin Time Records