Collection: William Parker

Photo: Jimmy Katz

As William Parker embodies the beliefs that gave birth to AUM Fidelity, may that day come sooner when folks on a mass scale awake to the alter/all true (includes you) destiny as put forth by Mr. Parker, and the many great sages who have come before.

He writes: "it is the role of the artist to incite political, social, and spiritual revolution, to awaken us from our sleep and never let us forget our obligations as human beings, to light the fire of human compassion. Sounds that enlighten are infinite. We can put no limit to joy, or on our capacity for love."

In the mid 1990's began an appropriately growing appreciation of William Parker's massive gifts as a musician, and in this new century, his sheer humanity has take further deep root in the essence of listeners' beings.

It was in the middle of the last decade of the previous century that William took on the band leadership role that had long been urged on him by his fellow musicians. His talents as a composer and band-leader became quickly evident through his large ensemble – The Little Huey Creative Music Orchestra, his small group – In Order To Survive, and the collective quartet Other Dimensions In Music. In addition, William was a root foundation member of the ensembles of both David S. Ware and Matthew Shipp. Further, his destined collaboration with Chicago-based drummer Hamid Drake has produced incomparable musical rewards. The William Parker Quartet with Hamid, Rob Brown and Lewis Barnes & the Raining On The Moon Sextet (which adds Leena Conquest and Eri Yamamoto), along with The Inside Songs of Curtis Mayfield, have also been among William Parker's principal projects as a leader since the dawn of the new millennium. And there is so very, very much more, which non-stop continues to develop and be presented to the world.

Noting: the complete discographies of William Parker as a leader & co-leader below include links to all works available Direct From Source. These are followed by the extensive album & book cover art collection of his tremendous body of work available directly here, from AUM Fidelity & Centering Music.

Complete Discography as Leader

2024 - Heart Trio (Trio w/ Cooper-Moore, Hamid Drake)
2024 - Cereal Music (Collaboration w/ producer Ellen Christi)
2022 - Universal Tonality (large & Godhead ensemble; one time only)
2021 - Painters Winter (Trio w/ Daniel Carter, Hamid Drake)
2021 - Mayan Space Station (Trio w/ Ava Mendoza, Gerald Cleaver)
2021 - Migration of Silence Into and Out of The Tone World [Volumes 1–10]
2020 - "New World Order" b/w "Soledad" (digital single)
2020 - Trencadís (advance selection from Migration of Silence, digital only)
2020 - I Plan To Stay A Believer: The Inside Songs of Curtis Mayfield (2LP edition)
2019 - Live/Shapeshifter (In Order To Survive)
2018 - Flower In a Stained-Glass Window -&- The Blinking of The Ear (two unique ensembles)
2018 - Voices Fall From The Sky (widely ranging ensembles & singers / 3CD Box Set)
2018 - Lake of Light (compositions for aquasonics)
2017 - Meditation / Resurrection (Quartet & In Order To Survive)
2016 - Stan's Hat Flapping in the Wind (feat. Lisa Sokolov & Cooper-Moore)
2016 - Ao Vivo Jazz Na Fábrica (Quartet)
2015 - Great Spirit (Raining On The Moon)
2015 - For Those Who Are, Still (large ensembles / 3CD Box Set)
2013 - Wood Flute Songs: Anthology/Live 2006-2012 (Quartet++ / 8CD Box Set)
2013 - Live In Wroclove (Quartet)
2012 - Essence of Ellington / Live in Milano (Orchestra)
2012 - Centering: Unreleased Early Recordings 1976-1987 (various ensembles / 6CD Box Set)
2011 - Crumbling In The Shadows Is Fraulein Miller's Stale Cake (solo bass / 3CD Box Set)
2010 - I Plan To Stay A Believer: The Inside Songs of Curtis Mayfield (Octet)
2010 - Uncle Joe's Spirit House (Organ Quartet)
2010 - Winter Sun Crying (w/ ICI Ensemble, Munich)
2010 - At Somewhere There (solo bass)
2008 - Petit Oiseau (Quartet)
2008 - Double Sunrise Over Neptune (Orchestra – whoa!)
2007 - Corn Meal Dance (Raining On The Moon)
2007 - The Inside Songs of Curtis Mayfield (live in Rome-2004)
2007 - Alphaville Suite (Double Quartet)
2006 - Requiem (Bass Quartet + Charles Gayle)
2006 - Long Hidden: The Olmec Series (The Olmec Group & solo works)
2006 - For Percy Heath (The Little Huey Creative Music Orchestra)
2005 - Sound Unity (Quartet)
2005 - Luc's Lantern (Piano Trio w/ Eri Yamamoto, Michael Thompson)
2004 - Mass for the Healing of the World (The Little Huey Creative Music Orchestra)
2003 - Spontaneous (The Little Huey Creative Music Orchestra)
2003 - Scrapbook (Violin Trio w/ Billy Bang and Hamid Drake)
2002 - Raincoat In The River (The Little Huey Creative Music Orchestra)
2002 - Raining On The Moon (Quartet w/ Leena Conquest)
2002 - Bob's Pink Cadillac (Clarinet Trio w/ Perry Robinson & Walter Perkins)
2001 - O'Neal's Porch (Quartet)
2001 - Song Cycle (feat. Lisa Sokolov & Ellen Christi)
2000 - Mayor Of Punkville (The Little Huey Creative Music Orchestra)
2000 - Painter's Spring (Trio w/ Daniel Carter, Hamid Drake)
1999 - Posium Pendasem (In Order To Survive)
1998 - The Peach Orchard (In Order To Survive)
1998 - Lifting The Sanctions (solo bass)
1998 - Through Acceptance Of The Mystery Peace (CD edition with addtl material)
1997 - Sunrise in the Tone World (The Little Huey Creative Music Orchestra)
1996 - Compassion Seizes Bed-Stuy (In Order To Survive)
1995 - In Order To Survive (In Order To Survive)
1995 - Testimony (solo bass)
1995 - Flowers Grow In My Room (The Little Huey Creative Music Orchestra)
1981 - Through Acceptance of the Mystery Peace (LP feat. material recorded 1974-1979 w/ various accompaniment)

Complete Discography as Co-Leader, With : Title

2022 - Daniel Carter / Matthew Shipp / Gerald Cleaver : Welcome Adventure! Vol. 2
2021 - Patricia Nicholson : No Joke!
2020 - Daniel Carter / Matthew Shipp / Gerald Cleaver : Welcome Adventure! Vol. 1
2018 - Daniel Carter / Matthew Shipp : Seraphic Light
2018 - Patricia Nicholson : Hope Cries For Justice
2017 - Stefano Scodanibbio : Bass Duo
2017 - David Budbill : What I Saw This Morning
2015 - Oliver Lake : To Roy
2014 - Farmers By Nature : Love and Ghosts
2014 - Konstrukt : Live at NHKM
2013 - David Budbill / Lois Eby : On Being Native
2012 - David S. Ware / Planetary Unknown : Live at Jazzfestival Saalfelden
2012 - Joe Morris / Gerald Cleaver: Altitude
2011 - David S. Ware / Cooper-Moore / Muhammad Ali : Planetary Unknown
2011 - Farmers By Nature : Out of This World's Distortions
2011 - The Element Choir : At Christ Church Deer Park
2010 - Ninni Morgia : Prism
2010 - David S. Ware / Warren Smith : Onecept
2009 - Giorgio Dini : Temporary
2009 - Gerald Cleaver / Craig Taborn : Farmers By Nature
2009 - Joelle Leandre : Live at Dunois
2008 - Anthony Braxton / Milford Graves : Beyond Quantum
2008 - Charles Gayle / Rashied Ali : Live at Crescendo
2007 - Other Dimensions In Music : Live at the Sunset
2007 - Hamid Drake : Summer Snow
2007 - Hamid Drake : First Communion + Piercing The Veil
2006 - Kidd Jordan / Hamid Drake : Palm of Soul
2005 - Fred Anderson / Hamid Drake : Blue Winter
2003 - Roy Campbell / Daniel Carter / Alan Silva : Fractured Dimensions
2003 - David Budbill / Hamid Drake : Songs for a Suffering World
2002 - Joe Morris / Hamid Drake : Eloping With The Sun
2002 - Jemeel Moondoc / Hamid Drake : New World Pygmies vol. 2
2001 - Hamid Drake : Piercing The Veil
2001 - The Music Ensemble : The Music Ensemble
2000 - Other Dimensions In Music : Time Is Of The Essence Is Beyond Time
2000 - Jemeel Moondoc : New World Pygmies
1999 - David Budbill : Zen Mountains Zen Streets
1999 - Alan Silva : A Hero's Welcome: Pieces for Rare Occasions
1998 - Other Dimensions In Music : Now!
1998 - Joelle Leandre : Contrabasses
1997 - Joe Morris : Invisible Weave
1996 - Intermission : Song Of Low Songs
1995 - Derek Bailey / John Zorn : Harras
1993 - Charles Gayle / Rashied Ali : Touchin' On Trane
1990 - Other Dimensions In Music : Other Dimensions In Music

William Parker / Official Website

The pictured collection of works (CDs, LPs, Books, DVDs) available direct from AUM Fidelity / Centering Records (that is, here!) are presented in successive sets:
1 – as Leader ;  2 – as Co-Leader ;  3 – as Member
and in reverse chronological order of release date