Roy Williams began his playing career playing tailgate trombone around the Manchester area with Eric Batty’s Jazz Aces, a local group. Soon afterwards he joined Terry Lightfoot and matured rapidly in both technique and ideas until, in 1965, he was invited to join Alex Welsh and “turned into a world-class talent, a perfect amalgam of Urbie Green and Jack Teagarden with a hint of Bob Brookmeyer here and there” (Digby Fairweather). After a tremendously successful period he eventually left thirteen years later to join Humphrey Lyttelton where he stayed for four years.

The broadcaster and trumpeter, Digby Fairweather, sums up as follows: “Roy Williams is the natural heir to George Chisholm: consistent, perfectly musical and with a pianissimo close-to-the-microphone approach that recalls Jack Teagarden, he has become ‘first trombone call’ for British and many American musicians in his style.”

A Regular winner of jazz awards in the trombone section, including being the eleven times winner of the British Telecom award, and has become one of the most respected and affectionately regarded mainstream trombonists in the world.