An enduring jazz bassist, composer, and educator, Buster Williams has flourished through many periods of changing fashions in jazz due to his authoritative, dark tone and highly refined technique on the acoustic bass. Though he emerged in the 1960s with Gene Ammons and Sonny Stitt, his earliest recognition came as a member of Herbie Hancock's exploratory Mwandishi sextet from 1969 to 1973. He debuted as a leader with 1975's highly regarded Pinnacle and was a member of Sphere and pianist Kenny Barron's trio. In addition to working in Denny Zeitlin's and Lenny White's groups, the bassist released the celebrated Griot Liberte in 2004 with White and Stefon Harris on piano and marimba. Along with teaching at the New School, he recorded with Cyrus Chestnut on There's a Sweet, Sweet Spirit before resuming his own career as a leader with 2018's Audacity and 2023's Unalome.