Handy, D. Antoinette, and Black Perspective in Music 8, no. 2 (1980): 195–214.

Interviews with Mary Lou Williams from December 4, 1979, through May 29, 1980. Mentions Williams’s early childhood and exposure to spirituals through her mother. Provides extensive details about her career as a performer and teacher. Defines the term “jazz” and the influence spirituals have had on the definition. Covers Williams’s philosophy on the “Americanism” of music. Includes references about musical influences and close associates, and a discussion of outstanding African American women who performed as instrumentalists in jazz bands. (Author’s abstract, revised)