UNLV Jazz and Commercial Music Area presents the annual Joe Williams Jazz Scholarship Concert, at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 1 in Artemus W. Ham Hall. Tickets are available here.
This concert features guest artists Clint Holmes, Naomi Mauro, and Laura Taylor; jazz vocal faculty Lara Vivian Smith, Gary Fowler, and Jo Belle Yonely; jazz vocal students Keimaary Griffin and Eva Yazdanpanah, performing with Jazz Ensemble I, directed by Dave Loeb and Nathan Tanouye. J
azz Ensemble I and the Joe Williams Scholarship Quintet are performing in this concert and recently garnered Grammy consideration for their 2026 album releases My Favorite Things and Back Home, respectively, and will include selections from this release during the concert. Pete Barbutti is the master of ceremonies and Nancy Uscher, dean of the College of Fine Arts, will recognize the Joe Williams Every Day Foundation, during the event for their steadfast support of our dedicated students.
About Joe Williams
Singing a mixture of blues, ballads, popular songs, and jazz standards, Joe Williams was an elegant and sophisticated baritone who is counted among the masters of jazz and blues singing; he has, in fact, earned the title "Emperor of the Blues." His singing style, which he developed over a long and consistently successful career, contributed to the success of the Count Basie Orchestra and influenced the style of many younger singers.
Williams worked with Coleman Hawkins and Lionel Hampton before joining Count Basie's band in 1954. The success of "Every Day I Have the Blues" established Williams, and after leaving the Basie band in 1961, he led small ensembles singing popular songs, ballads, and blues. He was a frequent performer on television, both as a singer and as an actor. His album Nothin' but the Blues won a Grammy Award in 1984.
Williams died on March 29, 1999.
About the UNLV College of Fine Arts
The College of Fine Arts educates, empowers, and engages creative people to become visionary change-makers in the arts through acts of imagination. At UNLV we believe the arts are an essential good for society. We make education relevant and accessible through our programs and outreach. We create new knowledge in the arts. We celebrate independent thought and the power of bringing people together to foster creativity.
