Mary Lou Williams: The Lady Who Swings the Band

Jazz pianist Mary Lou Williams was a genius ahead of her time. From child prodigy to "Boogie-Woogie Queen" to groundbreaking composer to mentoring some of the greatest musicians of all time, she never ceased to astound those who heard her play. But for a Black woman in the early 1900s, life as a star did not come easy.

• Carol BashDirector

• Mary Lou WilliamsSelf (archive footage)
• Alfre WoodardMary Lou Williams (voice)
• Delroy LindoJohn Williams (voice)
• Wendell PierceAndy Kirk (voice)
• Stanley CrouchSelf
• Robin D.G. KelleySelf
• Gary GiddinsSelf
• Tammy L. KernodleSelf
• Farah GriffinSelf
• Gayle MurchisonSelf
• Alexandra NoaillesSelf
• Peter O'BrienSelf