Bassist and vocalist Cornell C. Williams has anchored Jon Cleary's Absolute Monster Gentlemen for over two decades — Cleary's longest-standing musical partner and the low end of the band's New Orleans funk.
Biography
A New Orleans native, Williams plays bass and sings backup and lead vocals in the Absolute Monster Gentlemen, the core trio behind pianist Jon Cleary. UK Jazz News, reviewing the band's 2025 Ronnie Scott's run in London, called him Cleary's longest-standing musical partner, anchoring the groove with punch and personality while adding rich, low harmonies.
He has played on every Absolute Monster Gentlemen record from the band's 2002 Basin Street Records debut — credited on Discogs as bass and vocals — through The Bywater Sessions (2025). With Cleary he tours worldwide, including the band's 2027 Australia dates, and holds down regular New Orleans rooms like Tipitina's and the Maple Leaf Bar.
Discography
Sources
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