Claude "Fiddler" Williams Collection

Claude "Fiddler" Williams grins at the camera as he walks by the baby grand piano holding his fiddle and bow in his left hand as he performs at the Levee Bar & Grill on 43rd Street in Kansas City...

Claude "Fiddler" Williams grins at the camera as he walks by the baby grand piano holding his fiddle and bow in his left hand as he performs at the Levee Bar & Grill on 43rd Street in Kansas City...

Claude "Fiddler" Williams smiles at the camera as he stands on stage at the Levee Bar & Grill on 43rd Street in Kansas City, Missouri, snapping his fingers of his right hand as he holds his fiddle and...

Left to right: Big Bill Bissonnette, trombone, from his right side; Jerome "Scrooge" Harris, drums, looking down and wearing a hat; Charlie Gabriel, saxophone, eyes closed in the foreground playing...

Claude "Fiddler" Williams focuses on his fiddle as he performs at the Levee Bar & Grill on 43rd Street in Kansas City, Missouri. Richard Ross, singer, stands beside Claude on stage waiting for his...

Claude "Fiddler" Williams stands in the center of a school auditorium stage performing on his fiddle. Marcus Belgrave walks toward Claude with a microphone held shoulder high with his left hand. An...

Claude "Fiddler" Williams has a big grin on his face as he takes a little side step on stage, pumps the fist of his right hand, and holds his bow and fiddle down by his leg with his left hand. Larry...

Claude "Fiddler" Williams performing on stage with an incarnation of the Statesmen of Jazz with Jane Jarvis, seated at the piano on the farthest left side of the photograph. Joe Wilder playing...

Claude "Fiddler" Williams performing on stage with an incarnation of the Statesmen of Jazz with Jane Jarvis, seated at the piano on the farthest left side of the photograph. Joe Wilder playing...

Claude "Fiddler" Williams bends his knees and smiles as he plays his fiddle at the Levee Bar & Grill on 43rd Street in Kansas City, Missouri. Larry Holloway plays the double bass behind Claude on...

Claude "Fiddler" Williams bends deep as he plays his fiddle on stage at the Levee Bar & Grill on 43rd Street in Kansas City, Missouri. The double bass player, Larry Holloway, is blurred on the left...

Claude "Fiddler" Williams focuses on his fiddle as he performs at the Levee Bar & Grill on 43rd Street in Kansas City, Missouri. Richard Ross, singer, stands beside Claude on stage waiting for his...

Claude "Fiddler" Williams bends toward his fiddle as he performs at the Levee Bar & Grill on 43rd Street in Kansas City, Missouri. Larry Holloway is playing the double bass behind Claude on stage.

Claude "Fiddler" Williams stands tall as he plays the fiddle at the Levee Bar & Grill on 43rd Street in Kansas City, Missouri, with Larry Holloway on the double bass at the back of the stage.

Claude "Fiddler" Williams stands tall as he plays the fiddle at the Levee Bar & Grill on 43rd Street in Kansas City, Missouri, with Larry Holloway on the double bass at the back of the stage.

Claude "Fiddler" Williams bends deep as he plays his fiddle on stage at the Levee Bar & Grill on 43rd Street in Kansas City, Missouri. The double bass player, Larry Holloway, is in the dark on the...

African American and white students sit in rows of chairs in an auditorium watching Claude "Fiddler" Williams listen to an unidentified white female fiddler play with an unidentified white female...

African American and white students sit in rows of chairs in an auditorium watching Claude "Fiddler" Williams perform with an unidentified white female double bass player and a seated white male jazz...

African American and white students sit in rows of chairs in an auditorium watching Claude "Fiddler" Williams perform with another, white female, fiddler, and a double bass player completely obscured...

An unidentified white male pianist, farthest left in the photograph, sits diagonally on the piano bench, turns his body toward the keys, and closes his eyes as he plays. Standing beside the bench...

Claude "Fiddler" Williams stands and faces the center of the stage as he plays his fiddle with a fiddler Matt Glaser and a group of unidentified white musicians including, a seated guitarist, and a...

Claude "Fiddler" Williams bends toward his fiddle as he performs at the Levee Bar & Grill on 43rd Street in Kansas City, Missouri. Larry Holloway is playing the double bass behind Claude on stage. His...

Claude "Fiddler" Williams moves his feet and leans into the music as he plays his fiddle at the Levee Bar & Grill on 43rd Street in Kansas City, Missouri. Larry Holloway plays a double bass on the...

Frank Smith, piano, on the left side of the photograph, turns his head to looks seriously at the photographer as he plays a piano he is seated at. Behind and completely obscured by Frank is a double...

Claude "Fiddler" Williams seems to take a dance step as he plays his fiddle while performing at the Levee Bar & Grill on 43rd Street in Kansas City, Missouri. Larry Holloway focuses on his double bass...