Violinist Claude Williams, one of the last surviving links to the swing era, had important stints with the big bands of Andy Kirk and Count Basie that were just barely documented. Unjustly obscure for decades, he is in excellent form on a live quintet date with guitarist James Chirillo, pianist Ron Mathews, bassist Al McKibbon and either Akira Tana or Grady Tate on drums. Williams fiddles and occasionally sings on a variety of swing standards and blues, showing that in 1989 he still very much had it. This is the first of two CDs from this engagement.