Poncho Williams
About this Artist
Albert “Poncho” Williams is a veteran jazz saxophonist, educator, and bandleader who has performed and taught throughout the greater Los Angeles area and across the United States for more than 30 years. A Detroit native, Williams was mentored by legendary Detroit jazz masters including Marcus Belgrave, Sam Sanders, Herbie Williams, and Donald Walden. Beyond his performance career, Williams is deeply committed to youth music education and arts mentorship. He is the founder and director of the “In the Shed” Summer Jazz Camp, which has been hosted in both Los Angeles and Detroit. His extensive teaching and conducting experience includes serving as conductor and director for Jazz Ensemble, Wind Ensemble, and Symphony Orchestra at YOLA (Youth Orchestra Los Angeles) in Inglewood, as well as teaching positions with the Great Books Summer Program at Stanford University, Pacific Hills School in West Hollywood, Holy Name of Jesus Catholic School in Los Angeles, Community Harvest Charter School in Sherman Oaks, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and the Open LA Youth Orchestra Program at University of Southern California.
In 2006, Williams founded the “Bonnie’s Pearl Annual Holiday Music Celebration,” a nonprofit initiative dedicated to supporting school music programs by raising funds for musical instruments and scholarships for graduating high school seniors. As an accomplished performer and bandleader, Williams leads his ensemble, Bonnie’s Pearl featuring Williams, and has shared the stage with acclaimed artists including Wayne Henderson, Miki Howard, Ben E. King, “Mighty Mo” Rodgers, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, and Nnamdi Asomugha. His ensemble has performed and headlined at notable events including the Long Beach Jazz Festival, Gardena Jazz Festival, Rosarito Jazz Festival, and Blue Jay Jazz Festival.
Williams has also appeared at numerous distinguished corporate and community events for organizations including Black Women Lawyers (BWL), California Association of Black Lawyers (CABL), Fox Rothschild’s Annual Emmy and Grammy Celebration, the California Teachers Association, the City of Inglewood, and AEG. Williams earned an Associate of Arts degree from West Los Angeles College in 2016 and a Bachelor of Arts in Music from California State University at Dominguez Hills in 2019. He is also a proud veteran of the United States Air Force.