Editing John Williams (section)

==Early career==
After his studies at Juilliard and the [[Eastman School of Music]], Williams went to Los Angeles where he began working as an [[Orchestration|orchestrator]] at film studios. Williams worked with such composers as [[Franz Waxman]], [[Bernard Herrmann]] and [[Alfred Newman]], and with fellow orchestrators [[Conrad Salinger]] and Bob Franklyn.<ref>''Films & Filming'', vol. 24, 1977, p. 32</ref>

Williams was also a studio pianist and session musician, performing on scores by such composers as [[Jerry Goldsmith]], [[Elmer Bernstein]] and [[Henry Mancini]]. One of his first jobs was working under mentor Alfred Newman with an uncredited role in the orchestra for the 1956 film ''[[Carousel (film)|Carousel]]'', which also coincidentally starred his soon-to-be wife [[Barbara Ruick]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=May 31, 2019 |title=Legacy Conversations: David Newman |url=https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2019/05/31/david-newman-podcast/ |access-date=August 5, 2024 |website=The Legacy of John Williams |language=en}}</ref>

With Mancini, he recorded the scores of ''[[Peter Gunn]]'' (1959), [[Breakfast at Tiffany's (film)|''Breakfast at Tiffany's'']] (1961), [[Days of Wine and Roses (film)|''Days of Wine and Roses'']] (1962) and [[Charade (1963 film)|''Charade'']] (1963), and played the piano part of the guitar-piano [[ostinato]] in Mancini's [[The Music from Peter Gunn|''Peter Gunn'' title theme]].<ref>Tribute to John Williams, ca. 1991.</ref><ref name="King2023" /> With Elmer Bernstein, he performed on the scores of [[Alexander Mackendrick]]'s ''[[Sweet Smell of Success]]'' (1957) and [[Robert Mulligan]]'s [[To Kill a Mockingbird (film)|''To Kill a Mockingbird'']] (1962). Williams was also the pianist on the scores of [[Billy Wilder]]'s ''[[The Apartment]]'' (1960) [[Jerome Robbins]] and [[Robert Wise]]'s [[West Side Story (1961 film)|''West Side Story'']] (1961), and [[Blake Edwards]] ''[[The Great Race]]'' (1966).<ref name="Los Angeles Times">{{cite web |last1=Grieving |first1=Tim |title=John Williams' early life: How a NoHo kid and UCLA Bruin became the movie music man |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/la-et-cm-john-williams-early-life-20180718-story.html |website=Los Angeles Times |date=July 18, 2018 |access-date=July 15, 2021 |archive-date=February 6, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190206065718/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/la-et-cm-john-williams-early-life-20180718-story.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

Known as Johnny Williams during this period, he released several jazz albums under this name, including ''Jazz Beginnings'', ''World on a String,'' and ''The John Towner Touch''.<ref name="Los Angeles Times"/> Williams also served as music arranger and bandleader for a series of popular music albums with the singers [[Ray Vasquez]] and [[Frankie Laine]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fiA0zbl1LcoC&pg=PA14|title=A Musical Biography of John Williams|first=Tom|last=Barton|access-date=December 31, 2015|archive-date=November 15, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231115135130/https://books.google.com/books?id=fiA0zbl1LcoC&pg=PA14#v=onepage&q&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dizlCgAAQBAJ&pg=PT394|title=100 Things Star Wars Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die|first=Dan|last=Casey|publisher=Triumph Books|date=November 1, 2015|access-date=December 31, 2015|isbn=978-1-63319-345-1|archive-date=November 15, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231115135241/https://books.google.com/books?id=dizlCgAAQBAJ&pg=PT394#v=onepage&q&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref>