Rick MacWilliams

Rick MacWilliams passed away on September 12th after a long illness; he was 81. While he wore many hats, including mechanical engineer, licensed councilor, volunteer for environmental causes, and pilot, Rick’s longest career and first love was music. As a tuba player, he played in countless Jazz bands, banjo groups, and wind ensembles beginning in his teenaged years.

For almost seven decades he performed all over New England and in national festivals with his own Commonwealth Jazz as well as the Legacy Jazz Band, Reinterpretation Jazz Band, Bay State Syncopators, Sandy McCone’s Concord Junction Golden Redeemer Jazz Band, Fred Reynolds’ Good Time Jazz Band, Wolverine Jazz Band, Squirrel Hill Jazz Band, New Liberty Jazz Band, Happy Feet Dance Orchestra, Dan Gabel’s High Society Orchestra and as a member of the house bands at Sweeney’s Gay ’90s, Your Father’s Moustache, and the Sticky Wicket.