Throughout his nine-decade career, Williams focused on the Great American Songbook and the tenor sax as a solo vehicle.
Turning down invitations to go on tour with Duke Ellington, Count Basie, or Louis Armstrong, he chose to stay and become part of the Minneapolis–Saint Paul (Twin Cities), history.
Since his 84th birthday, Williams came up with a stream of releases: That’s All (2004), Dedicated to You (2005), followed by one of his most acclaimed, Duo (2006) with piano partner Peter Schimke, and Finality (2008).
In 2011, Williams recorded Duke's Mixture, a quintet with Peter Schimke, Steve Blons, Billy Peterson and Jay Epstein; the set list includes five original compositions from Williams and his vocal debut on "Until the Real Thing Comes Along", together with two Irving Berlin standards and a pair of blues tunes.
Irv Williams had a regular weekly gig at the Dakota Jazz Club in downtown Minneapolis.