|
Event
Brooks Williams
Ranked in the Top 100 Acoustic Guitarists, Brooks Williams is one of the most versatile and entertaining performers on the acoustic roots music scene today. From Statesboro Georgia USA, he is a proverbial triple threat: a fiery guitarist, a smooth-as-silk vocalist, and stunning songwriter. In February 2014 he was nominated best male vocalist by the UK's folk roots mavens, Spiral Earth.
A road warrior, in the truest sense, Williams has toured throughout the world including the USA, Canada, Ireland, the UK, Turkey, France, Italy, The Netherlands and Africa. Appearances include Shrewsbury Folk Festival and Cropredy Festival in England, New Bedford Folk Festival in Massachusetts, Celtic Connections in Scotland, and Uncle Calvin's in Texas. Over the years he has shared the stage with such music luminaries as Taj Mahal, Eddie Reader, Shawn Colvin and Chris Smither, to name but a few.
With 20 albums to his name, including his 2013 favourite New Everything, Williams' music has featured on the BBC, RTE (Ireland), CBC (Canada) and NPR (USA) and has charted on the FOLKDJ stations. He can also be heard on Satellite and Internet radio throughout the world. WUMB-FM radio in Boston USA voted him one of their Top 100 Artists.
Genre Defying Guitarist Singer Songwriter
Brooks Williams is a genre defying guitarist singer songwriter. It's roots. It's acoustic. He walks the line between blues and Americana, but there's a bit of jazz and rockabilly thrown in for good measure. Imagine Doc Watson, Willie Nelson, Lonnie Johnson and Blind Boy Fuller sitting in a bar having a jam and you're just about there!
He's he proverbial triple threat: playing a fiery guitar, commanding a rich and silky voice, and writing hook-laden songs. He is one of the most diverse and entertaining performers on the acoustic roots music scene and is ranked one of the world's Top 100 Acoustic Guitarists.
The San Antonio Light says that Williams is a "fret monster who has to be seen to be believed!" For 25 years he has been wowing audiences worldwide, every night delivering the deepest and most intense interpretations of everything from early blues to inventive covers to his own recent original compositions. Dirty Linen calls him one of "America's musical treasures."
Road Warrior
In the time-honoured road-warrior tradition, Williams has honed his songs on stages from Dallas to London, Istanbul to Anchorage, Toronto to Dublin, Detroit to Glasgow, Nairobi to Belfast, New York to Sardinia. He has gigged with Taj Mahal, John Hammond, Eddi Reader, Paul Jones, Billy Bragg, Little Feat, Maria Muldaur, Shawn Colvin, Boo Hewerdine and Leo Kottke, to name but a few. Recent appearances include Celtic Connections, Mo' Fest, Glastonbury, Shrewsbury Folk Festival, Cambridge Folk Festival, Ely Folk Festival, Birmingham Jazz and Blues Festival, Maverick Festival, Ards Guitar Festival, Kerrville Festival, Crawley Blues Festival, Marlborough Jazz Festival and Moab Folk Festival. All in all, thousands of gigs over thousands of miles!
Influences
Born in Statesboro Georgia USA from the land of blues legend Blind Willie McTell Williams' southern roots took hold of his music when he moved to Boston Massachusetts USA in his late teens. It was there, in the little clubs and bars of New York and New England, that he developed his sound, playing 5-6 nights a week. The mid-week gigs were in raucous bars (think Blues Brothers Brooks Williams and chicken wire and you're nearly there!) with Williams typically playing for four hours without stopping. The weekend gigs were in quiet coffeehouses (the same ones that year's earlier featured the likes of a Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Bonnie Raitt, Chris Smither, Suzanne Vega and Tracy Chapman) where audiences hung on every riff and lyric. Williams learned his trade between these two extremes.
Airwaves
No stranger to the studio, Brooks Williams has, at last count, an amazing 19 CDs to his name, including New Everything (2013), Baby O! (2010), State Of The Union (2012), The Time I Spend With You (2008), and Knife Edge (1996). He has been played on the BBC in the UK, RTE in Ireland, CBC in Canada and NPR in the USA and has charted on the FOLKDJ stations. He can also be heard on Satellite and Internet radio throughout the world. Over the years Williams has recorded for labels as diverse as Reveal Records, Signature Sounds, Green Linnet, and Solid Air Records, as well as his own Red Guitar Blue Music. He's learned the studio trade first-hand working with roots music producers like Colin Linden (Blackie And The Rodeo Kings, Bruce Cockburn) in Toronto and Phil Madeira (Buddy and Julie Miller, Emmylou Harris) in Nashville. Lauded by the likes of Guitar Player, Blues In Britain, Acoustic, R2, Maverick, fRoots calls Williams' "Americana at its finest!"
Workshops
Brooks devotes a portion of each year to leading workshops on blues and Americana guitar, as well as roots music songwriting. He has taught at Swannanoa Gathering and SAMW in the USA, Creative Vacances in France, Guitar Retreats and Anglia Ruskin University in the UK, to name but a few. In 2012 Williams was awarded an Arts Award by the Cambridgeshire (UK) District Council for his involvement in the local arts scene.
Absolute Master
Voted one of the Top 100 Artists by WUMB-Radio Boston, Brooks Williams is a musician of staggering depth and breath, with an easy-going vocal delivery, groove-laden songs, and monstrous guitar chops. AmericanaUK says: "It goes without saying that he is an absolute master with a six string but Williams' Brooks Williams talent doesn't end there. He is personable and funny and easy to relate to when he shares anecdotes in between songs, which are themselves catchy and upbeat. On top of it all he has a beautiful voice that you just melt into. Brooks Williams is impossible not to like."
Blues Matters proffers this about Brooks Williams "classy, tasteful, bright and hugely enjoyable!" -
|
|
 |
LocationTrinity House Theatre (View)
38840 West Six Mile
Livonia, MI 48152
United States
Categories
| Kid Friendly: Yes! |
| Dog Friendly: No |
| Non-Smoking: Yes! |
| Wheelchair Accessible: No |
|
Contact
|
