Willie Strings and the Players

"Music is the universal language. Regardless of where you came from or what you believe, the world would be a terrible place without music," states Willie, vocalist and guitarist of Willie Strings & the Players, a phenomenal band from Gaithersburg, Maryland. The "Players" as they are deemed include bassist Josh, also known as "Doc Love", drummer Chris Murray, and guitarist Bruno who joined the band in late February, just 6 months after the release of their debut album. Bruno, although he had not previously been an official "player," has been jamming with Willie at open mics since April 2002 just shortly after Willie overcame lung surgery which threatened to destroy his ability to sing. From that day, Bruno became a strong supporter of Willie Strings & the Players.

Currently, they are recording their second album, As it Should Be, taking their work to an entirely new level. Nine tracks of completely innovative opus including the title track, "As it Should Be,". The addition of Bruno's talents has helped the band grow and enriched their live performances. Their sound has been refined into a unique style that could only be described as Willie Strings & the Players. In the words of Bruno, "Our music is the composite sum of our influences." This is exemplified in the varied backgrounds and inspirations from which the group is comprised. For instance, Bruno cites his influences as those of the grunge era as well as classic rockers like guitar guru Carlos Santana. Willie contributes his own muses which include grunge combined with the masterful works of Jimi Hendrix and Sublime, artists who have truly stimulated and nurtured Willie's style as a musician. Chris and Josh share a passion for jam bands such as Phish and the Grateful Dead. Chris even notes a Phish show at the Hampton Coliseum, "Hampton Comes Alive" for which he sacrificed his job in order to be one of the first five hundred fans to witness the ultimate event in his musical experience. As he describes it, "I have had much more of a religious experience at a live show than I have ever had in any church." These sundry members found common ground in their zeal for reggae and so Willie Strings & the Players were born. They project a message that clearly states, in the words of Josh, "Music is fun as is life so enjoy both and don't waste a minute." The band's work draws from their eclectic backgrounds to create a soulful and intriguing mix that is powerful in both a lyrical and instrumental sense. .

The band has taken several mini tours throughout the DC metro area and even jammed a night up in New York. They have been known to play five straight nights at different clubs including DC's Nations, The Royal in Baltimore, the Music Box in Arlington, VA , and various spots in Gaithersburg, Maryland. The guys thrive on weeks like this as they are able to experiment musically through improvisation and the experience of working with unique and diverse audiences. Nations is a favorite as it is a much larger venue than where many of their usual gigs are located, the sheer number of people and the eclecticism of the crowd is a rush in itself. On the flip side, in a live sense, the spiritual experience shared between an artist and a crowd in a small venue or in a field beneath the sky is not to be contended with. As Chris puts it, "It's moving and it's enough to shake your soul."

Willie Strings & the Players have the drive, the passion, and the talent that so many bands seem to lack in this business today. In the future they hope to be on tour headlining venues so that they may share their art with the world. Josh summed it up in these words, "Imagine having all the people who would truly enjoy and appreciate our music hear it. We have hundreds of thousands of fans who have never heard our music." To all those fans seeking what they have not yet heard, experience music as it should be, experience Willie Strings & the Players.
- Maureen Halsema