Cal Williams Jr
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Cal Williams Jr

Adelaide, South Australia, Australia | INDIE

Adelaide, South Australia, Australia | INDIE
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"Cal Williams Jr - Morning Star"

Cal has drawn upon some rich folk and roots music sources to construct an eclectic mix of breezy songs and evocative instrumentals all employing his excellent acoustic and slide guitar playing. Track one hooked me right in. After a frustrating day at work this instrumental managed to sweep me away on a musical journey that left my woes behind! Flamenco strains took me through Moorish spaces of southern Spain. A slide guitar passage transported me to the Ry Cooder 'Southern Comfort' swamps of Louisiana. My journey finished in a jaunty realm cohabited by Leo Kottke.

Some country blues is so damn uppity that you just have to clap your hands to it! Track 2 is one such number. It's country blues Mississippi John Hurt style with a dash of TexMex and Cajun along with Cal's 'Skip James-ish' vocals. Track 3 takes you to The Appalachians. Its fiddle time folks! This is one where you join the congregation and sing along! Track 4? Well it's not Americana, nor does it have the angst of Alt Country. What it offers is some light breezy folk that has a British feel to it!

Track 5 is another instrumental that exudes the guitar virtuosity of Leo Kottke. Now track 6 is interesting. Dylan's ‘I shall be released’ has indeed been released from the staleness of ‘over kill’ with this engaging and fresh interpretation. Cal's frail 'Bon Iver-ish' vocals are offset by those of Emily Davis while in the background a violin adds a haunting atmosphere. The violin played by Tori Phillips offers a richness and broodiness to the music. Take track 7 for example. violin and acoustic guitar combine beautifully. It is a track where an Americana oeuvre gives way to one that is decidedly British. It has a delightful Donovan delicacy about it.

Track 8? Why it's ‘Cocaine …running round my brain!’ This is the Nick Drake take not the JJ Cale variety that Mamma don't allow! This track is so damn delightfully lyrical, rhapsodic and randy that that the by-line 'this old cocaine's gonna make me sick' gets lost in the effusion and offers no deterrent at all!

Track 9 starts off with a delightful call and response between Kory Horwood's double-bass and Cal's slide guitar, an interplay that leads you into a version of Son House's Death Letter Blues. Cal's vocals are soft, smooth and understated with a hint of melancholy. They stretch and strain in the upper registers evoking hint of gloom like those of Skip James and Bon Iver.

Track 10 is a sheer delight. This guy should be doing movie soundtracks because this track is richly evocative, conjuring visions of strange, spacious and shadowy landscapes.

Here is an album that you will need to add to your collection, especially if it includes the likes of Ry Cooder, Leo Cottke, Skip James, Mississippi John Hurt, Nick Drake and Donovan.

David Stoeckel
SA Roots and Blues Magazine
www.sablues.org


Cal Williams Jr. is a fine, understated acoustic blues and slide guitarist from Australia and seems to be generating a big noise ‘down under’. He has been voted South Australian Songwriter of the Year three times, has performed at a variety of leading U.K. venues and festivals including the Leeds In-The-City Festival, the Famous Spiegeltent, the Edinburgh Festival fringe, the Beverley and East Riding Festival, H2004 and H2005 Scarborough Beached Festival, Musicport World Music Festival, Baysound Festival and The St. Ives September Fringe, and has recently put forth his latest recorded effort, Morning Star.

One listen and it is easy to see why Williams has been successful at his work and why he has shared stages with the likes of Billy Bragg, KT Tunstall, and Martin Simpson. His thing is folk/acoustic blues music with an occasional hippy vibe thrown in for good measure. Morning Star has a gentle, soothing quality and is a great alternative when you want some blues, but don’t really need the sting of a Stratocaster.

Williams’ laid-back vocal delivery and gorgeous acoustic guitar sound drift out of your speakers and envelop you and pull you into his musical world, which could be compared to the one inhabited by icons like Ry Cooder and Rory Block.

The album’s opener, the instrumental “GreyHound”, begins with an almost New Age feel, which catches the listener off guard. This is supposed to be blues, right? Well, these are Cal’s blues, and he plays them as he pleases, with all of his influences thrown in. The track does develop more rootsy flavor as it progresses, which should make the stalwarts happy.

“Mexico City Blues” is like listening to an acoustic Canned Heat with Skip James singing lead and has a very cool 70’s sort of thing to it. Through it all, Williams paints vivid pictures of landscapes and the people within them and is obviously as much of a songwriter as a guitarist. Cal Williams Jr. is one that blues fans who are looking for something a bit different may want to keep their ears pealed for.

Review By Mike O'Cull www.myspace.com/mikeocullmusic


A captivating - Geetar Records and Publishing


Discography


'Sun' - Released October 2010

'All That I Learned From The Sea' - Released August 2010

'Morning Star' - Released March 2009
awarded 'SA Blues Album of the Year' by SA Roots and Blues
and 'Best Australian Blues Album' by Blues Underground USA

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Bio

'SA Blues Album of the Year' winner and three times 'South Australian Songwriter of the Year’ Cal Williams Jr has recently been invited to perform at the prestigious ‘Adelaide International Guitar Festival 2010'.
"Cal Williams Jr. is one of Australia’s finest slide blues guitarists"-Hipnote, Australia

Cal Williams Jr. has performed in Europe and Australia with a variety of outstanding artists such as Ben Kweller, Billy Bragg, KT Tunstall, Martin Simpson, C.W Stoneking and Shawn Mullins and has performed at a variety of leading U.K. venues and festivals including:
Leeds In-The-City Festival
The Famous Spiegeltent
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe
The Beverley and East Riding Festival
H2004 and H2005 Scarborough Beached Festival
Musicport World Music Festival
Baysound Festival
St. Ives September Fringe.

Since returning to Australia, Cal Williams Jr. has played at:
Adelaide International Guitar Festival 2008 and 2010
Juke Joint Blues Festival
Semaphore Music Festival
Port Festival
Summer Cherry Festival
Radio Adelaide Live Music Festival
Sea and Vines Festival
Crush Festival
Rock the Vote

Cal has also performed live-to-airs on BBC Raw Talent, BBC Radio Cleveland, BBC Radio York, Fresh Air FM and BBC Radio Lancashire in the UK and Channel 7, Triple J, ABC Radio, Radio Adelaide and Three D Radio in Australia.
Cal has also been featured in Adelaide Magazine, Adelaide Matters and on Channel 31.

A Selection of Reviews for Cal Williams Jr

“From the moment you hear the slide guitar time stands still. Completely mesmerizing and wonderfully soulful, Cal’s music gets into your very core and you are at it’s mercy until the very last note” – Rock the Vote, Australia

“A brilliant exhibition of slide guitar. Intense and very accurate slide guitar madness” – Whisperin’ and Hollerin’, UK

“Richly evocative, conjuring visions of strange, spacious and shadowy landscapes“ – SA Roots and Blues, Australia

“Cal’s laid back vocal delivery and gorgeous acoustic guitar envelop you and pull you into his musical world” – Blues Underground, USA

"Crisp, clean and haunting. Cal’s slide slashes so sharp you could almost cut yourself on it” – Byron Bay Fm, Australia

"This is acoustic blues played by an expert" - Melbourne Blues Society, Australia

Contact Cal Williams Jr through www.calwilliams jr.com or
Geetar Records and Publishing
PO Box 630
Goodwood, SA, 5034
www.geetar.com