David Williams
Boulder, Colorado, United States | INDIE
Music
Press
“Williams works magic. . . . he describes commonplace events with uncommon grace.”
Newsweek magazine
- Newsweek
“David Williams hits you like high beams from a big rig. . . . the record [Route 66] is about more than an old road.”
The Chicago Sun Times
- Chicago Sun Times
“Route 66 is a musical journey from Chicago to the Ozarks, down the fabled highway David Williams traveled as a child. His songs are full of interesting characters, in settings ranging from roadside diners to the crowded streets of Chicago to a barren farm in the middle of nowhere, all connected by this trail of tarmac. It’s a mix of styles: blues, folk, rockabilly, all complemented by Williams’ warm, rich vocals. A highlight is “Flood Water,” whose bitter, scathing lyrics are sung to, of all things, an old timey country tune. This is a Midwestern anthem. Crank down the windows and take a ride.”
Dirty Linen
- Dirty Linen
“His songwriting has that same, wonderful sense of the bizarre [as Gorka]. Like Gorka, he even writes great songs about cows and pigs. This is the definitive animal song tape. . . this tape is a gem!”
Dirty Linen
- Dirty Linen
“There are few artists, as performer and writer, who can synthesize the core elements of a specific influence and make it their own. In college, that was a skill we were encouraged to develop. David Williams does it with ease on Django Jazz -- a collection of songs centered around the style and writing of Django Reinhardt & Stephane Grappelli, that extends itself into the trad sounds of Billie Mayhew, Fats Waller and others. David's quartet not only understands the core imagery and emotionalism that exists in the songs, they infuse a modernity that doesn't sound like just plain stylizing for the sake of style. It simply sounds real -- whether covering a classic, or performing an original. One of my favorite and most aired releases from 2007 on The Colorado Sound.”
Chris 'goat' K. - Host of the Colorado Sound on KRFC, 88.9FM, www.krfcfm.org (Saturdays 5PM-7PM (mountain) Rating: 5 of 5 Stars! [5 of 5 Stars!]
- Radio KRFC
“You will be knocked out by Williams. . . reminiscent of Ry Cooder and Leon Redbone. A totally terrific collection . . . .”
The Chicago Sun Times
- Chicago Sun Times
“David Williams’ songs teach as well as entertain.”
The Chicago Tribune
- Chicago Tribune
“I’ve seen a lot of singer-songwriters pass through over the years; most of them quickly forgotten. But every once in awhile, someone rises up with a real talent for lyrics, and such a talent is David Williams.”
Come For To Sing
- Come For To Sing
"David Williams, swing meister extraordinaire, branches out into a wider Americana sound with The Crazy Kind. With the more than able help of talented friends on mandolin, banjo and fiddle he easily makes the transition into bluegrass territory which will delight his many fans." - Quote
Discography
2011. CHOCOLATE BAR. !4 new songs by David Williams.
2010 The Crazy Kind. 15 new songs by David Williams, Americana/bluegrass/folk, featuring David on guitar and vocals, Kristina Murray on guitar and vocals, Jordan Ramsey on mandolin, Katie Glassman on fiddle, Duane Webster on bass, and Chris Elliott on banjo.
2007 Django Jazz. 17 songs in the gypsy jazz genre, with Deco Django.
2006 Joplin, Mo. A compilation of original songs that act as a companion CD to the book of short stories, Indian Bingo. The songs are in the old-timey and country blues vein and feature the Americana singer, Darcy Perez, on many of the vocals. The album reflects the characters and landscape of the Ozarks. See www.trapdoor-media for reviews.
2005 David Williams and Deco Django. A live recording of tunes from the gypsy jazz repertoire in the style of the original Hot Club of Paris, first developed by the great Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli. David Williams on lead guitar, Bill Pontarelli on clarinet, Jerry Rudy on rhythm guitar, and Duane Webster on standup bass. See www.decodjango.com for reviews.
2003 Where the Dark Road Starts: Songs of Love.
Studio recording done at Swallow Hill�s famed studio in Denver, featuring all original compositions in a folk, blues, gypsy jazz vein. See www.trapdoor-media for reviews.
2003 Rainforest and Tropical Animals. A collection of original animals songs, many of which were commissioned by Chicago's Shedd Aquarium for their "Tropical Rising Exhibit. Winner of a 2003 NAPPA Award. See www.trapdoor-media for reviews.
1995 Route 66. Fifteen original art songs about people and places along the old Route 66 highway: blues, folk, and jazz melodies, recorded with a grant from the Illinois Arts Council in music composition. Reviewed in the Chicago Sun Times Sept. 23, 1994; in The Maverick Report in October 1994; in Dirty Linen, August 1994; in the Icon, October 1994; in The 66 News, Summer 1994, and Route 66 Magazine in Spring 1994. Featured as a news story on nationwide on National Public Radio and internationally on Monitor Radio, Spring 1994. See www.trapdoor-media for reviews.
1990 Oh, The Animals.
An American Library Association award winner, fourteen original songs for children. Reviewed in Booklist December 15, 1990: 873. Reviewed in The Chicago Tribune Sunday, August 19, 1990: Tempo Section 3. Reviewed in Dirty Linen February--March 1991:51. Reviewed in The Chicago Sun Times June 21, 1991: 46. See www.trapdoor-media for reviews.
1990 Peach Faced Love Bird. Seventeen original songs about endangered species from around the world, featuring calypso, blues, folk, and jazz music. Reviewed in Dirty Linen December, 1992.
1985 Cowboy Time. Recorded with help from a grant by the Illinois Arts Council, original Western songs covering the historical range of cowboy music.
1981 The Great Frontier. Original folk songs, with a Midwestern theme.
Photos
Bio
David Williams is a singer-songwriter, cartoonist, writer, and multi-instrumentalist, who plays a variety of string instruments. His musical influences include everything from gypsy jazz to delta blues to bluegrass and folk. As a singer-songwriter, he is known for his way with words and melodies, which conjure up the American musical landscape, and he won on Emmy for songwriting in 2009 for his work on PBS. His songs touch on everything from the difficulties of love to the people and places along old Route 66, or a carnival from his childhood, or swing tunes reminiscent of Tin-Pan-Alley�in a wide range of CDs released over the last 30 years.
David has spent decades studying the passionate guitar work of the famed gypsy swing instrumentalist, Django Reinhardt, and his band, DECO DJANGO, specializes in this infectious music from the 1930s. In the past, David has also recorded and performed with people such as Greg Brown, and he also studied and performed with the great mandolinist Jethro Burns, of Homer and Jethro fame. In addition, David has played at many of the large folk music festivals in North America, such as Vancouver and Winnipeg, where he has been recognized as both a songwriter and instrumentalist.
A working cartoonist, who work appears around the world through Carlton Cards and Soultrader of London. David has published a number of books with Alfred A. Knopf and Ghost Road Press, as well as short stories and poems. He holds a Ph.D. in English, and he has been a writer in residence at a number of colleges and universities in the US.
The Widgrass Band features the very best acoustic musicians in CO, with the superb Kristina Murray singing David's tunes. The two are also available as a duo, and DAvid as a solo performer.
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