Jazz artist and D.C. native Ben Williams is an original. He’s also a natural bass player. Audiences will see and hear him in action Friday and Saturday nights as he and his quintet perform cuts from his new CD. “State of Art,” just released this past Tuesday, marks Williams’ first album as a leader. His story before that day is an extraordinary one founded on coincidence and a preteen choice.
“I always wanted to be a rock star, a guitar player,” Williams recalled of his junior high school days. “My middle school offered a string class, where I figured I could learn guitar.
| Onstage |
| Ben Williams Quintet |
| Where: Bohemian Caverns, 2001 11th St. NW |
| When: 8:30 and 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday |
| Info: $18 in advance, $22 at the door; 202-299-0800 |
“When I got to the class, [there were] violins and cellos; no guitar,” he continued. There was also one bass left. So I chose it. It just looked right. I joined a jazz band in school and began to take the instrument seriously.”
This graduate of Michigan State University School of Music, as well as Julliard, maintains that a finer fit has never been found. Working in New York while still in Julliard, Williams played area clubs with his band, Sound Effect.
The 27-year old Williams has worked with such jazz legends as Wynton Marsalis, Herbie Hancock, Pat Metheny and Cyrus Chestnut, while recording regularly as a member of bands led by saxophonist Marcus Strickland, pianist Jacky Terrasson and vibraphonist Stefon Harris.
“These are my heroes,” he said. “They inspire me, and there’s this intensity involved when I’m playing with them. Every gig with these guys is a learning experience, you know? I absorb the moment and watch what they do and how they operate.”
Williams’ “guys” for the Bohemian Caverns gig include Strickland on saxophone, Christian Sands on piano, guitarist Gilad Hekselman and drummer John Davis.
“We’ll cover Michael Jackson’s ‘Little Susie’ and Stevie Wonder’s “Part-Time Lover,’ ” he noted, adding that he’ll be taking the lead for his unique version of “Moonlight in Vermont” from the American Songbook. His original music is comprised of pieces “all having there own identity, each one distinctly different from anything else I’ve written.
“We’re bringing fresh, new music to audiences,” he said. “Come down to Bohemian and dig our sounds.”
