Williams
Squared...is
an all-instrumental father/son collaboration by New England resophonic
guitarist Roger Williams and son JD Williams. Roger has been on the
bluegrass music scene since he first appeared with the Lilly
Brothers & Don Stover back in 1963 at age
14. He has since gone on to perform and/or record with such bluegrass
music luminaries as Joe Val, Hazel
Dickens, Bill Grant & Delia Bell, Bill Harrell, Mac Wiseman, Bill
Clifton, Red Rector, Tom Gray, Art Stamper, Wyatt Rice, Stuart Duncan,
Mark Schatz, Jesse Brock, Russell Moore, Dale Ann Bradley, Michael
Cleveland, Ron Stewart, Chris Jones, and Ned
Luberecki, appearing on record labels Rounder,
Flying Fish, Pinecastle, Compass, Signature Sounds, CMH, Strictly
Country, and Turquoise, among others.
JD
Williams has been performing with his father in the ensemble Amy
Gallatin & Stillwaters since his debut in
2005 in the northeast US and Canada. He has also toured throughout
Europe, the UK, and Ireland, and is a graduate of the Berklee College
of Music in Boston, Massachusetts.
The
album features all-original instrumentals penned by this father and
son team and performed in the bluegrass music style; Roger's tunes
trend toward respectful adherence to traditional music forms, while
JD's are more "out of the box", infused with youthful vigor
and creativity. Each enlisted his musical "posse" for the
compositions; Roger reuniting with banjoist/guitarist Dave
Dick, with whom he toured in the bluegrass group
Southern Rail, guitarist Lincoln
Meyers from his days in the New England
Bluegrass Band, and longtime musical collaborator, Canadian
fiddler Ray Legere.
For this recording and while living in Boston attending Berklee, JD
tapped into the thriving Boston music scene to recruit Della
Mae members Kimber Ludiker
and Courtney Hartman,
along with banjoist and fellow Berklee student Gabe
Hirshfeld. JD also joins his father on Dobro
in his twin resophonic guitar creation 'Crystal
Ice Cave'.
See
what Bluegrass
Unlimited Magazine
said about it:
