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Live At Yoshi's, Volume Two

Jessica Williams

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Album Review

Jessica Williams is in typically superb form throughout this live trio set. Her interpretations of Miles Davis' "Flamenco Sketches" (which is rarely ever revived) and Sonny Rollins' catchy "Paul's Pal" are cheerful and she sounds exuberant on a witty version of "Why Do I Love You." Other performances are more straightforward and, although Thelonious Monk is usually cited as a major influence, she only hints at Monk a little bit on "Lulu's Back in Town." Otherwise, Williams sounds quite original, stretching herself on four of her originals and enjoying the support of bassist Ray Drummond and drummer Victor Lewis. This is a fun outing by a great pianist.

Customer Reviews

Live at Yoshi's Volume 2

Jessica Williams is a genius. The more you listen to these performances, the more you will come to agree with me. Her playing is at once technically proficient and emotionally trasnporting. There is a surprise around every measure. If you can only buy one song, buy Soldaji. It is awesome.

Great Music By an Underrated Musician

Jessica Williams is a very gifted pianist who combines great technical proficiency with profound musicality. By turns dramatic, lyrical, and meditative, her playing contains echoes of such predecessors as Waller, Garner, Garland, Monk, and Evans (to name just a few), yet her sound is distinctively her own and decidedly fresh and modern. As an improviser she is boundlessly creative and never seems less than fully engaged and "in the moment"; not only does she seem to be able to play anything that occurs to her, but what occurs to her is always interesting and often arrestingly beautiful. The two volumes of "Live at Yoshi's" present her at her best, and in the company of two skillful collaborators whose style complements hers quite effectively. The song selection strikes a nice balance, with a good mix of standards, works by other jazz musicians, and Williams's own lovely and inventive compositions. The sound is also exceptionally good; while the piano is perhaps a shade brighter than would be ideal, the recording captures the subtleties of the performances with impressive clarity and detail. Either volume would be a fine introduction to a musician who deserves to be much better known than she is.

Biography

Born: March 17, 1948 in Baltimore, MD

Genre: Jazz

Years Active: '70s, '80s, '90s, '00s

Due to her being based in northern California, Jessica Williams is a bit underrated, but (on evidence of her sets for Jazz Focus and Hep) she is one of the top jazz pianists of today. Williams is a powerful virtuoso whose complete control of the keyboard, wit, solid sense of swing, and the influence of Thelonious Monk have combined to make her a particularly notable player. She started taking piano lessons when she was four and was gigging as a teenager. Williams took extensive classical lessons...
Full Bio

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Live At Yoshi's, Volume Two, Jessica Williams
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  • $8.91
  • Genres: Jazz, Music
  • Released: Jul 19, 2005
  • ℗ 2005

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