Jack Williams
…. his artistry… is nothing short of amazing. Dazzling picking, expressive voice, unique and interesting songs. He is a showman in the best sense of the word and just wowed our audience.
I think they would have followed him anywhere.”
Rich Warren, WFMT “Midnight Special”, Chicago IL
If there is anyone not familiar with Jack’s incredible songwriting and prodigious performance skills,
my sympathies to you. A Jack Williams show is a slam-dunk win-win-win for all.
One of the most enlightened and entertaining performers I’ve ever encountered.
Dave Humpreys, Two Way Street Coffeehouse in Downers Grove IL
The music of Jack Williams, rooted in his native South Carolina, was shaped by a 54-year career of playing folk, rock, jazz, R&B, classical and the popular music of the 30s, 40s and 50s. He is counted among the most dynamic performers on today’s “folk” circuit – “…one of the most enlightened and entertaining performers I’ve ever encountered”, said Dave Humphreys of Two-Way Street Coffeehouse in Downer’s Grove, IL. Jack is considered a “musician’s musician”, an uncommonly unique guitarist, a writer of vivid songs with a strong sense of place, and a storyteller in an old Southern tradition who further illustrates each tale with his guitar. Rich Warren of WFMT Chicago’s The Midnight Special said, “His artistry is nothing short of amazing”. Vic Heyman, in SING OUT!, wrote, “He is one of the strongest guitar players in contemporary folk.”
Avoiding the compromises of the commercial music industry during his 50+-year professional career, Jack prefers touring under the radar, playing concerts, large and small, week in and week out, from the sheer love of music and performing. Playing for more than 50 house concerts each year, Jack enjoys the intimacy of that venue most of all, with a more personal connection to his listeners. Jack is a sought-after artist on all contemporary acoustic music stages, from coffeehouses and festivals to music halls and city arts stages. From acclaimed appearances at the Newport, Boston, Philadelphia, Kerrville, New Bedford SummerFest Folk Festivals, his musicianship, songs, stories and commanding presence have established him as an uncommonly inspiring and influential performer.
His songs have been recorded by artists ranging from Tom Jones and David Clayton-Thomas to Chuck Pyle, Cindy Mangsen, Ronny Cox and Lowen & Navarro. In addition to his solo career, as a guitarist he has accompanied such luminaries as Tom Paxton, Peter Yarrow (of Peter, Paul & Mary), Mickey Newbury and Harry Nilsson.
Still on the Hill
Donna and Kelly Mulhollan, recipients of the Governor’s Folk Life Award, are modern-day bards, carrying on the ancient tradition of storytelling in song. They are multi-instrumentalists and in this show they will be playing a plethora of amazing instruments.
These musicians have grafted the wild climbing vines of bluegrass, folk, classical and mountain music onto the hardiest of Ozark rootstock. The result is yet-to-be-named hybrid music that compels people to stop and listen, to pause in their hectic lives and pay attention to something they’ve never heard before. It’s magic and there’s simply not enough magic in the world today.
Visually, Still on the Hill is full of color and motion: they command their instruments with power and grace, producing a sound that is both fresh and ancient at the same time. Lyrically, their original material is packed with new ideas, social awareness and a level of intellect and consciousness that’s seldom found in contemporary tunes.
Still on the Hill are consummate professionals, whether they’re performing for an audience of one or for thousands. Their high-energy seems to emerge from somewhere deep inside their souls. They play music for only one reason” it’s a spark, or maybe a raging bonfire, inside each of them that has to come out. It’s something that’s shared just as easily with a large festival audience as it would be with a quiet Ozark Forest.