Brian Williams

Well, a little about me... I have a career in the insurance business, I'm a happily married father of two and I'm the proud owner of a '67 Mustang. All that keeps me pretty busy, but I try to play music on the side as much as I can. I try to keep my playing simple. I think good playing should be lyrical and melodic regardless of the genre, and I certainly strive for that. I'll never dazzle anyone with my amazing technique, but I try to milk the most out of every note. My influences are wide ranging from George Gershwin to Kanye West, but I always seem to come home to players like Grant Green, BB King and Bill Monroe. Their playing always seems to tell a story or take you on a spiritual journey. I aspire to that. I'm probably most at home on the slide guitar which is ironic because that's probably what I listen to the least these days. I just find that the slide is a great way to express the sounds that I hear in my head. I try to approach slide as a cross between the violin (because one is not bound by frets) and the blues harmonica (because one is bound by a diatonic tuning). That approach has worked for me over the years and I've been able to successfully adapt my playing to many different genres. Lately though, I've found the most work as a non-slide country player because that's where the jobs seem to be. I can be content playing tele all night since Don Rich, Roy Nichols and Clarence White are three of my biggest heroes. I'll never live up to those cats but its fun to try. Bluegrass is also a big part of who I am. I spent ten years of my life in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia and learned how to flatpick from some of true heirs of that music. I don't know how I would have turned out if I'd never heard Doc Watson or Norman Blake or Charles Sawtelle or Tony Rice (or Clarence White for that matter!) Those guys had a huge influence on me and helped shape my playing to what it is today. Oh, I also play the mandolin. You should know that my narrow view of the mandolin begins and ends with Bill Monroe and my playing reflects that. However, I have great respect for Mike Compton, Ronnie McCoury and David McLaughlin for carrying on in a way that would probably make Mr. Monroe proud (or more likely jealous). I have shared the stage with Scott Fore, Wayne C. Henderson, AJ Roach, Lee Roy Parnell, Steve Duncan, Ivan Appelrouth, Lil' Ronnie, Helen White, Steve Hunt, and Barry Collins. I have also played in bands that have opened for David Grisman and Darrell Scott among others. And once I got to jam with Derek Trucks on a tour bus. THAT was cool. Hope you enjoy my space and please give me some feedback!