Mark Williams

First: our songs are available on iTunes, Rhapsody, MusicNet or go to www.cdbaby.com/CD/MarkWilliams ............................................................ ..................... Here are some of the people I’ve had the pleasure of opening for recently: STEVE FORBERT (who has been a songwriting hero of mine for ages - even before his top 10 hit "Romeo’s Tune" was released) . KELLY JOE PHELPS who was Acoustic Guitar Magazine’s "Artist of the Decade". WILLY PORTER who the Boston Globe said is "an acoustic picker with the Olympian speed of Leo Kottke bolstered by rootsy vocals and twisting, offbeat lyrics that evoke John Hiatt..." ------------------------------------------------------------ --------------------------------------- This is what some people are saying about me: "It was a warm April night at the Waterfront, and Mark Williams was on stage...and he was in top form. And though most in the room were unfamiliar with Williams and his music, it took just a few songs for him to have everyone’s attention." from MUSIC ON THE MENU, by Alan K. Stout Wilkes-Barre Times Leader. --------------" 'Ghosts of Eden' is tremendous", Dave Stewart, Music Director 102.3 FM The Mountain........."(Williams') eclectic adult alternative sound has haunting melodies and poetic lyrics", Tamara McClaran, The Florida Times-Union ............................................................ ............................................................ ................ Here are some reviews of the CD "GHOSTS OF EDEN": author: Larry Knight "’GHOSTS’ IS EXTREMELY HAUNTING" “...‘Ghosts’ has the allure of an old record while maintaining a freshness that only seems to grow better with each listen. The vibrancy of each track, along with its flawless chronology makes this album one for the ages. The last track, ‘Snow Falling’ is perhaps a fitting end to the album, giving the project a stark realism that is accented by the piercing otherworldly shrieks of Linda Minke’s cello and Pillmore and Williams’ guitars. In addition, the vocals give the track a meditative quality that is very reminiscent of Alice Coltrane or The Moody Blues at the height of their careers. It is a resolution piece; a very beautiful, euphonic closing to a story that seems to drift off into vastness of space rather than fade into ... nothingness...” REVIEW FROM FOLIOWEEKLY (December 14, 2004) northeast florida’s news and opinion magazine by J. Citrone: It’s obvious, even upon first listen, that Jacksonville songwriter MARK WILLIAMS’ work is too broad for easy catergorization. A blend of Americana and Southwestern flavor, Williams’ music is more suited for film soundtracks than afternoon drive-time listening. At times gritty, at others sweetly melodic, Williams’ release "Ghosts of Eden" is a collection of random tunes augmented with a piece written specifically for local spoken-word artist Al Letson’s one-man play "Essential Personnel." "Witch Hunts" indicts society’s bigots (dating back to McCarthyism) with a solid slow-locomotive groove, "South of Savannah" counters with Seals & Crofts softness, a lilting chromatic ballad that ranks among the records best - thanks in no small part to guest vocalist Michelle Barry. Another standout is "Horses Cross the Line," a Neil Young-ish rocker driven by wah-wah guitars. And "Cuban Dreams," written for Letson, is a simple yet impressive instrumental with an obsorbing minor-key melody. Williams’ music never strays far from the point - which seems to be the point - offering tightly crafted backdrops for the engaging stories he tells.