Al Williams
Heart Song
© 2008 Pacific Coast Jazz
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Fresh, soulful smooth jazz with depth.
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Heart Song is the latest offering from sax and flute man, Al Williams III, on the "Pacific Coast Jazz" label. Produced by one of the most talented all around musicians in the business, John Stoddart, the CD contains eleven tracks of groovin’, soulful sax and flute propelled by the finest rhythm section players around. Spyro Gyra’s Scott Ambush (bass) and Tom Shuman (keys) appear on the Ambush penned "Skyline Drive." Drummer/producer Eric Valentine makes a strong appearance on several tracks along with bassists Alex Al, David Dyson and Chris Kent. Gorgeous, soulful vocals are delivered by jazz festival headliner Ron Gutierrez and producer John Stoddart. Enjoy great performances by trumpeter Aaron Broadus, guitarist Michael Ripoll and a host of others. Add to that a final mix by Dave Rideau, and Heart Song by Al Williams III is one killer CD.
Check out the links on the left for Al's other CD's, Never Too Late (1997) and See For Yourself (2003).
Please click on Website.
AL WILLIAMS – BIOGRAPHY
I was born on a New Years Day in the city of Philadelphia. Since I was the first baby born that year, they put my picture in the paper. I was still wrinkled. How embarrassing! It wasn’t long before I was being exposed to my older brother’s record collection. He liked to play “Ray Charles at Newport” over and over. I still love that record.
Philadelphia had the most amazing arts programs in the public schools. Students from Curtis Institute of Music visited weekly as instrumental music teachers. In junior high, I took sax and oboe. Our band director was Mike Natale, who played trumpet on the Mike Douglas Show. You could also study in the evenings or Saturdays at the Settlement School with a member of the Philadelphia Orchestra. The fee was nominal. I took two lessons a week there, studying the bassoon with a wonderful man named Ferdinand Del Negro. With his help I got a small scholarship to attend the Philadelphia Musical Academy (PMA).
I had great company there with my high school buddies, drummer Gerry Brown (Return to Forever & Stevie Wonder), bassist John Lee (Eleventh House & Dizzy Gillespie), and Stanley Clarke. If that wasn’t crazy enough, former Duke Ellington bassist John Lamb was there to get his teaching degree, and one of his students was a very young Alphonso Johnson (later of Weather Report). Needless to say, our college big band swung to kill! We had Gerry Brown on drums and Duke’s bass player, with Stanley Clarke as the alternate bass player.
Since everyone around me was seriously into jazz, the bassoon fell by the wayside, and I managed to study the flute for a short time with a wonderful and kind man named John Krell. It was also about that time I became aware of Hubert Laws. He was an amazing inspiration, and he helped me to make the link between classical training and jazz application.
It was about that time that I had one of the most inspiring experiences of my young life. Thanks to my friend, Stanley Clarke, I was invited to rehearse with one of the early incarnations of “Return to Forever.” The band was Chick Corea, Stanley, Earl Klugh, and Lenny White, with me and Joe Farrell on saxes, flutes, oboe and bassoon. After I got over stark terror, it was an incredible experience. We rehearsed in Chick’s parent’s basement and Chick’s mom cooked dinner for us. Really!
As I reflect on it, I see that they weren’t supermen. They made mistakes. They were all really nice guys. But above all, they all worked really, really hard. It was a life lesson that I carry with me to this day.
After PMA, I auditioned to play with Cuban percussionist Mongo Santamaria. I got the gig and we hit the road. We traveled the US, Canada and South America, recording five albums. Our third record, “Amanacer,” won a Grammy for best Latin album. One day I got a call from Stanley asking me to join the “School Days Band.” It was a monster. I got a chance to play on stage with people like Jeff Beck and Simon Phillips. I recorded three albums with Stanley, “Modern Man,” “I Want to Play for You,” and “Stanley Clarke Live, '76, '77.”
My move to the D.C./Northern Virginia area landed me in a very rich musical environment. I got to tour Japan with The Nighthawks and again with singer Amy Keys. Another highlight was recording a one-hour concert on BET as a member of the Grant Geisman Band. I recorded a movie soundtrack with Nils Lofgren at his home studio and got to play for a period of time with bassist Keeter Betts (Stan Getz & Ella Fitzgerald). These days I find myself playing on a fairly frequent basis with great musician friends like Scott Ambush (Spyro Gyra) and Gary Grainger (John Scofield). Recent concerts have included major jazz festivals in Nashville, TN, and Fez, Morocco.
I have recorded three CD’s under my own name, “Never Too Late,” See for Yourself,” and “Heart Song.” My latest project “Heart Song” is a continuation of a decade long collaboration and friendship with singer/composer/producer John Stoddart. He is an amazingly talented human being and a great guy. I think it’s my best and most radio friendly effort so far. I consider myself to be a lucky and blessed individual to say that I’m a great fan and follower of some of my closest friends.
I look forward to experiencing and learning more and about this wonderful human expression of music and the crazy, wonderful people who make it. Ain’t it grand?
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SmoothJazz.com Review
author: Beth LewisI think everyone can agree that music written and performed from the heart is always going to have the most impact on those who listen. Al Williams III has delivered just such an offering with his latest release, HEART SONG, a joyous and exuberant body of work that will entice and enchant from first note to last. No novice to the Smooth Jazz world, Williams’ versatile sax and flute talents have been showcased most notably with Stanley Clarke and Mongo Santamaria. JazzTimes has referred to his solos as having “poetic beauty;” indeed, and the beauty is front and center on HEART SONG. Leading off the collection, the title track is refined and enthralling, truly delivered straight from the heart. You won’t want to miss “Skyline Drive,” a tune so expressive and delightful that you won’t want the ride to end. A strong, seductive melody and some dramatic trumpet work from Aaron Broadus help to make “Midnight in Morocco” another of the album’s stand out tracks. As Williams’ himself states, “I look forward to experiencing and learning more about this wonderful human expression of music….” HEART SONG is bound to leave listeners longing to experiencing more from Al Williams III.
O,yes!!!
author: Jacek BrzostynskiThis time,shortly...BEAUTIFUL!!!Everyone should listen Al`s music,full of peace and good mood.I love it!!!
I want more and more
author: Bohdan DzieciuchowiczBless this guy his perfect music . Al is one of the best in the smooth jazz industry . I love it and I recccomend it especially when the nighttime comes . Thank you very much Al .
Quinette Harris
author: Kenosha Q. HarrisThe perfect jazz cd, I'm a new fan and tend to buy all the ones I missed back in the day. This man is amazing