Gig Review
Brooks Williams
Saturday, 29 March 2008:
A very welcome return to Bluesnights by this highly talented musician! A genuinely warm and friendly Anglophile who has been touring up and down the UK on a regular basis over the last fifteen years, Brooks travels light - just two acoustic guitars - a National steel and a custom hand-built by David Flammang (Iowa USA). Both instruments have a superb sound; the National, with its resonator sound cone generates deep tones, whilst the Flammang instrument in Brooks's deft hands produces a range from warm bass to crystal-clear ringing notes.
Originally from Statesboro, Georgia, Brooks kicked off with a salute to his hometown by playing Blind Willie McTell's "Statesboro Blues" in a great rocking, flowing rendition. We were treated to a rich mixture of Blues styles throughout the evening and Doc Watson's "Beaumont Rag" featured beautiful finger picking! Lightnin' Hopkins "Honey Babe" is an up-tempo Boogie, which went down well with an audience to whom much of Brooks' music is now very familiar. On the National Steel, Fred McDowell's "61 Highway" had slow rhythmic chops and a lovely slide solo. "The Water Song" - an instrumental - was quite exquisite! He played very engaging arrangements by Son House, Big Bill Broonzy and Blind Boy Fuller.
Note: Click thumbnail to view full artist image.
Photo credit: Paul Martin.
... continued
Brooks is no slouch when it comes to composing and tonight's show featured a number of his own numbers. One in particular called "Elsewhere", a jump Blues was very powerfully played!
What we all enjoyed was an excellent night's entertainment by a performer with a wry sense of humour, very interesting anecdotes and who created an intimate atmosphere. In turn, the audience in the almost packed venue responded by once again embracing the man and his music to such a degree that, had time permitted, both parties could have easily stayed all night. Consequently, we could not let him go without at least one encore and he obliged with "Blues for Dixie". In this barnstorming finish, with its fast chopping rhythms, Brooks ranged up and down and across the fretboard at a speed that seemed destined to either set it alight and/or melt the strings! With twenty-five years of professional musicianship under his belt, this seasoned artist is high on the list of must see performers.
Review by: Lewis A Harris.
© Bluesnights. The Dorset Blues Society.
29 March 2008.
