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News
August 2009
A Message From Brooks:
The cold morning air slapped me in the face as I walked across the tarmac to catch the small plane from Anchorage to Homer, Alaska. I forget how loud these small prop planes can be - teeth-rattlingly loud! And how quickly they take off: get on board, close the door, crank 'er up, and suddenly Anchorage is some ant-town below. In and out of the clouds, there's lakes, rivers, glaciers, mountains - all on a scale I've never seen before. And homes - actually cabins - in the middle of nowhere - and I find myself wondering how anyone could get there through the roadless scraggy peaty terrain. It's all yellows, greens, reds and grays. We bank hard to the right. The wheels are down. We're coming in low over the water - jaysus! - very low over the water. We land as quickly as we take off. From there we switch to a smaller plane - a Cesna 206 to be exact - I call shotgun, climb in next to the pilot and we're off to Seldovia. We're over the water and between the mountains, then we're down on the dirt runway in no time. I climb out of the plane, look up at the trees and the sky, take a deep breath, look toward town...and this is just the beginning of a whole bunch of new beginnings.
July 2009
Brooks is gigging in and around the UK doing gigs both solo and with various bandmates including guitarist PJ Wright, bassist David Goodier and harmonica player Keith Warmington.... Brooks posts two guitar lessons on YouTube (filmed and edited by his son, Lee): the chords and rhythm to The Time I Spend With You and Weepin' Willow Blues.
July 2009
A Message From Brooks:
It has been gloriously hot in England the last couple of weeks. The moon is waxing and rises late in the evening over the fields. Last night I watched it go from pale disc to glowing coal surrounded by a halo of light as I drove toward midnight. The air is rich with the musk of whatever is growing in the fields and it is heady stuff, an intoxicant, spinning dreams on the road ahead of me. And time moves wonderfully slow. A week or so ago, while waiting for my guitar to have a new pickup installed, my friend PJ and I sat outdoors at a pub killing time over pints and conversation. The birds began their evening song but it would be hours 'til dark, so I thought they should pace themselves. As the day stretched into evening, the black and leather clad (with metals bits everywhere) group at the next table struck up a conversation with us about dogs, life and rock and roll. Oh, and they also wanted to borrow a match. Back on the road, the traffic heaves to a halt on the motorway as everybody is going somewhere. On the longest day of the year I drove very near to Stonehenge and Avebury - on my way to a festival in Devises - and the place was packed with all sorts of cunning characters and sun seekers. The police had blocked off many of the roads due to the volume of people enjoying the sun's extended appearance, but the road to Devises went the other way and soon I was alone again with the riffs, rhythms and songs in my head. Later that night, driving back to the house where I was staying, the northern sky still blushed with a kiss of pink, even at midnight. Summer is singing a myriad of songs to me, and there is new summer wine in my glass. And all I have to say is, Wow!
June 2009
A Message From Brooks:
Plans are in the works for the new CD.... it will be recorded in the UK in September and released worldwide in Winter 2010.... in May 2009 the Boston Globe refers to Brooks as "The guitar whisperer....." Cool!
June 2009
A Message From Brooks:
I've taken up residence in a new office in downtown Amherst (Massachusetts, USA) - a little, one room office, three flights up, that looks out over the back of the downtown restaurants and shops. There's lots of activity, as you can imagine, and in the wee hours of the morning - a time I particularly like to work - there is a hushed buzz about the place. It's inspiring. I've been getting lots done - especially in the new songs department - the office is definitely conducive for that...it feels like I'm up in a turret or something... When I'm not writing, or doing other work, I've been reflecting on my spring travels. I had many, many fantastic experiences including my week-long residency at the Canterbury School in Florida (and the gigs that happened while there). One of the other highlights is the Folk On The Pier Festival in Cromer, England. I did six sets in three days, some solo, one with accordionist friend Karen Tweed (she played on The Time I Spend With You CD), and two as part of something called A Guitar Massif - a massive blues jam with P.J. Wright (Little Johnny England, The Dylan Project, etc.), Pete Smith (a guitarist's guitarist), Fran McGillivray and Mike Burke (stunning blues duo from London). It was one of the rocking-est sets I've had the privilege to play in a long time... there was something transcendent about it... like the night I spent in Memphis in early April... wandering down Beale Street into W.C. Handy Park where a blues band was playing songs from the Chicago, Delta and Texas traditions. I ordered a drink from the bar and let the music slide over and around me as I leaned back against W.C. himself - well, his statue anyway - there in the warm spring air at sunset. Looking around the crowd of 100+, I saw the most extraordinary sight: a wide mix of ages & races at a blues gig, something I don't see that often...3 and 4 years olds to 80 year olds; white, african-american, asian, and everything in between, there in front of the stage a Mr. Bojangles looking cat in a shiny waistcoast and porkpie hat with coal-black skin dancing with a group of little white kids.... couples dancing, others standing around the perimeter swaying... and me, watching, a solitary dancer...content, happy in my own skin and happy to be in that place at that time... happy to be aware of it all. And grateful for this moment. Yea - cool. Music can do that - tune you in, tune you out (when that's what's needed), bring people together, lower the walls, yea.... yea. All that - and more!
~See you down the road! ~Brooks
May 2009
A Message From Brooks:
I'm racing to catch up with myself before heading out on the next round of adventures. It sure has been cool seeing so many friends out on the road and getting to jam with my musical buddies. I'm welcoming the warmer weather and longer light and looking forward to the days ahead. I've been discovering, writing, and arranging a batch of songs - and this new racket I'm making may actually turn into my next CD! I've also been gathering ideas about where and when to record, talking to friends about it... Lots of inspiration coming from the music I'm hearing and the people I meet as I travel around.... like shockwaves, the epi-center is near W.C. Handy Park in Memphis and reaches out West, up North and across the ocean to England and Ireland. Thanks so much for the great times! See you down the road very soon!
April 2009
A Message From Brooks:
Howdy! I'm sitting at the feet of Lightning Hopkins in Crockett, Texas and getting inspired for my next journey. It has been a fabulous month on the road. A heartfelt shout-out to all the friends, both new and old, who have come out to hear the music. In addition to great gigs and travels, I've gotten to jam with my friends Dave and Adrian (aka Beaucoup Blue) and my Texas compadres Terri Hendrix and Lloyd Maines. Some cool grooves were happening for sure. Other cool things include the night I happened upon some young Native American women singing a haunting chant in a mostly empty parking garage in Utah (USA) and the night the Fulston Manor School (England) Folk and Samba bands joined me at the end of my concert for a couple of songs. Oh, and I played blues and sang. That was the best part of all. And there's more to come. See you down the road!
February 2009
A Message From Brooks:
On my way to Nebraska recently, my plane was diverted due to the on-set of a bad winter storm. Just as we were about to land, the plane banked up & around and headed east to Des Moines, Iowa, where we were told we were going to wait out the storm. Okay, maybe this wasn't everyone's first choice of how to spend a Friday, but as the hours passed a great vibe settled over the group. It may have been helped by the fact that we were all hanging out in the bar, but by the time (6 hours later) we were notified that our plane would be leaving, a community had developed around the fact that we were a group of travelers all waiting to go somewhere else to see other people - but all we had was each other. After all the time together we were no longer exactly strangers. Some of those walls had come down and were telling stories and showing each other photos on our laptops and cell phones. In comparison to our flight into Des Moines, the flight out was as loud and raucous an Irish pub on St. Patrick's Day. It was a cool and delightful diversion!
January 2009
A Message From Brooks:
In the waning hours of 2008 I navigated deep new fallen snow and icy sub-zero winds to get to the Pleasant Street Theater for my annual First Night concert in Northampton, Massachusetts. It is my favorite way to end the year - playing guitar & singing songs - and my favorite way to ring in the New Year. We had a lot of fun that night. It might have been cold outside, but we were cookin' in the theater. I feel especially grateful that '08 was one of the best years of my 21-year career - and '09 is looking even better! I'm keeping the guitars sharp and lively, working on new tunes and new projects. There's lots of stuff in the works and more guitar workshops lined up too! So I'll see you soon! You guys rock!
Autumn 2008
Brooks' long anticipated first guitar instructional DVD is released on Woodhall Music (Canada) DVDs. GUITAR GROOVE: A SESSION WITH BROOKS WILLIAMS is a 90 minute guitar lesson that encourages the player to move beyond first position "cowboy chords" to chords and riffs up the neck of the guitar. Includes TAB for the songs Careless Love, Knife Edge, Rich Tonight , and Belfast Blues.
July & August 2008
Summer and guitar go together hand in glove! Brooks taught guitar at Cedar Run Song Camp in Virginia, The Swannanoa Gathering in North Carolina, and Summer Acoustic Music Week in New Hampshire. He also directed two weeks of guitar camps for kids in Massachusetts.
July & August 2008
New Bedford's Summerfest and Vermont's Champlain Valley Festival have been highlights of the festival season. Both festivals were fun and lively and Brooks brought his tuneful guitars to the forefront in both cases. One workshop worth mentioning is the Blues Stage in New Bedford where Brooks, Chris Smither, David Jacob Strain and Beaucoup Blue played all the blue notes! It was sublime. Also noteworthy is the Champlain Valley Festival where torrential rains did not in the least dampen the spirits of the audience or festival volunteers. Big thanks from Brooks to them for making the space for such fantastic music to happen! Last but not least, in July Brooks filmed his guitar instructional DVD for Woodhall Music in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. The DVD, called Guitar Groove: A Session With Brooks Williams, will be released in September 2008.
May & June 2008
Brooks rocked his way around England playing some of his favorite venues and lots of new ones, including the Gate To Southwell Folk Festival. He also played and taught for a few days in Istanbul as a guest of the Koc School. Meanwhile, back in North America The Time I Spend With You continues to make that charts!
April 2008
US CD Release Concert! Brooks Williams and band rocked the house in a hometown CD Release concert at the Iron Horse Music Hall in Northampton, MA on April 13. 2008. Brooks played a wall of guitars, Dave Mattacks was banging on the drums, Richard Gates was thumping the bass, Gail Wade was singing (and did a couple of duo acoustic numbers with Brooks as well, 61 Highway and Beaumont Rag), and O-Tones singer Mary Witt joined Brooks on My Love Will Follow You.
March 2008
UK CD Launch! Brooks Williams launched The Time I Spend With You at Bordeaux Quay in Bristol, England (Brooks' home away from home). The magical evening of music featured bassist Dave Goodier (Jethro Tull), accordion player Karen Tweed, and Keith Warmington on harmonica.
March 2008
THE TIME I SPEND WITH YOU CHARTS!! No. 3 Album on FOLKDJ plus three top 10 singles: The Time I Spend With You (#5), 61 Highway (#6), and Everywhere (#8).
March 2008
WUMB-FM Radio listeners vote Brooks Williams one of the TOP 100 Folk Artists Of The Past 25 Years!
March 2008
Brooks contributes to Mel Bay's Guitar Sessions. Check out Brooks' Tales From The Road in the February 2008.
February 2008
See photos of Brooks' recent solo appearance at the South Florida Folk Festival.
January 2008
A Green Decision: The Time I Spend With You, Brooks' new CD, was manufactured without the plastic overwrap in an effort to reduce the amount of plastic that gets dumped into the landfills. So when you order that new CD online, or buy it at a gig, you won't have to wrestle with that annoying plastic to get to the music. But rest assured: the CD is brand new and you'll love it!
December 2007
Guitar Player (Brooks' 2005 solo guitar instrumental album) makes 100 Greatest Acoustic Guitar Albums list!
December 2007
Brooks makes Top 100 Acoustic Guitarists list - in company with Leo Kottke, Michael Hedges, Chet Atkins, Doc Watson, David Bromberg, and others.
December 2007
Guitar Instructional DVD! Brooks will record/film an instructional DVD in July 2008. Stay tuned for more details!
December 2007
Travels Beyond! In 2008 Brooks is scheduled to tour the UK in March, May and June and will also spend a week playing music in Istanbul, Turkey in May.
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