NEW & PAST REVIEWS
"Williams works magic!" Newsweek
“David Williams’ songs teach as well as entertain.”
The Chicago Tribune
"We're In The Mood For This!"
Iain Anderson, BBC Radio Scotland (after playing Chocolate). 2011
"Lovely—well worth a listen." - Frank Hennessy, BBC Radio Wales. 2011
The follow up to THE CRAZY KIND, the album that marked Williams' transition from award winning children's performer to grown up performer status comes in the form of CHOCOLATE BAR, fourteen self-penned songs that straddle the boundaries of bluegrass, blues, gospel, western swing, and mountain folk. Taking care of guitar, mandolin and banjo Williams is joined by Lauren Ashley Stovall on vocals, Paul Kitteck on fiddle, Ondrej Sramek on bass, Karen Carroll on percussion, together collaborating on a collection of songs that reflect the modern American landscape.
The abundance of lyrics seems to suggest that Williams wants to get a lot off his chest, whether it be a rambling memoir of the Swinging Sixties in Worldly Love, challenging the old thing about those who remember the Sixties not actually being there, or the uncompromising Human/Inhuman, which asks the burning question 'is everyone an asshole in disguise?'
There are shades of Doc Watson in places, most notably on Old Death, which adopts the traditional Shady Grove groove and similarly Townes Van Zandt in the album's closing song Big Blue Rock, with a vocal that has all the frailty of anything from Van Zandt's autumn years. Williams' humour comes through sporadically, particularly on the title song Chocolate Bar, with its classic double entendre and on You Can't Catch Me and Got To Go To Heaven.
Throughout the record Williams provides some tasty flat-pick guitar at times as well as accompanying the songs with a gentle finger-picked style, notably on Dropped Your Comb, which has an unavoidable similarity to Dylan's Buckets of Rain, testament to the years of studying the work of gypsy jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt.
Allan Wilkinson
Northern Sky
“It was interesting not only to see Colorado act, David Williams back so soon after his album last year and with an album as diverse and enjoyable as ‘Chocolate Bar’ that contains the quirky worded ‘Human / Inhuman’ and entertaining ditty ‘You Can’t Catch Me’ and chugging title-track ‘Chocolate Bar’ it is a wonderful treat!
Williams’ easy on the ear vocal style merges the sounds of (when he has Lauren Ashley Stovall join him on harmony vocals) Robin and Linda Williams, Jimmy Arnold and more. Whatever the answer he makes good music. Good stuff! Acoustic, drenched in clever subtle tones of a kind that invariably seep into the senses of the listener. Although I must point out that his song, ‘Wordly Love’ has more than a hint of Bob Dylan's ‘Ain't Goin’ Nowhere’ pump through its veins. But I am not complaining. Nor for that matter the beautiful fiddle and incisive acoustic guitar picking the track contains!
A fabulous songwriter Williams is a breath of fresh air with his shrewdly penned songs and wonderful arrangements. As guitars, banjo (4 & 5 string), mandolin (all of which he plays himself) coupled with fiddle, bass and percussion and yes, like on the clever as they come ‘Misfits’ some unlisted harmonica that wraps and parcels the tune in grand fashion.
On utilising a wide range of subjects and some humour Williams opens the way to such infectious songs as ‘Hick Town’ and ‘Got To Go To Heaven’. While on slowing the tempo the thought provoking story covering living a Christian life you have ‘Mama’. A poignant affair it speaks of how his mama came from Missouri and where there was nothing but love and of how she took them for a treat to drive-in-theatres. Williams grasp of a good story line stretches all the way through the album to the track ‘I Don’t Want No One But You’ right on to “Rock Shop Girl’ plus, for tasteful guitar playing then you need look no farther than ‘Dropped Your Comb’. Another that has more evocative harmonica playing escort it along its wondrous journey. Magical.”
Maurice Hope—Flying Shoes, UK 2011
"What a find it was when I discovered the music of both (Williams and Muray) and you too will no doubt feel that way once you have sampled just one song by the wonderful ensemble. Maurice Hope"
Maurice Hope - Flying Shoes, UK 2010
"David Williams and Wildgrass have a unique and meaningful take on acoustic Americana music. It encompasses great picking and singing, and most importantly, well-crafted original songs."
Greg Schochet - Review
David Williams & The Wildgrass Band. Williams as a songwriter and instrumentalist is amazing, and the band is top notch. Williams is even a solid vocalist, but Kristina Murray cuts a vocal line that recalls folks like Kitty Wells and Patsy Cline. All of this becomes quickly clear on the band's latest offering, The Crazy Kind.
The Crazy Kind opens Annie Oakley; stepping right out the heyday of Country music with an ode to the original cowgirl. The writing and playing here are incredible, and Murray is a revelation. Crazy Kind feature a duet of Williams and Murray that could be about the life of a musician (or another other artist/performer). Going Home is done in a strong bluegrass arrangement, and while sounds and styles shift like sand throughout the album, you'll note quickly that the quality throughout doesn't change. Why Do Angels Get Wings? is a thrilling bit of hard-boiled Bluegrass. Murray sounds here like a hard woman who’s had a hard life, but reflects a rough-hewn beauty in the vocal line and the hope inherent in it.
Cheyenne has a real old-time feel and a melody that's absolutely gorgeous. The dueling violin sound gives Cheyenne a stark feel (particularly in the bridge), and the picking on both guitar and banjo are well worth listening in for. Ukrainian Girl feels a bit out of place here, but the story is well told and interesting enough that you'll forgive the indiscretion. Colorado finds Williams and Murray together again in a gorgeously melancholy song of remembrance before barreling into Half Bad. Half Bad is a tongue-in-cheek tune about the virtues of falling in love and the effects it can have on you. The band pays tributes to some of the greats of Country music in the process. Williams sets the metronome high on Paul's Song, ripping off rapid-fire lyrics about pinching pennies to get through hard times and adding in some of the most challenging pick work on the album.
Kitchen Table is a wonderful tune about the central dais of family life in another age. The kitchen table at one time was the place for visiting, family meetings, working out problems, negotiations, preparing for war and anything else you could image. It was the central meeting place. Kitchen Table pays tribute to this central role from the perspective of the memories that table holds in wonderfully subtle and nuanced terms and a pretty melody.Heavenly Road finds Williams on lead again, reminding me of a slightly older and more weather-worn Paul Gross vocally. Instrumentally there may be few better, and the low-key performance offered here is exquisite. Redheaded Singer has a muddy Bluegrass feel and celebrates the animal attraction a singer can inspire. Musically, it's a WOW moment right down to its dark, stark arrangement. David Williams & The Wildgrass Band close out with Floodwater, drawing on a tradition of finding light in darkness. The flood here is scene as a means of rising up to heaven. This song could have walked right out of an old Bluegrass songbook, and is deftly performed here.
David Williams & The Wildgrass Band featuring Kristina Murray is a musical force to be reckoned with. Folk, Country and Bluegrass outlets are likely to welcome them with open arms. Don't be surprised if they become something of a big thing either now or in the future. The group is good enough to headline in Nashville, but don't be surprised if a few slick record producers line up and try to pry Kristina Murray away. Her voice is one that would fit right in at the Grand Ol' Opry, and the band is good enough to play right alongside her there. The Crazy Kind works because the blend of all these elements (songwriting, musicianship, vocals) blend in all the right ways on the album. Even with a couple of slow moments, the quality never wavers. It's an album you'll come back to again and again.
Wildy’s World Review: http://wildysworld.blogspot.com/2010/02/review-david-williams-wildgrass-band.html
"David Williams, swing meister extraordinaire, branches out into a wider Americana sound with The Crazy Kind. With the more than able help of talented friends on mandolin, banjo and fiddle he easily makes the transition into bluegrass territory which will delight his many fans."
Mollie O'Brien - Review
“There are few artists, as performer and writer, who can synthesize the core elements of a specific influence and make it their own. In college, that was a skill we were encouraged to develop. David Williams does it with ease on Django Jazz -- a collection of songs centered around the style and writing of Django Reinhardt & Stephane Grappelli, that extends itself into the trad sounds of Billie Mayhew, Fats Waller and others. David's quartet not only understands the core imagery and emotionalism that exists in the songs, they infuse a modernity that doesn't sound like just plain stylizing for the sake of style. It simply sounds real -- whether covering a classic, or performing an original. One of my favorite and most aired releases from 2007 on The Colorado Sound.”
Chris 'goat' K. - Host of the Colorado Sound on KRFC, 88.9FM, www.krfcfm.org (Saturdays 5PM-7PM (mountain) Rating: 5 of 5 Stars! [5 of 5 Stars!]
“Route 66 is a musical journey from Chicago to the Ozarks, down the fabled highway David Williams traveled as a child. His songs are full of interesting characters, in settings ranging from roadside diners to the crowded streets of Chicago to a barren farm in the middle of nowhere, all connected by this trail of tarmac. It’s a mix of styles: blues, folk, rockabilly, all complemented by Williams’ warm, rich vocals. A highlight is “Flood Water,” whose bitter, scathing lyrics are sung to, of all things, an old timey country tune. This is a Midwestern anthem. Crank down the windows and take a ride.”
Dirty Linen
“It’s as though Williams has peeled off a chunk of worn asphalt from the “old road” like it was a genuine slice of life, and treated it with the loving attention of a museum curator in order to preserve it for as long as possible.”
Jefferson County Journal—Tennessee.
“His songwriting has that same, wonderful sense of the bizarre [as Gorka]. Like Gorka, he even writes great songs about cows and pigs. This is the definitive animal song tape. . . this tape is a gem!”
Dirty Linen
“I’ve seen a lot of singer-songwriters pass through over the years; most of them quickly forgotten. But every once in awhile, someone rises up with a real talent for lyrics, and such a talent is David Williams.”
Come For To Sing
“You will be knocked out by Williams. . . reminiscent of Ry Cooder and Leon Redbone. A totally terrific collection . . . .”
The Chicago Sun Times
