Jessica Williams - Songs for a New Century - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

(5% DISCOUNT THRU 7-20-12) Refusing to declare itself of any genre, Jessica Williams' new collection of solo piano works was mostly composed on the spot over several performances at Seattle's Triple Door. The collection formed itself through Williams' countless hours listening to the raw recordings with the separate pieces becoming a single story in her mind. It's a novel written in public and the theme, while oceanic in scope, is musically subtle as the intention of it did not exist during it's performance. Containing very few pre-rehearsed lines - a stellar rendition of John Coltrane's InchTo BeInch and sketches of two original works - it exists only for the symphonic nature of the solo piano. Inch... The Williams touch arises from every aspect of her musicality and goes beyond technique into the rarified territory of recognizability.Inch

John Coltrane has been my light through the darkness. When there are questions, I'll ask 'what would Philly Joe Jones or Dexter Gordon do'; but when things get really weird, I can ask the 'Trane. - Jessica Williams. For her first trio outing in several years, Jessica Williams digs deep as she channels the spirit of John Coltrane with a set of originals along with compositions favored in performance by the saxophone legend. Joined by drummer Mel Brown and bassist Dave Captein, Williams is, as always, brilliant and transcendent. InchIInchm running out of superlatives to describe her playing!Inch - Humphrey Littleton, BBC.

Adding to her already transcendent collection of solo piano recordings for Origin Records, Jessica Williams furthers her legacy with Touch, recorded live at the Triple Door concert hall in Seattle. In her detailed and expansive liner notes, Ms. Williams reveals a thought process obsessed with voicing's and touch - apparent in this program of originals and classics such as InchGoodbye, Porkpie HatInch - and is perhaps what makes her the ultimate solo artist.