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John Williams is one of the most exquisite
musicians within and beyond Irish music circles today. With five
All-Ireland titles to his credit, John is the only American-born
competitor ever to win first place in the Senior Concertina category. His
additional talents on flute, whistles, bodhran, and piano distinguish him
as a much sought after multi-instrumentalist in the national acoustic
scene. As a founding member of the groundbreaking band Solas,
Williams received wider recognition playing to sold out audiences
internationally and earning two NAIRD awards and Grammy nominations for
the ensemble's 1996 and 1997 releases Solas and Sunny Spells and
Scattered Showers. The Irish national broadcasting network RTE has
featured Williams as the subject of the radio program The Long Note,
the television series The Pure Drop, and the Christmas special
Geantrai.
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His
recent release entitled Steam features the virtuosic guitar
talents of Dean Magraw and Randal Bays, former Solas
bandmates Seamus Egan and John Doyle, fiddler Liz Carroll as well as
Chicago jazz greats Larry Gray on bass and Paul Wertico on percussion.
Folk Roots magazine reviewed Steam as "unquestionably one
of the best cds of the year."
Outside traditional music John has collaborated on productions
with Gregory Peck, Doc Severinson, Studs Terkel, Mavis Staples, jazz
pianist Bob Sutter, bluegrass legend Tim O'Brien, director Sam Mendes, the
London Symphony Orchestra, and the Irish Chamber Ensemble. Audiences
nationwide recognize Williams from numerous appearances on Mountain
Stage, A Prairie Home Companion and The Grand
Ol' Opry as well as guest performances with The Chieftains,
Nickel Creek, and Riverdance.
On the silver screen he appears as a bandleader, music
consultant, and composer in Dreamworks' classic Chicago thriller Road
to Perdition. Centrally featured in the Academy Award-Nominated score
by Thomas Newman, Williams' autumnal Perdition Piano Duet was
released on the 2002 Universal soundtrack album as performed in the film
by stars Paul Newman and Tom Hanks. Of the original piece by Williams, The
Los Angeles Times wrote "Closeness is beautifully and wordlessly conveyed
in a quiet piano duet...a lovely thing." (-Kenneth Turan). And, of the
soundtrack, The Denver Post printed "Brilliant, beautiful, brutal...the
music in the film feels almost like a character itself." (-Eric S.
Elkins).
In August 2003 Chicago Magazine selected Williams in their annual
Best of Chicago issue as one of the city's finest instrumentalists.
His collaborative album Raven with composer and guitarist
Dean Magraw will be released in the fall in conjunction with a national
tour.
http://www.johnwilliamsmusic.com/bio.htm
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