Nigel Williams
Reggae Soul Jazz
Reggae Soul Jazz is a mix of Jamaican reggae and dancehall with a healthy dose of Curtis Mayfield inspired soul riffs and a touch of sunny California smooth jazz lead guitar.
As a kid growing up at the Little Bay Beach Hotel on the island of St Maarten, I was influenced by the many styles of music that I heard being played in the lounges. I used to sneak in to hear artists such as the late Billy Preston who frequently performed there. My first creative and profitable endeavor though was painting watercolor scenes of the island, which I would then sell in the hotel lobby to the tourist who were passing through. I also did portraits of anyone willing to sit for a half hour and have a kid draw their picture. It enabled me to earn a nice living at the age of 11. The profits were quickly spent on musical instruments starting with a drum set, then keyboard, finally settling on a bright red guitar which I taught myself how to play. My professional music career was launched when at the age of 12 my High School English teacher invited me to join his band. One of my first shows was performing at a high school graduation ceremony and soon after we were playing at all the major hotels on the island.
After graduating high school in 1992, to further my music studies, I enrolled at the Berklee College of Music in Boston and graduated in 1996 with a Bachelors Degree in Music Education.
In 1999, I achieved one my goals, the release of my debut CD “Dreamin’ Out Loud” to critical acclaim. The public response and the reviews were overwhelming. The CD spent some time in the top 10 of the local music charts and the seed was planted for my next project.
In 2001 I moved to Los Angeles and began working and touring with artists such as New Edition, Heather Headley, George Clinton, Euge Groove, Marion Meadows, Oli Silk, Marcus Johnon, Euge Groove, Michael Ward, Chris Brown and many more. I have been blessed to have had the opportunity to play with many of the top musicians in the industry.
Now the time has come to branch out as a leader. My new project “Reggae Soul Jazz” is finally ready for the world to hear. It’s and eclectic fusion of all the styles that have influenced me over the years. I am a big fan of Bob Marley, Curtis Mayfield, Ronny Jordan and Jamaican reggae guitar legend Ernest Ranglin. The music is reggae and dancehall based, mixed with a good dose of Curtis Mayfield inspired rhythm guitars and a touch of Ronny Jordan style leads.
The record features acclaimed musicians such as drummers Simon Phillips (Toto, Pete Townsend etc) Nate Morton (Rock Star INXS, Rock Star Supernova, Vanessa Carlton,) Trevor Lawrence Jr. (Alicia Keys, Snoop Dogg, Natasha Beddingfield, J-Lo) Bassists Ian Martin (Barry Manilow, Euge Groove, Amel Larrieux, Warren Hill) Bikki Johnson (Terrence Trent D’Arby, Prince, Fourplay) Tom Witt (Fantasia, Javier, American Idol live) Keyboardists Ed Roth (Sophie B Hawkins, Maya) Andrew Dorsett (Darren Hayes, Donny Osmond) Vocalists Jason Joseph (solo artist) Fred White (Michael Jackson, Diana Ross) Saxophonist/Producer Joel (musical director for Nelly Furtado, Nuvintage Productions) and Producer extraordinaire Kenny Moran of Nuvintage Productions (Toto, George Huff, Nelly Furtado)
SPECIAL PROMO!
Purchase the cd or download the mp3 version, write a nice review and get a FREE copy of my music video \"Irresistible\". Watch it on your iPod.
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I hope you enjoy listening to it. I had a real blast making it.
Nigel Williams
Reggae: Smooth Reggae