ACROSS THE WINTERLINE (Wind River)
ETERNITY & MAIN (Wind River) • Jack Williams

The last two years in late May I went down to the Kerrville (TX) Folk Festival. It changed me. Even more than the main stage shows, the late nights around the fire at Camp Nashville (where a lot of good songwriters show up to play, at least a couple of songs) are memories I keep close.

High among these memories are the magical moments where a guitar of disarming beauty would float in to the circle from behind me when I was playing some jazzy song. You didn't have to look to see who it was. Everyone knew it could only be Jack Williams.

It's been said already, but I'll say it again: Jack Williams is a national treasure. When it comes to pulling the worlds of blues, country, rock and roll, and jazz together on an acoustic guitar, I've never heard his equal. It takes the lifetime of experience that he's lived to do it credibly, you can't do it at the Berklee School of Music. (Jack has all that training as well, about 30 years ago…) Sometimes you have to force him to play one of his trunk of beautiful songs, because he's a consummate musician that's happy to listen to your song, or play along.

He's a lover of nature, and human nature. A very avid and experienced birder, he and his wonderful lady Judy will go far out of their way on the road forever traveled to some special bird watching destination. They live out in a cabin on the Medina River in Kerrville, where Annie and I went swimming with them one heavenly day.

Hanging around him that day, he spun just a few short tales that convinced me we had to get his story down on tape, so an interview with this classic American guitar slinger songwriter will soon appear in our pages. In fact, I'm in the office at six a.m. on a Sunday to finish reviews, because Jack's in town to record a live CD today, and I'm gonna be in that studio audience. You can bet your ass on that. I've only begun to talk about this amazing man. Listen to the clips of his playing and singing. They say it all. And by all means, buy it here. • FG

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