Del Williams (guitar, vocals)
Son of the late, legendary Vern Williams, Del Williams was literally raised on bluegrass music. While his musical approach remains solidly connected to the brilliant genius of his father's band in which he spent three decades as a member, his individual style can only be described as pure bluegrass, mixing power and unabashed worship for the melody and feeling of an honest song. His deceptively simple roots interpretation of bluegrass music reveals a depth and understanding of the tradition that is unsurpassed in today's current bluegrass idiom. Del is an alumnus of Rounder Record's the Vern Williams Band as well as founding member of True Blue and is a devoted golfer and fisherman.
Danny Van Meter (mandolin, vocals)
Danny has been singing and playing bluegrass music for over thirty years. In confessing to having cut his bluegrass teeth on the Vern Williams Band, Danny contributes a soaring, true tenor voice, making him a fitting accomplice to Del's strong and soulful lead singing. His bloodline runs thick in bluegrass music as the brother of famed Dobro player, Sally Van Meter. His singing and mandolin work can be heard on Sally's All in Good Time album on Sugar Hill Records. Danny is the older brother with the big voice. His mandolin playing is rooted in the Monroe style, and his love for truly traditional music extends to his serious hobby of the Hawaiian ukulele.
Paul Lee (fiddle, vocals)
Paul Lee plays bluegrass fiddle in the classic style- bluesy, heavy on melody, and thick on tone. Paul has been a touring and recording artist with such luminary bands as Ryestraw, Chris Stuart & Backcountry, and Open Road, with whom he recorded Lucky Drive on Rounder Records. No stranger to lonesome, he lives in a cabin in the mountains, with his hound dog.
Billy Moore (banjo, vocals)
Billy plays hard-driving, straight-ahead Scruggs-style banjo and lends his baritone voice to the trio. With a pre-war banjo and the right hand of a cannon, Billy never strays far from bluegrass banjo as it was intended to be played: solid and true and with attitude. Billy is a Food Network junkie, and is very adept in the kitchen.
James Judd (bass)
Arkansas roots, California branches. James holds down the lively bottom end on bass for the Del Williams Band and is a long-time collector of old bluegrass vinyl.
Influences
Vern Williams, Stanley Bros, Bill Monroe, Jimmy Martin, All the Good Stuff, Sally Van Meter (cuz she loves us), all the right fiddle and banjo players, fishing, golfing, late night pickin’ on the deck, and more…
The Del Williams Band is a five-piece bluegrass band from Northern and Central California, featuring the fine traditional singing and playing of bluegrass stalwart Del Williams. Supporting Del is an impeccable cast of musicians who share a passion for wielding music in the classic bluegrass style popularized by the First Generation founders of the 1940s and 1950s. The band is loyal to distinctive and meaningful songs with expressive melodies, with a significant contribution of material penned by Del Williams himself. The result is direct and honest, no-holds-barred bluegrass. Booking Contact: Del Williams at 209 874 4644 / del_williams@hotmail.com
WHAT FOLKS ARE SAYING ABOUT THE DEL WILLIAMS BAND:
"My festival headlight was the slaughter produced by the Del Williams Band. Lord oh my, they cut it up. The vocal blend of that band is divine, heaven-sent, the way it used to be (and sometimes still is, apparently). Those young pups he has on banjo on fiddle (the tone, did you hear the tone holy cow!), had they lived 50 years ago and in the East, would have rotated in Monroe's band. I would walk out of the holler on my peg leg, in a driving snowstorm, to hear the Del Williams band... They gave me chills and goose-pimples on that warm late Saturday afternoon. "
"My hands-down favorite band was the Del Williams Band. Although their performance on Vern's stage was a fitting tribute to Del's dad, this group belongs on the main stage next year. "
"I felt a magnitude 8.5 earth jolting when the Del Williams Band hit the stage on Saturday night! Those boys can sing and play like no group I've seen since 20 years ago. The vocals were off the "richter" scale, and the TONE of those instruments together! Deep, thunderous, jaw-rattling! Good thing I was sitting down. I am officilly coming out of bluegrass festival retirement now that I can hear the real McCoy".--Art and Margaret Mangiers, Colfax, CA
Whenever I need a good 'chug it down' dose of the pure swill 'grass, I stop by your page and listen to "You Better Get Right, Little Darlin". Damn, you boys sure do it right! Del, love those guitar runs, man. We need to do some pickin together somewhere, somehow. Let's make it happen.
Hey! you guys really kicked some serious you-know -what at the Hobbs Grove Fester, I love getting to sit in with you and sing and play! I hope we can do it again sooner than later, your biggest fan, sally
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